Entwined by Love, Enslaved by Fate
by Codaram
Summary: A moment. A glance. A smile. Miraculous that the strongest of bonds can form from so simple a gesture. Destiny is not sentimental, however, and it is often the strongest of bonds that must withstand the strongest storms. Two shinobi will form such a bond, and endure the most ferocious storm the world has ever seen. NaruHina, Epic-length story. Currently in Book Three.
1. A Hero's Return

This is my first post here, so bear with me if I haven't gotten into a 'groove' just yet.

Disclaimer: I own none of this. Masashi Kishimoto, your master, does.

Any extra information about the story, including often asked questions (should any come up), concerns (Are there going to be OC's, Why did you write this part here etc.) Will be put up on my Profile, provided there's enough reason to.

**Quick Author's Note:** I'm a big fan of immersion when it comes to this sort of thing, so while I hate that I'll be interrupting your story now and then, I think it will help. Every so often if I feel a particular scene can be augmented with music, I'll include a URL in parentheses that you can follow. Just stick that sucker into Google, and let the video that loads play while you continue reading! Feedback on this little feature would be greatly appreciated.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: A Hero's Return<strong>

The Land of Fire was in high spirits. Usually the country suffered through the heat of the last weeks of summer during this time, but instead the air had graciously cooled over the past few days and there was pleasant breeze drifting across the trees, hinting at the coming autumn. The midday sun was shining brightly, warming the leaves of the vast forests the country was famous for. The air was rife with the lively sounds of birds and other wildlife, as they expressed their joy at the beautiful weather.

The Village Hidden Among the Leaves was no different, with the change in weather being greatly appreciated by all. Despite the recent tragedy, Konoha was hard at work rebuilding their homes and businesses, and were very pleased with the progress they were making. Civilians and shinobi alike diligently worked on whatever tasks were needed within the village walls, as well as some of the surrounding settlements that had suffered some minor damage from the invasion. However, there was a strange feeling permeating throughout the villagers. Though they feared the coming war, this was something else tugging at the back of their minds. The village couldn't help but feel… empty, like they were missing something.

Or more accurately, someone.

Naruto Uzumaki had saved Konoha once again. With his triumph over the Akatsuki leader Pain, the village had finally acknowledged him as a truly remarkable ninja, and had welcomed him back with open arms. He became somewhat of a celebrity among the villagers, and they welcomed his presence wherever he went. After a while, all the attention actually began to wear on Naruto, who decided it was time he took a vacation. After some light prodding (or more like near-constant nagging), Tsunade finally gave in, and granted his wish. The village was in dire need of construction materials and other emergency provisions, and so Naruto Uzumaki, accompanied by the rest of Team Kakashi, set off to various countries on a diplomatic mission to garner more supplies. It had been 2 months since they had departed, and the village had begun to notice the absence of their favorite loudmouth.

Especially a certain Hyūga.

The past two months had been hard on Hinata. Her pacifist nature was not comfortable with the idea of the upcoming war, and tensions had been higher within the Hyūga household ever since Hiashi had appointed Neji, a branch member, to lead the clan's forces on the battlefield. Many members of the main house were against this idea, but were not about to question Hiashi's rule.

However, practically everyone in the village knew that what was really bothering Hinata, was Naruto being gone. Her long-standing crush on the blond shinobi was known to everyone, it seemed, except Naruto himself, though only a few people truly knew the depths of her admiration for Naruto, as well as her confession of those feelings during the attack. She missed him terribly, but put on a brave face and did her best to help rebuild the village along with everyone else.

Because of her and her teammates' specialties in tracking, they were often assigned to patrol the border of the village, usually to hunt down bandits and other lowlifes who sought to take advantage of the aftermath of Pain's invasion by scavenging the wreckage for any remaining valuables. This had been their fifth catch this month.

"Man, when are these guys gonna learn that stealing from us is a bad idea?" Kiba chuckled as he roughly tossed the last bandit on top of the others before wiping his hands on his pants. Shino, the last member of their little squad was leaning against a nearby oak, and nodded in agreement.

Hinata gave a small smile to her teammates. She was happy they had been so successful over the past two months, and with all these missions, it was easier for Hinata to keep her mind off of Naruto.

'_Naruto-kun, I wonder what how you're doing?' _She thought to herself. _"If you could see me now, I hope you would be proud'. _She brought her hand up to her chest, as she often did when thinking about the Uzumaki, a sad expression growing on her face as she thought more and more of the object of her affections. In fact, she had become so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't heard Kiba trying to speak to her.

"Hey, Earth to Hinata! Are you even listening to me?" Kiba grunted with his arms crossed, a hint of annoyance showing in his eyes.

"K-Kiba-kun? I'm sorry, what did you say?" Hinata mentally scolded herself for letting her thoughts wander off again, even if they were about messy blond hair, cerulean eyes, those adorable whisker marks….

Kiba coughed loudly, snapping Hinata out her Naruto-induced fantasy. She sheepishly looked over to him, letting him know he finally had her attention.

"_Anyway_, I was asking if you could give one last look over of the surrounding areas and make sure we recovered all the stuff these scumbags had stolen," lightly kicking at the pile of unconscious bodies in from of him.

"Of course Kiba-kun, one moment," she answered as she formed the familiar hand sign.

'_Byakugan!'_

She began to survey the nearby forest, her piercing lavender eyes not missing a single detail. She saw animals moving about the forest, but nothing out-of-place. After she had given the area what she considered a thorough inspection, she deactivated her bloodline and returned her gaze to her team.

"There's nothing in the immediate area," the kunoichi exclaimed. "I'll look over the list one last time to make sure we didn't forget anything, but I think we're done." Hinata clapped her hands excitedly at her statement, glad she could finally rest.

The Inuzuka, however, was much more willing to show his satisfaction at their latest success, pumping his fist in the air in victory.

"Awesome, that's a new record! Man, me and Akamaru are getting good at this. I bet I can even squeeze an early promotion out of Tsunade-sama, and then I can go on even harder missions, and show everyone what a bada-"

"I don't need to remind you that this was a team effort among the three of us, do I Kiba?" Shino interrupted, and although the dog-ninja couldn't see his eyes behind those dark glasses of his, he could feel the glare the Aburame was giving him.

Kiba grinned nervously. "Ahaha… of course, Shino! I just meant that maybe all three of us could get promoted to Jōnin, because of all the successful missions we've had." He averted his gaze, embarrassed that Shino had once again caught him bragging.

The bug ninja seemed to accept his excuse, and returned to his normal, stoic self before continuing.

"Alright then. Since we've completed our mission, I suggest we return to the village as quickly as possible so we can report to Hokage-sama."

Kiba groaned. "Awww, come on, Shino! We just caught these bastards a few minutes ago! Couldn't we take like a five-minute break?" Taking his teammate's silence as his answer, Kiba mumbled to himself as he slung one of the bandits over Akamaru's back, before hoisting up one of his own. Shino lifted up the last of the thieves, and the former Team 8 began the trek back to the village.

It wasn't until they were about halfway back to the village that Hinata realized her thoughts had once again drifted to Naruto. Ever since Pain's invasion, ever since Hinata had finally confessed her love to Naruto, and nearly died for him, she had begun to notice the jinchūriki had given her strange looks. They would pass by each other in the streets, and although he greeted her happily, there was something _off _ in the way he looked at her. Almost as if he was struggling with something. Hinata knew he already had much on his mind, with the entire war being an effort to keep him out of the Akatsuki's grasp, so she didn't press the matter, despite how much she wanted to.

'_Naruto-kun, I'm worried about you. Is there something wrong….did I do something to upset you?' _Her cute features distorting as she grew more and more worried. _'Please…I want to help you, Naruto-kun. I want to be there for you, to talk with you and ease your mind. Please Naruto-kun…let me in.'_ She blinked back a few tears, hoping to hide them from her teammates. However, Kiba had already noticed the subtle changes in her movements as they made their way through the trees. He grew concerned.

"Hey Hinata, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"It's n-nothing, Kiba-kun, please don't be worried." She turned to him with as genuine a smile as she could muster, but the Inuzuka's senses could not be fooled.

"It's not 'nothing', Hinata. You've acted strange ever since we finished up with these guys," motioning to the unconscious man on his back. He continued to study her face until a knowing smile cracked across his own.

"You're thinking about that knucklehead Naruto, aren't you?"

Hinata's face began to heat up as she almost tripped on the next branch. She hated that her teammates could always see right through her. Kiba laughed. One of his favorite hobbies was teasing his teammate about her infatuation with Konoha's newest hero.

"You worry too much, Hinata. I'm sure Naruto and the rest of his team will be back before you know it, and you can go back to fainting and blushing around him just like old times!" Hinata turned even redder at his prodding.

"Kiba-kun!" She tried giving him a scolding look, but only succeeded in making him laugh even harder.

"A-hahaha! Hinata, you should see the look on your face! Hahahaha, stop it, you're gonna make me trip!"

"Team Kakashi will be returning from their mission sometime tomorrow."

Hinata's heart soared at Shino's sudden comment. _'Naruto-kun is c-coming back! Maybe I can finally talk to him about what's wrong. Oh, what will I say to him?'_

Kiba, for the first time in a while was completely ignoring the chance to poke fun at the fact that Hinata had (once again) gone off to Naruto-la-la-land, and instead focused his attention on the sudden interruption by Shino "How do you know that, Shino? You get some inside information or something?"

"No. I merely overheard a conversation between Hokage-sama and Shizune-san regarding their return."

Kiba smirked. He wouldn't ever admit it out loud, but he was looking forward to seeing his self-proclaimed rival. "Heh. I can't wait for to see the look on Naruto's face when I tell him we've been out kicking bandit ass while he's been running around sipping tea and playing politics. I bet I can even beat him in a fight now since he hasn't gotten any training done during all this time. What do you think, Shino?"

"We should hurry. The sun will be setting soon, and Hokage-sama is expecting our report." Kiba snorted at his teammate's dismissal, but picked up the pace nonetheless.

'_Naruto's coming home tomorrow, eh?' _He took a quick glance over at Hinata, snickering to himself. _'I wonder how Hinata's gonna handle that?'_

And with that the remnants of Team 8 continued on their way back to Konoha, unaware that Shino had been wrong for once. You see, Team Kakashi wasn't expected to return tomorrow…

They were expected to return home today.

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><p>Just outside the village, the surrounding woods were beginning to quiet down. It was now late afternoon, and most of the wildlife had returned to the deeper parts of the forest, preparing for the coming night. Only the songs of a few birds remained, and soon their calls joined the chirping of crickets. The area was the definition of peaceful….<p>

"YEAAAAAHHH! LISTEN UP EVERYONE. NARUTO UZUMAKI, YOUR HERO, HAS RETURNED!"

The blond shinobi's distinctive voice cut through the quiet like a razor, scaring off any remaining wildlife.

Naruto's tanned features expressed pure joy at the prospect of returning home. While he was glad he got to take his vacation, he missed his home and friends terribly. His trademark grin flashed across his face as he began to reminisce about the people most precious to him.

'_Alright, who all do I have to see? There's Fuzzy Brows, Iruka-sensei, Chōji, Shikamaru, Ino, Neji and what's-her-name _(Lol Tenten)_, Kiba, Shino, Hinata-'_

Naruto stopped. Over the course of his two-month mission, Naruto periodically found himself shifting his thoughts to the shy Hyūga, and he knew why. During Pain's invasion, when the Akatsuki leader had Naruto pinned the ground with his chakra disruption rods, and it seemed like he had failed in his mission to protect the village, Hinata had come to his aid. She had been willing to give her life to protect him…

And he couldn't remember why.

It was another part of being a jinchūriki that he hated. Whenever he gave in to his rage, and let the Nine-tails' influence overwhelm him, his memory of the events surrounding his transformation all but disappeared. It was just disjointed sounds and blurred pictures in his head. Usually, there was someone who could relay what had happened, but this time it had only been him and Hinata. He couldn't remember why she wanted to protect him so desperately and he couldn't even remember what happened that made him slip so easily into the Kyūbi's grasp.

And it frustrated him to no end.

'_Argh! Why can't I remember what happened? I can't help but feel that Hinata said something really important, and then I go and forget what she said? What kind of friend does that make me?' _He clenched his fists in his frustration.

He desperately wanted to talk to her, to ease his mind, but was afraid she would be upset that he had forgotten something so important, even if it really wasn't his fault. Also, discussing his…tenant wasn't something he liked doing, this case being especially so since his latest transformation had been the first time many of his friends had witnessed the horror of the Nine-tails' power.

And so, Naruto had put off discussing the matter with anyone, trying to find a way to deal with the doubt that clouded the back of his mind every so often. But now that he was about to be back in the village, Naruto wasn't sure he'd be able to put it off any longer. He decided then and there that he had had enough.

'_I can't come up with excuses anymore! I'll find a way to talk to Hinata about what happened, and if I make her cry, I'll do whatever it takes to cheer her up!'_

After he had mentally reinforced this new promise to himself and Hinata, he returned to his normal, happy, self, and turned to the rest of his team who had just caught up to him, their breathing hard and ragged. ( watch?v=c7e0L8ixysk)

"Jeez, Naruto, couldn't we have gone a little slower! I'm sure that Tsunade-sama wouldn't have cared if we were just one day late," Sakura gasped. Sometimes her teammate's boundless energy was a curse, and she had been the most vocal against Naruto's insistence that they pick up the pace for the rest of their journey home.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Sakura-chan…just got a little carried away I guess!" Sakura sighed, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

"I agree with Naruto-kun. I have read that extended periods away from those you care about makes you anxious to see them again," Sai exclaimed as he caught up to them. "Naruto-kun misses his comrades, and wishes to see them again because of how important they are, right?"

A look of embarrassment flashed across Naruto's face. "Well…yeah I miss them! But you make it sound so…."

"What, Naruto-kun? You do care for your friends, correct?"

"Of course I do! It's just that you…..well you make it sound like I'm….shut up, Sai!"

Sakura giggled at her companion's embarrassment, while Sai only looked at the two of them quizzically, trying to understand why Naruto was angry with him. Whilst they were bickering with each other, the last member of their team had caught up to them.

"Okay guys, enough of that," Kakashi warned, the slightest hint of a smirk showing through his mask. "If it weren't for Naruto's suggestion that we increase our pace, we would be behind schedule, but if you three are just going to stand there arguing, we'll be late with our reports." The three looked away guiltily, knowing he was right.

"Oh, NOW you're all about being on time.." Naruto grumbled, all too aware of the hypocrisy of Kakashi's words.

The Copy-ninja lazily turned his gaze over to Naruto. "You say something, Naruto?" something about the tone in his voice making the knuckleheaded ninja uneasy.

Naruto laughed nervously. "N-nothing at all Kakashi-sensei! You're right, we should get back to the village as soon as possible!" _'That look reminds me of Captain Yamato's' _Naruto shuddered at the mental image of the Wood style user's infamous 'creepy face'.

Kakashi turned back to the road ahead of them, amused he could still intimidate the jinchūriki so easily.

"Good. Now then, if we hurry, we can still make it back to the village before sunset. Oh….and Naruto?"

The blond gave him a puzzled look. "Yeah, Kakashi-sensei?"

"The last one to the village has to treat the rest of us to some Ichiraku ramen," said Kakashi, before shooting off towards the village.

Sakura was the first to join the impromptu race. "Oh hell no! There's no way I'm paying for all the ramen that idiot eats! He'll bankrupt me!"

Sai was the next person to set off, though he seemed to set off at a pace that was deliberately slower than how fast he could really go. _'I have read somewhere that offering to pay for someone's meal is a sign of friendship. This will be a good opportunity to strengthen my bond,' _he happily thought as he leisurely made his way after the others.

Only Naruto was left at the makeshift starting line, a wide grin on his face. When it came to his precious ramen, he knew there was no way he could lose. He took one last look at the sun, now on its downward path towards the horizon, before dashing off towards Konoha with such speed that even his own father would have trouble keeping up with him.

'_Watch out everyone, Naruto Uzumaki has returned!'_

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><p>Sorry about the crappy quality of the first song. It's part of the soundtrack that remains unreleased, so there's nothing I can do about it. Instead, you should be happy that the Youtuber took the time to make a decent version of it.<p>

**Author's Note:** And that's the first chapter down! Now, whether I continue this story is entirely dependent on you, so comments, questions, reviews, or any other feedback would be great if it's not too much trouble. Starting after this chapter, if there are any concerns that enough people run into (like if I'm using an incorrect honorific, or if you felt a character was OOC etc.), just let me know and I'll address them in the author's note at the beginning of the next chapter, as long as it's not just completely unwarranted flaming (unless said flaming is funny). Then I'll just post it for the lulz.


	2. A Shinobi's Scheme

**Author's Note: **It seems I'm doing something right, otherwise my little story wouldn't have gotten over 100 hits in less than 24 hours! I'm really happy with that, and it's only gotten me more excited to see what else I have rattling around in the old noggin'. A big thanks to **Rose Tiger, EmbaressedWriter, and Chinkypinai** for my first reviews! It means a lot to have support this early on.

Anyway, this chapter was originally meant to have moved at a much quicker pace, but before I knew it, it was almost 2,000 words longer than the first chapter! This may mean it won't move along super quick, but it really gives me more opportunities to go more in-depth with the characters and their dialogue. It also just means more chapters for you, but I promise I will get better with pacing as I write more.

Lastly, remember that when you see a (.com) at the end of a line, just copy/paste everything that's in the parentheses into Google, and let the music it leads to immerse you in the story more. I don't take credit for any of the content it leads you to, that belongs to the specific Youtuber who made the video.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: A Shinobi's Scheme<strong>

The weather was beginning to cool. The sun was setting, and the rebuilding of Konoha was winding down for the day. Villagers were using the last few hours of sunlight to relax and enjoy some well-earned time with friends and family, while children were running through the streets, determined to get every last ounce of play before their mothers called them home. If a stranger were to wander the streets of the village, he would ponder how the people could endure such a tragic event, and yet seem so content. To those who have called Konoha their home however, they would simply smile, and say it would take more than that to extinguish the Will of Fire, the powerful spirit that burned within each Leaf citizen.

Hinata sighed. She wanted to join the rest of the village and rest, but could not until they had officially completed their mission. Although they had captured yet another group of bandits, no different from the others, they now had the added step of processing the criminals, along with giving their usual report to the Hokage. Now, normally bandit attacks wouldn't normally require this much effort, but the frequency of the thefts warranted increased interest from the Council, who requested additional measures be taken to investigate the matter. So instead of shipping the thugs off to one of the Land of Fire's several prisons, Team 8 was ordered to drop them off at the Konohagakure Intelligence Division for some routine questioning, something Kiba Inuzuka was _not _happy about.

"Jeez, couldn't we just take care of these guys ourselves? I know a quiet little spot just outside the village where Akamaru and I could have a little…fun." He gave the bandit on his back, who had recently regained consciousness, a very menacing look. The thief let out a terrified whimper through the gag that covered his mouth, prompting a horrified reaction from Hinata.

"Kiba-kun…that's t-terrible!"

The dog-ninja chuckled . "Kidding. I'm only kidding. I just don't understand why we have to go through so much extra trouble for a few lowlifes when we could just beat some sense into them. I mean… what kind of scum steals from families who barely have anything left?" Though she didn't show it, Hinata secretly agreed with him.

"We're under orders to deliver the criminals to Ibiki-san so he can begin interrogation at once," Shino announced. "Why? Because Hokage-sama and the Council find it abnormal that so many burglaries would be attempted this close to the village, despite the heightened state of alarm."

"Yeah, but I just thought-" The Aburame held up his hand to stop the Inuzuka, signifying he hadn't finished yet.

"To elaborate, it could be an attempt by our enemies to gather intel on our current military strength, or to further cripple economic recovery. If we were to simply eliminate the bandits without exploring these suspicions, it would only serve to exacerbate the situation."

Kiba sighed in defeat. "Fine, we'll let these guys off the hook. But if I get my hands on another bunch of these losers, I'll-"

"We've arrived. I will ask for Ibiki-san's presence, while you and Hinata guard the prisoners."

Before Kiba could protest, The insect-user had disappeared inside, leaving him and Hinata to wait for his return.

"Man, I _hate_ it when Shino does that," he grumbled. "Thinks he's so smart just because he knows more stuff than I do." He pulled out a pair of small, round sunglasses and put them on before giving his best, albeit exaggerated impersonation of their stoic friend.

"Hinata, you and Kiba will do all the hard stuff while I take the credit with Hokage-sama. Why, you ask? Because my name is Shino and I am better and smarter and cooler than either of you."

The lavender-eyed beauty stifled a giggle. She knew he didn't really mean any harm in his taunting, but tried to make sure there was no room for animosity between her teammates nonetheless. "Kiba-kun, don't be so mean. Shino-kun is just t-trying to do his best. You shouldn't make fun of him for it."

"I know, I know. But I can't help it sometimes when he gets like that." he replied, putting his prop away before turning to look at the kunoichi. "So, after we dump these guys here and give our report to Tsunade-sama, what does our Princess Hyūga plan on doing with the rest of her day?"

Hinata gave it some thought. She could grab some dinner, fantasize about Naruto, head home and curl up with a good book, fantasize about Naruto, head to bed early, oh and there was fantasizing about Naruto…Hinata blushed. She quickly answered, not wanting to invoke another round of teasing from Kiba.

"Uhh, w-well I really wouldn't mind just heading home and going to bed. I can barely keep my eyes open as it is. What about you?"

Kiba scratched his chin, his expression one of deep thought. "Man, you're boring. Me, I wanna go out and party! Maybe I can find me a sexy lady and we can-" Kiba's perfect evening plans were interrupted with the return of Shino and the arrival of Ibiki Morino, Konoha's foremost expert on interrogation and torture.

"So….these three are the filthy degenerates that have plagued my village," the older man started, looking down at the criminals who had been placed on their knees in front of him. "We'll just have to find out what you're _really_ up to, won't we?" His voice was filled with scorn and a sinister grin plastered on his face. Coupled with the many scars that riddled his face, Ibiki was a gruesome sight to behold, one that made two of the thieves involuntarily sob. The third, however, merely kept his head down, and stayed quiet.

He turned to stare at the one that had remained silent. "We'll start with you, then." he growled before roughly tearing the gag off the apparent 'leader's' mouth. "Now, is there anything you want to tell me before I start breaking bones?"

The bandit remained uncooperative, instead giving Ibiki a look that dared him to make good on his threat. The Tokubetsu Jōnin sneered, only too happy to grant the thug's request. He swiftly turned him around, before snapping two of the fingers on his left hand in one quick motion. Hinata cringed.

The bandit screamed in pain, but refused to speak. Meanwhile, his companions looked ready to piss themselves silly. Kiba could start to smell the fear coming from them.

Ibiki slammed his captive into the ground, before shoving his knee into the criminal's spine and grabbing his other hand.

"Looks like we have a tough guy! That's alright, you still have another hand left. And how could I forget all the toys I have for you just inside my office? All the _very_ sharp…_very_ painful toys." He patted his victim's cheek. "No one gets to be greedy, though. You'll just have to share with your two friends here. Is that alright with you two?" he mockingly asked the remaining captives.

Needless to say, they didn't have to pee anymore.

Kiba and Akamaru backed up a few steps, holding their breath for as long as possible. Anything to avoid the stench that was pervading his nostrils.

The thief that kneeled to the left of Ibiki finally had had enough, and began grunting through his gag, letting the interrogation expert know he was ready to talk. The sadist moved away from his first victim, giving him one last kick before turning to his new one. He removed the gag from the bandit's mouth, and almost immediately the man began to speak.

"I didn't sign up for this crap! Look, I'll tell you everything I know, just don't hurt me! We didn't come here just to make some easy cash. We're really here at the Leaf Village to s-"

"QUIET." Everyone turned to the trio's leader, who had finally spoken up. He angrily glanced back at his partner before turning back to his captor, his face twisted into an ugly smile. "You'll get nothing more out of any of us. You might as well kill us now." His companions however, didn't seem too fond of the idea.

Ibiki looked amused.

"Awww, now where's the fun in that? No, I think I'll hold onto you, maybe see if I can't _squeeze,"_ he said as he wrapped his fingers around the last thief's throat "anymore information out of you. You'll find I can be very… persuasive." He released his hold on his prisoner's neck, before finally giving his attention to the shinobi who had captured his newest playthings.

"Excellent work, you three. Our suspicions were correct; there's something else going on here. I'll send a detailed report to Tsunade-sama once I'm finished with these rats, which I'll be sure to include with glowing commendations for your help. Maybe the higher-ups will relax a little, now that we have a lead we can follow."

Hinata graciously bowed in thanks, while Shino merely nodded. Kiba, however, decided it was time for another round of bragging, to hell with what bug-boy thinks about it.

"No problem, Ibiki-san! There's no scumbag that can hide from this nose! Just let us know if we need to catch anymore thugs for you, and I'll try not to bruise them up too bad!" he boasted, placing a thumb to his chest while giving off what he felt was his most heroic pose. Hinata rolled her eyes at his showboating, but Ibiki merely smiled.

"Keep up the good work, son. That goes for all of you. Now, go deliver your report to Tsunade-sama, and get yourselves some well-deserved rest. Dismissed!"

Team 8 excused themselves with a final bow, before leaping to the rooftops to make their way towards Tsunade's makeshift office.

'_It's good to know the village will be left in such capable hands,'_ Ibiki thought to himself. _'I feel a little safer knowing that this generation of leaf shinobi is around.'_ He watched the three ninja until they had disappeared from his sight, which he then returned to his unfortunate new guests.

"Where are my manners? Come inside and say hello to everyone; they're just dying to meet you."

The three idiotic 'bandits' exchanged fearful looks, before being shoved inside.

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><p>Elsewhere, Team Kakashi had arrived at the Hokage's office in record time, due to Naruto's insistence that they race again after losing the first time. From the foul mood he was in, it seems their second race hadn't gone well for him either.<p>

"Naruto, would you quit pouting? You were too slow, you lost. End of story." said Sakura, having grown annoyed at the Uzumaki's repeated attempts to weasel out of his punishment.

"But Sakura-chaaaaan, it's not my fault! I would have won, but this old woman came out of nowhere and asked me to get her cat out of a tree. I couldn't just leave, ya know?" His pink-haired teammate placed her hands on her hips, obviously not buying it.

"That's a bunch of garbage and you know it! Maybe I should just eat as much Ichiraku as I want and clean out that stupid frog of yours," she said with a sneer. Naruto pulled the aforementioned 'Gama-chan' out his pocket, shocked that Sakura would say such horrible, horrible things.

"That's enough, you two." Kakashi said, breaking up the scuffle. "Come on, we're almost at Tsunade-sama's office."

After a minute or so, they had finally arrived at the makeshift Hokage office, a small kanji for 'fire' crudely drawn on the door. Kakashi knocked lightly on the door, and a muffled voice called out.

"Enter!"

The silver-haired jōnin opened the door, to reveal Tsunade finishing up the last of some paperwork, while Shizune was placing the finished documents in a large file cabinet on the other side of the room. The fifth Hokage stood to greet her guests as they made their way towards the center of the room.

"Ahh, just who I wanted to see, some of Konoha's finest shinobi! Oh, and you too, Naruto!" she teased, knowing it would upset the brash ninja. As she expected, Naruto gave her an indignant look.

"Whaddya mean by that, baa-chan! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, hero of the Leaf village. You should be bowing down in respect right now, ya know!"

"I'll bow down to _you _when I'm dead." Tsunade grumbled before plopping back down behind her desk.

"I hope you have good news for me. The village's stock of raw materials is starting to run thin." she said.

Kakashi stepped forward. "Well, yes and no. As per your request, we traveled around, seeking aid from the Daimyō in the way of food and construction materials."

"And?"

The Sharingan user pulled out a small set of papers, and began relay the details of their mission. ( watch?v=fQ_5CPZfOW4)

"Attempts to garner supplies in Shimogakure, Tanigakure, and Yugakure were moderately successful, with them agreeing to send aid in return for the reduced cost of our services. Both Shimo and Tani, however, demanded an extra 10% discount be added to the conditions."

Tsunade sighed heavily, annoyed negotiations were already not what she was expecting. At this rate, it would take years for the village to be completely rebuilt, something the upcoming war would not make any easier. She hesitantly motioned for him to continue.

"Formal requests to the other five Great Nations went about as well as expected, with the Daimyō politely declining under the reasons that the resources would need to be allocated towards the war effort. Only Suna accepted our terms, with large quantities of concrete and glass to arrive within the next few weeks." At this statement, Kakashi shot a grateful glance at Naruto, whose friendship with the Kazekage being the only reason the Wind Daimyō had accepted.

"And when are we supposed to get to the _good _news?" Tsunade replied, now thoroughly angry with the stinginess of the other nations. _'Bastards,' _she thought. _'They're only interested in taking advantage of the shift in power.'_

"Ahh, yes. Well, I just wanted to save that for last."

"Get on with it, then." the Hokage snapped.

The Copy-ninja coughed nervously. "Of course. Now where did I put that part of the report? Let's see…..aahhh, here it is. Large quantities of wood, metal, stone and a good deal of various other materials are to arrive within the next few days." Tsunade raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"From where?" she asked.

"From the Lands of Spring, Waves, Birds, Vegetables, Crescent Moon, and Demons."

Both Tsunade and Shizune's jaws dropped. With the joint amounts of the materials coming, the village would be well off even after reconstruction.

"H-how did you get-"

"Ask Naruto," Kakashi lazily interrupted. Everyone in the room turned to look at the ninja in question, an unmistakably proud grin plastered on his face. He gave his 'nice guy pose', complete with thumbs-up and a wink. Sakura shuddered at the similarities between him and Konoha's Sublime Green beast of Prey.

"Mission accomplished." he said, without a hint of his usual bragging.

Tsunade quickly jumped to her feet, looking like she might hug Naruto. Shizune looked relieved of her superior's sudden change in mood.

"Naruto, maybe I _should_ be bowing down! Really, this is better than I could have possibly hoped. How did you manage to convince all of them? Some of these aren't even on the list of nations I originally had you stopping at." she said, taking the list from Kakashi and looking over its vast contents.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, as he often did when he received praise. "It's nothing Baa-chan, really! And it was a group effort; I couldn't have done it without them." He said motioning to the rest of his team. _'You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get some of that' _he thought to himself, the slightest hint of a blush decorating his whiskered cheeks. _'I better get a bonus for this!' _As he shook away the unwanted memories, the fifth Hokage had returned to her desk, back to her normal, calm self.

"Right, well congratulations are in order. I consider this mission an overwhelming success, and all of you should expect a nice bonus in addition to the special pay this mission's importance carried with it."

Naruto pumped his fist with excitement, while Sakura clapped her hands together with a wide smile on her face. Sai, unaware on how to act happy upon receiving the bonus, attempted to mimic both of his teammates' actions, earning him some very disturbed looks when he failed miserably. Kakashi merely nodded.

"Well that about wraps everything up. We'll make copies of these lists and have them sent to the appropriate people so they can expect the deliveries. In the meantime, you four have earned-"

Before Tsunade could dismiss them, everyone stopped and turned as they heard a small knock on the door, followed by a quiet, voice.

"T-Tsunade-sama?"

* * *

><p>After a few short minutes, Kiba, Hinata, and Shino had arrived at the temporary building that would house the administrative duties of the village until a more permanent one could be built. As they made their way inside, Hinata was deep in thought on how she would greet Naruto upon his return, and was not looking where she was going, which resulted in the poor girl promptly running straight into someone, sending the large stack of papers they were carrying flying across the hallway.<p>

Hinata gasped in surprise, before bending down to help the unfortunate souls, revealed to be Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, Tsunade's assistants.

"Kotetsu-san! Izumo-san! I-I'm so sorry! I wasn't p-paying attention and…" she trailed off, her face beet red from embarrassment.

Kotetsu shrugged, seemingly unconcerned with the mess.

"Don't worry about the mess, Hinata-san. That just gives me an excuse to leave it until tomorrow!" he said with a grin. Izumo however, gave him an incredulous look.

"How can you be so relaxed about this? Those files took us hours to organize…I was just about ready to go home too…" he sobbed.

Hinata looked mortified, but Izumo's more carefree companion merely waved off her guilt with a wave of his hand.

"Like I said, don't worry about it. I'm sure there's a genin team around here that would just love to help their Hokage-sama with her super-important documents," he said with a wicked smirk.

"So I take it you three here to report to Tsunade-sama about the recent bandit attacks?" Izumo asked, having calmed down with his partner's suggestion of some genin as cheap labor. Kiba nodded.

"Yep! Once we're done here, we can finally head out and enjoy some downtime. Though with Hinata's clumsiness, she'll be lucky to head home without a trip to the hospital!" Kiba gave his teammate a look that told her he knew _exactly _why she hadn't been paying attention to where she was going.

Kotetsu noticed the expression on her face as a wide smile cracked across his face.

"You that excited to see Naruto, eh Hinata?" The kunoichi in question blushed deeply, embarrassed so many people could see right through her.

"Y-yes, I am. Has Tsunade-sama mentioned what time tomorrow Naruto-kun and his team are expected to return to the village"?

Izumo raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow? No Hinata, you're mistaken, Team Kakashi is already-"

"Already well on their way here!" Kotetsu interrupted. "Yep, they should arrive tomorrow afternoon, so expect them then." Before Hinata could question his strange behavior, the chūnin quickly excused himself before dragging his partner off with him.

"I wonder what that was all about..." Kiba inquired out loud, before shrugging it off and motioning his team to continue on their way.

Just out of sight, Izumo began questioning his teammate.

"What was that for?" he asked. Kotetsu peeked around the corner to make sure they were alone.

"Hinata doesn't know that Naruto and his team have already returned from their mission."

"Yeah, so?" said Izumo, missing his partner's point.

"Sooo…imagine her reaction when she finds out that he's just upstairs."

Finally it occurred to him what his partner had planned, before snickering to himself at the idea of Hinata fainting all over herself when she unexpectedly saw her longtime crush.

"Wow, Kotetsu. That's just cruel." He turned to make his way home, before being stopped by his partner.

"Uhhhh, Izumo…where are you going?"

"Well, since we're just going to leave the paperwork all over the floor, I thought I'd turn in for the day."

"You mean you don't wanna watch?"

Izumo hadn't realized his partner had planned on spying on the hilarity that was about to ensue, but quickly took a liking to the idea.

"On second thought, I think I have a few minutes to spare."

And with that, the two began to stealthily make their towards the Hokage's office to get their front row seat.

Meanwhile, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino made their way towards Tsunade's office, completely unaware of what was about to happen. Well, Hinata and Shino were unaware. Kiba had smelled a _very_ familiar scent earlier, but hadn't said anything. After all, why ruin the show?

Hinata gave a tentative knock on the wooden door, before softly calling out to the Hokage.

"T-Tsunade-sama?"

* * *

><p>-"Come in!" Tsunade replied.<p>

The door swung open. Naruto hadn't turned around to greet the new arrivals, still wrapped up in his thoughts on what he would spend his bonus on. His thoughts were interrupted the moment he heard a soft, soothing, and _very _familiar voice.

"….N-N-Naruto-kun?" she managed to squeak out.

"It seems I was mistaken on the date of Team Kakashi's return." said Shino with what sounded like the smallest hint of amusement.

Hinata's entire body froze. Her heart began to pound louder and louder until it was almost deafening, and her whole body heated up as a massive blush began to grow across her face.

'_Naruto-kun is b-back? Then…Izumo-san and Kotetsu-san…' _her blush deepened even further as she realized the reason behind the two's strange behavior. _'W-what should I do? Should I say something? Naruto-kun…I…I…' _

Little did Hinata know, Naruto was having the same reaction.

'_Crap! I said I was gonna talk to Hinata, but I didn't expect her to show up NOW! I don't even know what I'm gonna say to her! I need more time, I need more time, I need mor-'_

Lucky for him, the poor kunoichi couldn't take anymore, and promptly fainted. Kiba caught her before she hit the floor, shooting the jinchūriki an annoyed look.

" And there she goes again. Thanks a lot Naruto." Kiba sighed as he carried Hinata towards a bench to make her comfortable until she came to.

"Hey, you can't blame me for that! I didn't know you guys were gonna show up!" Naruto countered. "…What are you guys doing here anyway?"

The dog-ninja shot him a disbelieving look. "What do you think we're doing here? We came to give our report to Tsunade-sama, same as you. Though I expected you guys back tomorrow instead of today. Guess I got some bad info," he said, glancing over at Shino, who didn't respond.

Naruto was curious. "You guys were on a mission? What kind?" Sensing the opportunity, Kiba began to relay a very exaggerated retelling of their team's success, turning the bandits into enemy ninja, and from a small band of three to a group of over twenty. Usually no one would have believed the obvious lie, but then again, Naruto wasn't most people.

Before Kiba could continue his tale of heroism and kick-assery, Tsunade decided to interrupt.

"Don't you have a report for me? I'd like to get home before sundown."

Kiba chuckled nervously. "Sorry, I guess I got carried away. But, can we still give the report with Hinata out of commission and all?" he said, gesturing to the still unconscious Hyūga beside him. Tsunade shrugged.

"While it's official protocol to have all members present and ahh…_awake _during a debrief, as long as she doesn't have any extra information to add that you cannot, she'll be excused this time. Kakashi, why don't you take her home?"

The jōnin didn't seem thrilled with the idea. "I would, Tsunade-sama, but I still have some errands to run in the village. How about Naruto takes her?" to which the blond ninja responded by shooting his superior an indignant look.

"Why do I have to do it! I'm just as exhausted as you are, and if it weren't for me, the mission wouldn't have been as successful," he grumbled.

"Yeah right," Sakura mumbled. "You just want to try to get out of our little agreement." Naruto stuck his tongue out her with this remark, earning him a nice sucker punch over the back of his head.

Kakashi got an idea. "Listen, how about you take her home, and you and I split the cost of the ramen you owe everyone?" Naruto looked over at Hinata, smiling softly at her peaceful features.

'_Now that I think about it, this would be a good chance to talk to Hinata. We wouldn't have to worry about anyone bothering us, and I can think of just the right thing to say while she's still out!' _Happy with his plan, he looked back towards his teacher, his trademark grin gracing his whiskered face.

"Kakashi-sensei, you've got yourself a deal!"

The jōnin smiled through his mask. "Good. Now, unless there's anything else…?" He asked, looking to Tsunade for his dismissal, who nodded in agreement.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you guys later. Have a good one." he offered, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade turned her attention to the rest of Team Kakashi.

"Right. You two are excused as well."

Sai headed towards the door, but stopped when he realized Sakura hadn't followed him.

"Sakura-san, did you not hear, we have been given permission to leave." She kept her gaze focused elsewhere, which he followed until he realized she had been staring Hinata, with a strange look on her face.

'_Hinata…I know how much you care for Naruto, and I'm sorry he hasn't said anything to you yet,' _she thought to herself. Sakura had become aware of Naruto's memory loss problem during the Kyūbi's rampages back when he unknowingly attacked her in his four-tailed form during their mission at Tenchi Bridge._ I'd tell you myself, but it's not my place to say anything. Still...maybe if Naruto was just given a little hint-' _she stopped.

A plan was forming in Sakura Haruno's brain. A brilliant, devious, _cunning_ plan. She looked back at Sai, an odd smile gracing her lips.

"Of course, Sai. Let's get going. I'll see you later Naruto!" she said, sounding happier than she usually did, before practically dragging Sai out of the room. The last member of Team Kakashi stood there, confused about his teammate's strange behavior. He shook his head, dismissing it, before making his way over towards Hinata. He picked her up bridal style, gave everyone in the room a wide grin, before exiting the room to make his way towards the Hyūga compound.

Tsunade turned her attention back towards the remaining members of Team 8.

"Alright, now that that's over with, give your report so we can all get the hell out of here," she said with a smirk.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes, Kiba and Shino had finished with their report. They said farewell, before excusing themselves from the office. They shut the door, and began on their way home. They didn't get far, however, as they were soon stopped by a certain pink-haired kunoichi and her pale teammate.<p>

"Sakura? Sai? What are you two still doing here?" Kiba asked.

Sakura ignored the question. "Listen up you two! You're not going home just yet. Head towards Yakiniku Q, and I'll meet you there in a few minutes with everyone else except Naruto." Kiba groaned.

"Are you serious! I was just about get out of here and go do something _fun_, and now you want me to…wait, did you say _everyone_? What're you up to?"

Sai had the same question. "Sakura-san, you said everyone else except Naruto-kun. Does this involve him in some way?"

"You bet it does. I've come up with a plan, and I'll need everyone in on this. So quit standing around and get moving!" she barked.

Kiba groaned again, but relented anyway, curious about what she was talking about. Shino, however, had already caught on.

"Sakura-san, this also involves Hinata, doesn't it?"

Slowly, she turned around back towards the others, the sound of thunder suddenly booming outside, despite the beautiful weather.

The wicked smile on her face and the mischief in her eyes gave him his answer.

Just a ways down the street, Naruto Uzumaki sneezed as he felt a cold shiver go up his spine. He couldn't place his finger on it, but something was giving him a _very_ bad feeling.

* * *

><p>Dun dun <strong>DUNNNNNNN<strong>. A plot is afoot! What sort of plan has Sakura come up with? What are the true reasons behind the 'bandit' attacks? Will Naruto take his chance and talk to Hinata, or will he wuss out? And why can't poor Kiba ever finish a sentence without being interrupted!

You'll just have to wait until the next update to find out! (Except for the Kiba thing, because I think it's funny as hell.)


	3. A Plot of Love, and a Plot of Hate

**Author's Note: **Holy-Moly, this chapter turned out a lot longer than I expected, with almost as many words as the first two chapters combined. This was, however, my favorite to write so far, so the others will most likely be around this length. That means that the updates will probably be more spaced out, so that I can still have some ME time. I also think I'm getting the hang of this, because this feels better-written than the first two. Hopefully by the end of it I'll actually have some skill at this.

Anyway, this chapter is mainly here to set up the NaruHina relationship, as well as hint at where the _Adventure _part of this story comes in. There'll be action and mystery and all that crap soon enough. Also, remember that I will be taking creative liberties with the things that have been established in the manga, so if something happened in the manga that really just doesn't fit here, I won't try and make it fit. Because I don't want to just rewrite the war that's been going on, expect something very different from that.

Finally, remember that when you see a (.com-), copy/paste it into Google, and let the music play while you to continue to read.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: A Plot of Love, and a Plot of Hate<strong>

Naruto was in a good mood. As he made his way through the streets of Konoha, an unconscious Hinata still in tow, and watched its citizens return to their homes, he felt a surge of fulfillment. He felt _home_. A group of children ran past him, laughing happily as their families called them back, and he couldn't stop the pang of jealousy that struck his heart. He shook his head, dismissing the sad feeling. He wasn't alone anymore. He _had_ family, precious people he would gladly live and die for. People like Iruka, Sakura, and Kakashi. People like…a small smile graced his lips.

He glanced down at the bundle in his arms, whose slow, deep breaths revealed that she must have dozed off some time ago. He stole another glance at the sleeping Hyūga, and then another, and then another. Now that he thought about it, this was only the second time he had ever gotten this close to her, the other being when he accompanied Team 8 in the search for the bikōchū beetle, and that was only because Hinata had been too exhausted to faint. This was his first chance to _really _look at her, and since she wasn't waking up anytime soon, he didn't see the harm in it.

He peered down at her soft features. Her pale, unblemished skin lightly reflected the deep orange of the coming twilight, giving it a healthy glow, and her expression was that of the serenity only sleep could bring. A small smile even graced her lips every now and again, making Naruto curious of what she might be dreaming about.

'_Hinata's kinda cute…' _he thought. When he realized what just went through his mind, he stopped dead in his tracks.

'_Wait, what? I mean, she's pretty and all, but my heart belongs to Sakura-chan! After all, Sakura-chan is…she's…'_

He tried to think of the many reasons he had for swooning over his pink-haired teammate, but to his surprise, he was drawing a blank. He dismissed this forgetfulness as temporary, tried to push it to the back of his mind, but to no avail. The stubborn thoughts kept forcing their way back up until they were all he could think about, and soon settled on a particularly unwanted one.

The Land of Iron.

It had been a dream come true. The girl of his dreams was confessing her love right in front of him, telling him she no longer cared for Sasuke in the way she now cared for Naruto, and he didn't smile. He didn't jump for joy, or burst into tears. He felt _nothing_ good. Instead, he was angry and upset.

He knew she was lying.

Though would never tell Sakura this, but her 'confession' had cut him deeper than anything else anyone had ever done to him. It felt like his heart was being torn to shreds as she lied to him, trying to use his feelings for her for her own reasons. He had loved her, really _loved _her, and she was manipulating it. When Sai finally informed him that she did so in an attempt to make him forget about Sasuke, to ease all of his suffering, Naruto understood. In her eyes, she was just trying to protect him, trying to make up for what she believed was her fault. And though it took some time, Naruto came to forgive his teammate for her actions.

But something had changed. He no longer asked her out on dates anymore and didn't blush when she was close to him. Something was missing between him and Sakura, and he hadn't noticed it until now.

'_Do I… still love Sakura-chan?' _He looked upwards, hoping he might find an answer among the clouds. As he stared at the darkening sky, something caught the corner of his eye. Although he couldn't make it out that well, it looked like a red blur shooting across the rooftops. A _large _red blur.

'_Was that_ _Chōji?'_ Naruto wondered. _'Where would he be going this time of night? By now he should be stuffing his face at home!' _The blonde chuckled at his little joke, before moving to continue on his way. Before he could, however, he felt something moving in his arms and heard a small gasp. He looked down to find a wide-eyed, deeply blushing Hinata staring up at him with her deep lavender eyes.

Naruto grinned. While he hadn't thought of a way to bring up Pain's attack yet, he decided he would just wing it. He wasn't called the Number One Unpredictable ninja for nothing, after all.

"Well well well…look who decided to wake up! You feeling better, sleepyhead?"

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the village, Sakura was impatiently tapping her foot outside Yakiniku Q, Konoha's most popular barbecue joint. She had sent for the rest of the Konoha 11 over 15 minutes ago, and surprisingly enough, the only one who had yet to show up was Chōji, despite Sakura telling him that they were meeting at his favorite restaurant. She didn't have to wait much longer though, as she spotted the husky ninja making his way across the rooftops, before leaping down to greet her.<p>

"Sakura! Sorry I'm late, but my mom had just finished cooking dinner, and I didn't want to just leave it there." He began to drool as he recalled his mother's mouthwatering roast pork before he noticed the look Sakura was giving him, snapping him out of his food-induced daydream.

"Wait, you already had dinner, and you _still _have enough room for barbecue?" she asked, even though she already knew his answer.

"But…it…it's barbecue.." he replied, not understanding the question. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Maybe that means you'll actually save enough food for everyone else this time. Come on." She motioned him to follow her.

Inside, intoxicating smells wafted in and out of the kitchen, the hissing of fresh meat coming from the various tables where customers eagerly awaited their meal to finish cooking. Despite that the restaurant wasn't an administrative building or another of similar importance, it had been one of the first to be rebuilt after its destruction, mainly due to the entire Akimichi clan's overzealous offer to volunteer their services in rebuilding. With the promise of a free meal to entice them, the food-loving ninja clan had completed the construction in record time, much to the amusement of the other villagers.

Sakura and Chōji made their way towards the back, where the rooms for larger groups were located. She pushed the curtain aside, and revealed the rest of the Konoha 11 sitting around the table chatting with one another.

Chōji smiled. "Wow, it looks like the whole gang's here! Did Sakura invite you guys out to barbecue too"? Everyone nodded, except for Shikamaru, who instead stared at the wall with his usual bored expression.

"More like dragged out," the lazy ninja replied. " I was just sitting at home when Lee comes barging in, shouting something about a 'youthful gathering' Sakura had invited everyone to, and before I could even say anything I got shoved out the door. I was just about to go to bed too….troublesome."

The taijutsu expert rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I am sorry about that, Shikamaru-san. Sakura-san seemed so excited when she told me, that I couldn't help but become excited myself. I guess I got myself carried away."

Shikamaru snorted. "It's not like it matters. We can't start until everyone's shows up, and if you hadn't noticed, Naruto and Hinata still aren't here."

"Actually, everyone _is_ here." Sakura piped in. "I didn't invite those two, so we can go ahead and get started." Noticing the confused looks everyone was giving her, Kiba spoke up.

"Yeah, me, Shino and Sai were the first people she told, and even we don't know what this is really about. Shino figured out that it has something to do with the both of them, though."

Ino was curious. "Alright Billboard-Brow, spill it. What's this all about?"

Sakura looked around the table, satisfied they were interested in her little scheme. It was time she revealed her plans.

"Okay then. First off, Shino was right. This involves both Hinata and Naruto, which is why they aren't here. This needs to stay between us, so no one can say anything to the two of them. Especially _you_, Ino-pig." Everyone was well aware of her tendency to gossip, much to her annoyance.

"Just get on with it!" she hissed.

"Fine. So…who here is aware of the fact that Hinata's head over heels for that idiot? Show me some hands, people."

One by one, everyone raised their hand.

"Okay. And who here knew that Hinata actually confessed to him when she tried to defend him from Pain?" Slowly, the hands sunk back down, a shocked expression on everyone's faces. Even Shino raised an eyebrow at this information. Only Neji kept his hand up, and when everyone looked at him in confusion, he spoke.

"Lady Hinata informed me several weeks ago about her confession when I noticed a change in her behavior during a sparring match. I am curious as to how you became aware of this, since she confided in me that no one else knew of this."

"When I was healing Hinata after we got her to safety, Katsuyu-sama told me," Sakura replied.

Tenten whistled. "Wow, knowing Hinata that must have taken some guts." she said, impressed with the Hyūga's bravery.

Kiba looked stunned. He knew Hinata had always cared for Naruto, but never really considered just how much. He was happy that she finally had gathered the courage to tell him, knowing full well that Naruto was the reason she had become more confident over the years. Something concerned him though.

"Wait…if Hinata told Naruto that she _loved _him, why hasn't Naruto done anything about it?"

Sakura lowered her head, ashamed. _'I know this isn't my place to tell everyone, Naruto, but it's for the best. I promise!'_

"Well, that's the other thing I wanted to tell you. Naruto…doesn't remember." At this, an angry look grew on the Inuzuka's face, who jumped up from his seat.

"Whaddya mean Naruto doesn't remember! She says something that important to him, and that asshole just forgets about it? The next time I see him, I swear I'll kick his ass until he-"

"It's not like that, Kiba. Please calm down." Sakura interjected. He still looked angry, but begrudgingly relented to her request. The medical-nin took a deep breath, before continuing.

"Naruto can't remember a thing about what Hinata said, but it's not his fault. You see, when he…._changes_, he loses his memory of anything that happened before or during his transformation. He loses himself to instinct, and would kill a friend if they got in his way." She bit her lip, clearly uncomfortable with talking about such a subject. "Since Naruto and Hinata were by themselves, there was no one to tell him what had happened. He's completely oblivious."

Ino looked confused. "But wasn't Katsuyu-sama with them? Why couldn't she tell him?"

Sakura shook her head. "Katsuyu-sama would be uncomfortable having Naruto find out through her. She's too polite. Besides, Tsunade-sama is the only one who can summon her, and she wouldn't agree to do so just for something like this."

"So is that why we're all here? To come up with a way to tell Naruto? Because if you ask me, that's too troublesome to get involved." Sakura glared at him, which promptly shut the shadow-user up.

"Not exactly," she continued. "We're not gonna tell Naruto about Hinata, but something better! We're gonna give them a little…push, so to speak, so she'll have the courage to do it herself again!"

Everyone gave Sakura a confused look, wondering what she meant by 'give them a little push'. As if realizing this, Lee voiced the question everyone had on their minds.

"Sakura-san, are you asking us to help you make Hinata-san and Naruto-san a couple?" Neji involuntarily twitched at this, and from the look on his face, he wasn't too fond of the idea.

"I will not interfere with my cousin's personal life, and I would think you would feel the same. This is something Lady Hinata should handle on her own, not with us playing matchmaker."

Sakura waved him off. "Oh come one, Neji! It's not interfering, but more like…_nudging_. They won't even know we're doing it!" she said, trying to convince the Hyūga jōnin. He remained steadfast, coolly staring back at her.

Ino, however, was ecstatic at the idea, and squealed loudly, much to the chagrin of all the guys present. "Awww! Those two would look so cute together! I'm definitely in!"

Shikamaru looked unconvinced. "That sounds like a lot of trouble. I mean don't get me wrong, I like Naruto and all, but the guy is so dense not even all of us screaming in his ear would get it through to him." A chuckle spread through the table, knowing full-well that the hyperactive ninja wasn't the most perceptive of people. Sakura however, looked annoyed that her plan was not being well-received.

She sighed heavily. "I agree with you guys, I really do. I'm not crazy about interfering with their personal lives either." Her guests shifted in their seats uncomfortably, unsure of where she was going with this. She took a deep breath, and when her eyes met the others', they could feel the pain behind them. ( watch?v=pQfVVWunLaE)

"But Naruto deserves this."

Everyone froze. Sakura ignored them, determined for everyone to hear what she had to say.

"By now everyone here is fully aware that Naruto didn't have anyone growing up. He didn't have a mother or father, or any other family. Hell, he didn't even have friends he could count on...something we're all guilty of." _'Especially me'_. She tried to hold back the tears that were forming, but failed. She wouldn't stop, though. She couldn't.

"He's b-been through… so much his entire life. He fought tooth and nail j-just for the right to live, all while the whole village hated him for something that w-wasn't even his f-fault!" She stopped trying to hold back, and began to sob in earnest. The others couldn't look her in the eye, they themselves remembering all the jinchūriki had lived through, some of it their fault.

After a few minutes, Sakura had finally calmed down enough to speak again, and smiled through the few remaining tears.

"And even after everything we've done to him, everything he went through, he didn't hate anyone for it. He never held a grudge against any of us, and has done more for the village than we'll ever do. He reminded us what being a good person is all about, and continues to do so everyday we're with him." Everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

"And that's why Naruto deserves to be happy more than anyone else in the entire village! And that's why we're going to help him!" She had a fierce look in her eye, one that promised her fury if anyone dared deny this.

At the conclusion of her little speech, the air around the room had changed. She could tell they felt the same, now. Even Shikamaru had sat up, his usual expression of boredom absent from his face.

Sakura smiled, happy she had been able to change the others' minds.

"So, are you guys with me?" Everyone looked at each other, before smiling back and sounding off one by one. First was the remaining Team 8 along with Sai.

"Me and Akamaru are in." Kiba said, his faithful hound barking in agreement.

"I will help you with Naruto and Hinata as well," added Shino.

Sai nodded, thumbing through a small book he had pulled out his pouch. "It says here that the bond of love is the strongest bond there is. I would be honored to help Naruto-kun achieve this with Hinata-san."

Next to speak up was the Ino-Shika-Cho trio,

"Of course I'll help you! Oh, this is going to be so romantic!" Ino squealed again, unable to contain herself.

Shikamaru leaned against the wall. "Fine. But I still think this is going to be more trouble than it's worth."

"I gueff I'm in if Fhikamaru's is." Chōji said, not even bothering to swallow the food in his mouth.

Team Guy were the last to give their answer.

Lee looked ready to explode from excitement. "YOSH! I WILL HELP YOU IN STRENGTHENING THE YOUTHFUL BOND BETWEEN HINATA-SAN AND NARUTO-SAN!"

Tenten was much more subdued than her teammate, who simply nodded happily.

Everyone turned to Neji, who was deep in thought. Finally, he answered.

"Very well, but only on one condition." Sakura peered at him.

"And that is?"

"I will help you, but if Lady Hinata suspects something, I will not lie to her. She has a right to know the truth."

Sakura snorted. "As if she's gonna find out! This plan is flawless, it's perfect, no holes in it .ever!" she proclaimed proudly.

"Then, do you plan on filling us in on this grand scheme of yours?" he retorted.

A familiar evil grin flashed across Sakura's face, before she motioned for everyone to lean in.

"Alright. Here's what I had in mind…."

* * *

><p>Over at the Konoha Intelligence Division, Ibiki was making final preparation for the interrogation of their newest prisoners. As he finalized the paperwork, two familiar figures made their way into the room He looked up, and waved in greeting.<p>

"Ahh, Anko and Inoichi, just the people I wanted to see!" he said.

"The message I received said this was urgent, Ibiki. What's happened?" replied the elder Yamanaka.

"Earlier today, a group of bandits were captured by a team consisting of Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyūga."

Anko spat on the ground, clearly not impressed. "Yeah, so what? We've had problems with bandits all month. What's your point?"

Ibiki glanced over at her. "My point is that these bandit attacks have been for reasons far more important than easy money, as the Council and Tsunade-sama had feared. After a little chat I had with them when they were first brought here, I was able to scare one of them enough to tell us what's been really going on, before their leader clammed them up."

Inoichi looked apprehensive. "Another purpose? What, you mean like spies?"

"It's certainly a possibility. There are too many reasons they could be here to jump to conclusions at this time. That's why you and Anko are here. The Council has ordered immediate interrogation of the prisoners so as to make sure another nation is not seeking to take advantage of the war, and I needed two more to make this go as fast as possible." He turned to Anko. "You and I will be with the scumbags in cells One and Two. They're soft, so you won't have to work them over all that much."

"Awww, that's no fun." Anko pouted. Ibiki smirked at her enthusiasm, before turning back to Inoichi.

"You will be handling the man in cell 3. He seems to be the leader of their little group, so he has a tougher will. We don't have time to break him through torture, so I'll need you to go in there and take a look inside his mind, see if you find anything of use. Remember, we don't know who we're dealing with here, so mental blocks or traps in place should be expected."

Inoichi nodded. "Right."

The three turned to make their way towards their respective cells to begin, before they were stopped by a knock on the door.

"Enter!" Ibiki called. The door swung open to reveal two Konoha shinobi, albeit ones none of the three had seen before. The one on the left had a very dark complexion and was scowling, while the other one was deathly pale, an almost aloof expression on his face, and was carrying a scroll with the Hokage's seal on it. It was a strange sight, with the two shinobi resembling polar opposites.

Ibiki raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"

The ninja on the right spoke up, an odd smirk on his face. "I am Shiro, and this is my…_brother,_ Kuro. We have message for you from Hokage-sama and the Fire Daimyō regarding the prisoners."

Inoichi walked over to the two brothers. He gave them a suspicious look, before grabbing the scroll. As he read over its contents, a shocked look grew on his face.

"What does it say?" Ibiki asked. Inoichi turned back to him, a grim expression on his face, and a strange look in his eyes.

"It says we are to immediately release the prisoners to these two men, who mean to take them to the Fire Daimyō for a special interrogation."

"What! That's completely ridiculous! We don't have the time for a 'special interrogator'. We need to-"

"It's signed by both the Fire Daimyō and Tsunade-sama. There's nothing we can do. It's out of our hands now."

Ibiki scowled. Something didn't feel right. But he couldn't very well defy the rulers of both the Land of Fire and Konoha, so he angrily motioned for Anko to follow him so they could release the bandits to the two messengers' care. A few moments later, he returned, the three bandits chained together and their hands bound.

Before they could cross the room to the safety of their new bodyguards, however, Ibiki decided they should each receive a 'parting gift', and one by one cruelly kicked the thieves to the floor. As they groaned in pain, he kneeled down to look them in the eye, a sneer on his face.

"Consider yourselves lucky, trash. I only hope this 'special interrogator' isn't as forgiving as I am." He spat. Though he wasn't satisfied, he finally relinquished the trio to the bodyguards.

"Don't worry; we'll take _good_ care of these three. They've been very bad, haven't they Kuro?" said the pale brother. His companion grunted in agreement.

**"Let's go,"** he muttered, his voice much deeper than that of his brother's. **"They're waiting for us."** And without another word, the two were out the door with the bandits in tow.

Ibiki snarled. "I don't know what just happened, but I've got a bad feeling about this."

* * *

><p>Hinata was having the best dream. She and Naruto had just finished a picnic he had made, and they were quietly sitting in each other's arms, enjoying the weather and the company. She would have stayed asleep for days if she could keep the dream continuing on like that, but something was pulling her back into consciousness.<p>

The first thing she noticed was that, by the way her weight was distributed, she was off her feet, and that whatever was holding her up was warm. Believing Kiba had brought her home and that she was safely in her bed, she snuggled deeper into the warmth it was providing, only to freeze up all of a sudden. She smelled something.

_Ramen_.

Hesitantly, she lifted her head to find the source of the familiar scent, and was very surprised to find herself in the strong, gentle arms of Naruto Uzumaki. He was peering down at her, a loopy grin on his face.

"Well well well…look who decided to wake up! You feeling better, sleepyhead?"

Hinata couldn't help herself. The surprise of being carried by her long-time crush was too much for the poor girl, so she did the first thing that came to mind.

Scream.

This in turn spooked Naruto, who proceeded to unceremoniously drop her, letting her hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of her.

"Hinata! Oh jeez I'm sorry!" he said guiltily, bending over to help her up. "It's just.. you scared me when you screamed like that. Sorry…" He trailed off. She could tell he was ashamed.

"It's o-okay, Naruto-kun. I was j-just a little surprised, th-that's all. Please don't be upset," she replied. A faint blush on her cheeks as she delicately accepted Naruto's hand. It felt so warm, and despite the numerous callouses, it was soft to the touch. She pouted slightly when he withdrew his hand from hers, only to let out an involuntary 'eep' as the blond ninja began dusting her off with his hands.

"Naruto-kun…if you don't mind me asking, why were you carrying me?" she asked.

Naruto smiled at her. "Well, you fainted when you walked into Baa-chan's office, so after we gave our report, Kakashi-sensei suggested I take you home so Kiba and Shino could go ahead and give their report. I didn't wanna wake you, so I thought carrying you would be fine!"

Hinata blushed for the third time as the memories came rushing back to her. Talking with Izumo and Kotetsu, walking into Tsunade's office, and falling flat on her face when she saw Naruto. She felt so embarrassed that she still couldn't keep herself from fainting when he was around.

"Th-thank you Naruto-kun, but you really didn't have to g-go through all the trouble." He responded by shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it, Hinata! I wanted to, really!" he exclaimed, conveniently leaving out the part where Kakashi had essentially bribed him to escort her home.

The lavender-haired girl averted her gaze. "I'm sorry if I was such a burden…"

"Hinata, I said don't worry about it. You weren't that heavy at all!" her blond companion replied, with his usual amount of tact. "Now let's get you home!" The Hyūga gave him a bashful look.

"It's okay Naruto-kun, I c-can walk the rest of way myself. Really, it's n-no trouble," she tried to protest.

Naruto wasn't having it.

"No can do! Kakashi-sensei gave me a mission, and I always see my missions through to the very end!" He ended his little promise with his 'nice guy' pose, causing Hinata to stifle a giggle.

"O-okay, Naruto-kun…if you insist." While she didn't show it, inside her mind she was jumping for joy at the thought of more time with just her and Naruto. It was one of the few times she was glad that the compound was such a long walk from the rest of the village.

And so Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyūga continued on their way towards the Hyūga compound. For the first time in years they had a chance to talk with one another, just the two of them. Naruto asked about the missions she had been going on, and was ecstatic to hear how successful they were. They also briefly discussed the rebuilding of the village, really just small talk, until Hinata grew curious enough to ask Naruto about his two-month long mission.

"Huh? Well, we went around to a bunch of different countries, going to the daimyō and asking for extra supplies in exchange for cheaper services from the village. It was kind of boring, really. I thought I needed a vacation, but I started missing the village and all of you guys almost as soon as I left!" he exclaimed happily.

"But, it must have been nice to see everyone again?" she asked. "After all, you're p-personal friends with several of the daimyō as well as the head priestess of the Land of Demons, right?"

"Ehh, I guess so. Don't get me wrong, it was nice seeing Toki, Haruna, and Shion again, but I just wish they hadn't-" Naruto stopped mid-sentence, and Hinata noticed his cheeks had grown a little red.

"Hadn't what, Naruto-kun?" she inquired.

Naruto laughed nervously. "Oh, it's nothing! Nothing at all. Besides, you don't wanna hear about my lame mission. Yours were WAY cooler!"

The kunoichi shook her head. "Naruto-kun, you m-mustn't downplay what you did. A lot of people will be very grateful for what you've done!" she stated. "I wish I could be that useful to the village.."

Naruto heard the sad tone in her voice, and tried to cheer her up.

"Don't sound like that! Hinata, what you've been doing is just important as what I did, even more so in a bunch of ways. A lot of people would have lost everything else they had if it weren't for you. All I did was kiss a bunch of politician's asses." His joking lightened her mood a little, but she still felt she wasn't as useful to the village as she could be. She tried to hide this from her companion, but he wasn't fooled. He stepped in front of her, a mock stern expression on his whiskered face as he squinted at her.

"Hinata, I'm not letting you move another step until you say you're just as awesome as all the other ninja in Konoha!"

"B-but Naruto-kun-" she tried to protest.

"No buts! Now, lemme hear you say it." She mumbled something incoherent.

"I can't hear you, Hinata. You'll have to say it louder!" he teased, his face now only inches from hers. It took everything she had not to pass out again, but she calmed the butterflies in her stomach, and took a deep breath.

"I, Hinata Hyūga, am just as awesome as every other ninja in Konoha," she said with as much authority as she could muster. Naruto burst out in laughing, holding his sides as he held back tears.

"You should see the look on your face, Hinata! Awww, it's so cute!" He stopped his teasing, realizing what had just come out of his mouth.

'_There I go again! Man, this is so embarrassing! Maybe she didn't hear me...'_ He looked over at the shy girl to find her face as red as a tomato. Thoroughly embarrassed, he tried to change the subject.

"Soo, h-how have Kiba and Shino been?" Pouncing on the opportunity to ease the tension, Hinata informed him of all that had happened during his absence, and soon they were chatting happily again. There was a question, however, that continued to nag at the back of Hinata's mind. She tried putting it off again and again, but when they were within sight of the Hyūga compound, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Naruto-kun? There's something I wanted to ask you…"

Naruto turned to face her directly. "Yeah, what is it Hinata?" She began twiddling her fingers, a habit she had almost broken before Naruto came back.

"It's o-okay if you don't w-want to answer…" she said timidly. The blonde gave her a suspicious look.

'_Is she about to ask me about why I haven't said anything about what happened with her and Pain?_' he wondered. _'I haven't really thought about it how to talk to her about it, but I guess there's no choice now!'_

"Are you…scared about the war?"

This caught Naruto by surprise. He never would have expected to hear that question from anyone. He always put out an air of such confidence, he was sure everyone thought he was fearless.

Then he remembered the Chūnin Exams.

Before his fight with Neji, he was terrified. Despite his promise to defeat the Hyūga, he doubted himself from the moment he made it. How could a second-rate loser like him beat someone whom everyone considered a genius?

And then he ran into Hinata.

For the first time in his entire life, he dropped the tough guy act, and poured his heart out. He told her he was scared, that he doubted he could win. As the words came out, he felt ashamed. It made him feel so…_weak._

But she didn't mock him, wasn't deterred by his usual lack of confidence. She held her ground, and firmly proclaimed her faith in him. She reminded him that he never gave up, and that it was something she greatly admired. He felt so safe as he heard those words. He felt like that no matter how far he might fall, or how low he might sink, there would always be someone there for him, ready to believe in him.

_"I've been watching you… I've been watching you closely for many years now. I wonder why. I don't know why but… When I watch you Naruto, I feel full of courage… I feel like I can keep going… that I can succeed. That even I am worth something."_

Those words remained with Naruto throughout his life, always reminding him being strong doesn't always mean being tough, and that it was okay to have fears and doubts every now and then when you had people to share them with.

Now, he was looking at Hinata the same way he had those few years ago. And once again, he surprised himself with his words.

"Yeah…I guess I am."

Hinata hadn't been expecting that either. She knew he had his doubts, but had figured he would still choose to maintain the ruse and proudly proclaim his fearlessness. She felt happy that he was being so honest with her.

Taking her silence as an invitation to continue, Naruto spoke again.

"It's a scary thing to think about, war I mean. None of us have ever really been through it, so it'll be a completely new experience to us. I'm scared of how this will change things. I'm angry at myself a little, too." Hinata gave him a confused look.

"I mean, this whole war is to protect me and the jinchūriki from Kumo, right? All the death and destruction around me… no matter how I try to look at it, it'll always feel a little like it's my fault."

Hinata felt a huge wave of pity wash over her. To carry such heavy burdens was something no one should have to go through alone. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, tell him everything would be okay. She felt powerless.

"But what scares me the most…is losing my friends." Hinata's eyes widened.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

"I'm so scared to lose anyone. I can't think that it won't happen, that everything will turn out okay, but that doesn't mean I don't want it to. If I were to lose Sakura-chan, or Kakashi-sensei…if I were...to lose…" He trailed off a, strange a look glossing over his eyes.

Unbeknownst to Hinata, it had felt like all the wind had been knocked out of Naruto. A hidden memory all of a sudden resurfaced itself from the darkest corners of his mind, and became so vivid it felt like he was there again.

* * *

><p><em>~Flashback~<em>

_Naruto was trapped. Pain's chakra rods were embedded throughout his entire body, and he couldn't move on his own anymore, no matter how hard he struggled. It…was over. He was disgusted with himself. All that training, all that hard work to be ready to defeat the man who killed Jiraiya, and he had failed. He had let his teacher die for nothing._

_Then just as he had given up, and resigned himself to his failure, something caught the corner of his eye._

_Hinata was there. And she was standing between him and Pain._

"_I won't let you lay another finger on Naruto!" she cried out._

"_What're you doing here!" Naruto demanded. "Get out of here while you can! You're no match-"_

"_I know…" she said softly, but with firm determination. "I guess I'm just being selfish.."_

_Naruto was stunned. Why was Hinata here, even if she knew she couldn't defeat Pain? Why would she risk her life?_

"_What're you talking about!" he shouted. "What're you doing here! It's dangerous!"_

_She held her ground. "I'm here of my own free will." she said as she activated her Byakugan._

_"I used to always cry and give up… I made many wrong turns… But you… You helped me find the right path… I always chased after you… wanting to catch up to you… I just wanted to walk beside you all the time… I just wanted to be with you… You changed me! Your smile is what saved me! That is why I'm not afraid to die protecting you!"_

_~End Flashback~_

* * *

><p>"Naruto-kun? Is something wrong?" Hinata's question cut the memory short, leaving Naruto a little shaken from the sudden jump back to reality.<p>

'_That felt so…real. Is that what happened with Pain? No…there was something else, wasn't there? She said something else… augh, why can't I remember!' _

Then he looked at Hinata, her features laced with worry, and all his frustrations and all his fears melted away. _'It's enough for now. I have a feeling I'll remember the rest of it soon enough.'_ He smiled as wide as he could.

'_Hinata…was willing to give her life for me…to protect me…'_

"You know what, Hinata? I don't think I'm scared anymore."

Hinata was slightly stunned at his sudden change in behavior. "Why? What changed?" she asked.

Without warning, he moved towards her.

"Because…" he said as he gently wrapped his arms around her, "as long as I have people like you, there's nothing for me to be afraid of."

Hinata didn't flinch from his touch, like she usually would have. To be honest, it was because she was caught by surprise, but even after he had enveloped her in a hug, she didn't waver. Instead, she gingerly reached her arms around him, and hugged him back.

Though it only lasted a few seconds, Hinata felt like it was an eternity. It felt so right to be there in his arms that she would have been as happy as can be if they had stayed like that forever.

"Sorry about that!" he chuckled "Guess I got a little carried away.."

Hinata gave him a soft smile. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. I didn't mind."

They both blushed softly. To a passerby, it would have looked like a scene out of a cheesy romance novel, complete with a beautiful sunset behind the young lovers.

The remainder of what was left of their walk was done in silence. Not because of tension, but they just felt so comfortable with each other at that moment, they didn't feel the need to say anything.

After a few short minutes, the pair had finally arrived at the porch of compound, Hinata sorely disappointed their walk had come to an end.

Naruto whistled as he looked up the massive complex. "Man, I always forget how huge this place is! If I lived here, I'd be getting lost all the time!" he joked, a smile plastered on his face.

Hinata giggled at his wisecrack, which made him smile all the wider.

"Ahh, Hinata. You've finally returned."

The pair looked towards the origin of the voice to realize that the door had slid open to reveal Hiashi Hyūga, head of the noble clan. His expression was stern as usual, and confusion as well when he noticed Naruto.

"Heya, Pops! I walked Hinata home. Hope you don't mind!" he exclaimed, despite Hiashi not asking him.

The Hyūga leader ignored him, and Hinata could tell by the twitching vein on his head that he did not appreciate the term 'Pops'. He instead turned to his eldest daughter.

"I had heard your mission ended well over 2 hours ago, and yet you are just now getting back?" Hinata looked away sheepishly at her father's prodding, aware that he knew perfectly well why she was late, having glanced at the blond standing next to them, who was currently devoting all his attention towards catching a small toad he saw resting near a small pond.

"I am sorry for my tardiness, Otō-san," Hinata stated. "I am late for our evening spar, correct?"

Hiashi nodded. "Yes, you are. However, I am willing to forego that this one time, due to your recent success. I must insist we lengthen tomorrow morning's session though, so as not to dull your skills. Is that acceptable?"

Hinata bowed, grateful for her father's unusual generosity.

"Yes Otō-san, that is acceptable. I look forward to it, actually."

Hiashi was slightly surprised at his daughter's enthusiasm, but didn't show it. "Good. Now please head inside, and I will join you momentarily."

Hinata turned to face Naruto, giving another quick bow in thanks.

"Thank you Naruto-kun, for walking me home. I enjoyed our time together." And with that, she disappeared inside the house.

After waiting until Hinata had vanished around the corner, Hiashi finally turned to face Naruto, who had given up his little toad hunt, and had made his way back to the doorway. He stared at the young man for a while, carefully looking him up and down, something that made Naruto a little uneasy. Finally, he spoke.

"Thank you for escorting my daughter home safely, Uzumaki-san," he said, bowing slightly.

Naruto was taken aback by the show of respect from the Hyūga head, still unused to the formality that was commonplace among the Byakugan users.

"No problem, Pops!" he said with his trademark grin. "I was glad to help!"

Hiashi examined him for a moment longer, before turning back towards his home.

"Well, if that is all, I bid you a good evening, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto took this as his time to leave, and turned to head home as well, before he heard Hiashi's voice again.

"Naruto-san…" he said quietly.

"Hmm?" the blond grunted in reply. He turned to find the elder man still facing the doorway, but with his head slightly inclined towards his direction.

"Welcome home."

Naruto grinned. He gave Hiashi a parting thumbs-up, before leaping out of sight. Hiashi watched the boy for a few seconds, before making his way inside and shutting the door behind him.

Naruto hadn't made it more than a few steps before his stomach gurgled.

"That's right; I haven't had anything to eat since I got home! Hmmm…I wonder if the old man Teuchi has closed up Ichiraku yet?" he said excitedly, deciding to put off returning home until he had a few bowls of his favorite ramen safely inside his belly.

* * *

><p>The sun had finally crossed the horizon, and the sky was beginning to darken. Far outside the village, there stood what was left of a small rest stop. It had been long abandoned, and as such had fallen into disrepair, its only visitors being rats and birds searching for food. The light soon disappeared from interior, bathing it in darkness. But this wasn't because the light outside had finally dissipated. A large shadow was blocking the entryway, scaring the pests to into hiding among the shadows. <span>( watch?v=Cy3HWnwMLyI)<span>

The shadow moved, and revealed itself to be more than one figure, a group of five to be exact. They made their way into the abandoned building, and let their eyes slowly adjust to the darkness.

It was Kuro and Shiro, with the three bandits still in tow.

"**Here is good enough,"** Kuro snarled, before turning to his brother. **"Take care of those three, and I'll bring **_**him**_** here."** Without another word, he began to sink beneath the earth, and in a few seconds had completely disappeared.

Shiro drew a kunai out from behind him, and slowly made his way towards the bandits, an evil look in his eyes. He raised the blade…

And cut the ropes that bound the three.

"It's about time," one of them grumbled as he massaged his wrists. "Did we really have to stay tied up like that all this way?"

"It was the only way not to arouse suspicion," Shiro jeered. "We couldn't afford to give them a reason to stop us, so stop complaining." He moved out the way as his 'brother' resurfaced from the earth.

"**He'll be here soon. Are they ready?"** Kuro asked, motioning towards the three.

Shiro grinned wickedly. "Of course they are, _brother_. Now, let's change back. I'm ready to get the stink of that village off of me."

He walked over towards his brother, until they were standing right next to one another. All of a sudden, their skin ripped open on one side of their bodies, the tendrils lashing together and connecting the two. The flesh pulled them closer and closer together until they had finally rejoined into one figure, the skin smoothing itself out. One half was pitch black, with only a single yellow eye piercing through the darkness, while the other half was sickly white, his ever-taunting smile present on his face.

"Ahhh, that feels much better. Wouldn't you agree?" Zetsu asked his right side.

"**He's here. You three, be ready to answer whatever questions he gives you, and don't dare waste his time." **The black half ordered, addressing the three on the opposite side of the room.

In the darkest corner of the room, a small disturbance appeared in the air, hovering almost like a heat wave. It grew larger and larger, until a hole became visible within the spiraling air, and a dark figure emerged from the portal. His face was concealed with a mask of an orange spiral, with a single red eye glinting through the right side.

"These are the spies?" he asked.

Zetsu nodded, and the masked man turned his attention to the trio.

"Very well. What information were you able to gather?"

The so called leader of the trio of spies stepped forward, before kneeling down.

"Konoha seems to be rebuilding at an alarming rate, my lord. Their military strength would have waned, as the necessary resources to train new shinobi would instead be used for construction."

"_Would_ have? What do you mean?" the masked man questioned. The spy seemed to hesitate before speaking, knowing his words were likely to anger his superior.

"Well…Naruto Uzumaki recently returned from his two-month mission, and was able to negotiate for vast amounts of supplies from various daimyō. With those on the way, the Leaf Village will recover to full strength within a matter of months."

The masked man didn't speak, but with the way his muscles tensed, the spies could tell he was not pleased with the news.

"That meddlesome child…" he spat, "is beginning to wear out my patience. But… it is no matter. This will only make their defeat all the more devastating. Was there anything else you were able to learn?"

"Yes, master." the spy answered. "It seems the Council of Elders and the Hokage have begun to suspect something."

"Oh? And what makes you think that?"

The spy began to grow nervous. If this man found out one of them had let slip to Ibiki that they were there for another purpose, they would surely be killed. He decided to leave that part out in an attempt to save his own life.

"Ibiki Morino of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force mentioned the suspicions of the village when we were captured."

The masked figure looked at Zetsu and nodded. Before the spy could blink, the two other spies of his team lay before his feet, blood pooling around them. They were dead.

"Did you really think you could lie to me?" The figure asked, his eye glaring at the remaining spy from behind his mask. "No, Ibiki forced some information out of you, and you attempted to hide it in a pathetic attempt to save your life. I will not tolerate failure."

The terrified man attempted to answer, but found the words caught in his throat. All of a sudden, he tensed up, before slumping over, dead.

**"Was it wise to kill them so close to the village?"** Zetsu asked, turning over one of the corpses with his foot.

"It may not be ideal, but I had no choice." His companion replied as he bent over to pick up something from one of the bodies. He held it up to the moonlight to reveal a small insect, which had been hiding among the spy's clothing.

"The Aburame clan is a clever lot," the masked man remarked, crushing the bug between his fingers. "Always picking up on things that no one else would have seen."

He turned back to Zetsu. "We'll have to be more careful with our plans from now on, so as to not bring any more attention. We'll skip the next target over for now, and instead focus on one of the others in the neighboring lands. With any luck, the villages will be too busy preparing for the war to investigate any further. This changes things, but it does not stop them. It's far too late to stop them."

Zetsu's white half grinned. "Oh yes, your _war_. Quite a clever little scheme that turned out to be. Though honestly, I never really expected your declaration of another World War to have worked as well as it did…Tobi."

The masked man's Sharingan glinted dangerously in the darkness. "You underestimate the fear within the hearts of men. It is one of the easiest things to manipulate provided you have the power to do so. Now, let's be on our way, as there's still much work to do. I'll bring the bodies so that you can properly…_dispose_ of them."

Another portal began to form itself around Tobi's eye, dragging him and the corpses into another dimension. Zetsu followed soon after, sinking beneath the earth, leaving the building abandoned once more.

A cold chill threw open the door, once again illuminating the room, this time with the pale light of the moon. Although the corpses were gone, the stains of blood remained, the only evidence left behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Oh sheeeeeeeeet. What did Zetsu mean by that! We'll just have to see, now won't we? Anyway, expect the ball to start moving in the next chapter, because I know at least some of you are craving some suspense up in here.

And sorry about the lame-ass title. It really stumped me on what to call this one, so I just kind of crapped one out.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


	4. A New Mission! Murder at Shizukana!

**Author's Note: **Phew, another update uploaded. This is the longest chapter yet, so there were times I had to stop and take a quick break. There are some scenes in here that gave me a little trouble, not having written anything really emotional yet. Hopefully, I did a good job. If not, please don't hesitate to tell me. Also, there's something that needs to be addressed. It's come to my attention that there may be some people who think Naruto will eventually gain his own bloodline, like a Dōjutsu or Kekkei Genkai.

Nope. not gonna happen. he has plenty of things that make him unique, and unless I come up with some brilliant idea, as well as the perfect way to introduce it, don't expect anything of the sort. If that's what you came here for, you might be disappointed. He'll certainly have new abilities, but no mysterious power he never knew he had until now.

A big thanks to **dragonball256**, **Chinkypinai**, **Rose Tiger**,and **jayley** for the reviews! It certainly helps keep me excited.

Also, there might be some terms that some people are unfamiliar with in this chapter, so here's a quick guide:

Hakke Kūshō = Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm

Jūkenpō: Hakke Sanjūni Shō = Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-two Palms

Oji-san = Uncle (Formal)

Imōto = Little Sister

I'll do this actually _in_ the story from now on, so you don't have to keep scrolling. If it's a term most people would know by now, I won't bother.

And as always, copy/paste the ( whatever) links when you see them into Google, and let the music play while you read. I did little more of those than usual. But whatevs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: A New Mission! Murder at Shizukana Village.<strong>

Underneath the pale light of the moon, close to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, lay a small village. Its inhabitants lived in quiet solitude, preferring to keep to themselves rather than be drawn up in the chaos of the outside world. In fact, there were a few who insisted that only people who already knew where it is could find it. This seclusion allowed the village a level of tranquility unheard of in the other parts of the world. A tranquility no different from tonight.

The village lay in a clearing among the trees, quite the pleasant spot. Its northern end framed by one of the many small rivers the country was famous for, which supplied the few who lived here the water they needed. Amongst the small houses that lay scattered across the open ground, shadows danced along the walls and upon the earth, shifting as the clouds above lazily drifted across the nighttime sky. One shadow however seemed to move against the flow of its brethren, instead snaking across the village towards the house closest to the surrounding forest, which stood apart from the others. The shadow approached the window, peering through, before soundlessly slipping inside.

The interior was plain, and sparsely furnished. Against the wall closest to the door was a small kitchen, if not just a fire pit and some cabinets to hold cooking utensils. A wooden table stood in the middle of the room, with a few chairs placed neatly around it. In the far corner stood a bed of straw and fur, nothing fancy but comfortable nonetheless, and in it laid the lone inhabitant, his deep, slow breathing indicative of sleep.

The shadow slowly moved across the room, careful not to make any noise. As it approached, a kunai appeared into the shadow's hand. It raised the blade higher as it grew closer to its prey, ready to strike the moment he was within range.

The shadow stared at the man before him, a single red eye glaring through his mask. Tobi raised the kunai above his head, before swiftly plunging it into the man's stomach.

There was no blood, and there was no scream. There was only a puff of smoke, and a blade pressed against the would-be assassin's throat.

The stranger pressed the kunai further into his opponent's neck. "You picked the wrong guy to mess with, scum," he rasped. "And now, you're dead." He attempted to behead the assassin, only for him to slice at thin air.

He spun around just in time to dodge a powerful kick aimed at his chest, and retaliated with a right jab, only to miss the masked man by inches. Tobi quickly threw a punch of his own, slamming his fist into the man's stomach with a sickening thud. He shot across the room, about to slam through the wall before Tobi appeared behind him and caught him, reaching around with his arm in a chokehold.

'_This guy's fast!' _the man thought, before slamming his palm behind his back, and forming a hand sign with his free hand.

"Fūinjutsu: Tetsu-te mahi!" (Sealing Technique: Paralysis of the Iron Hand) A symbol formed itself upon Tobi's stomach, and spread across his arms and legs, before searing itself into the flesh. He tried to move, but his body refused to obey him.

'_Dammit, I can't move! Heh, it seems the old bastard still has a few tricks up his sleeve. I shouldn't have been so careless…' _He felt his grip loosen as the seal took effect. As the man released himself from Tobi's grasp, he began to move towards the opposite side of the room, a thread of chakra connecting his hand to the seal on his assassin's chest.

"You won't be moving on your own anymore," the man jeered. "As long as I have this seal in effect, you only move when I say so. Now, you're going to tell me what I want to know, and I'll promise to make your death painless."

Tobi chuckled, amused at the idea. "My death? Itsuwari, is that any way to talk to an old friend?" he sneered, his Sharingan boring through the man's gaze. The elderly man could not stop the look of surprise that flashed across his face.

'_How does this man know my real name? This is bad…dammit!' _A large shuriken appeared in Itsuwari's hand as he growled menacingly at his paralyzed enemy.

"I don't know who you are or what you want, but I'm not going to let you live long enough to for me to find out. I've made a peaceful life here for me, and you're not about to take that away!" as he finished, he threw the shuriken, aimed at Tobi's chest.

A portal appeared between the two of them, and the shuriken vanished before it could hit its target.

'_What! It disappeared…but he didn't make any hand signs. He couldn't have!'_ a terrified expression flashed across the older man's face as he came to a realization. _'There's only one man who was capable of mastering that level of sealing technique…'_

"It can't be…" the man muttered. "You…you're.."

"Finally coming to your senses, you old fool? Your age has made you weak. Did you really think I would let you live after all you had done?"

The man stared at Tobi, a weary look in his eyes. "I… knew you would come for me. A part of me always knew. It was just a matter of time, I suppose. My crimes cannot go unpunished, but what do you intend to do after my death?"

The Sharingan narrowed behind the mask. "There are others who will meet the same fate as you. But after, I intend to finish what you started. You took everything from me, and now the _Great_ nations of these accursed lands will know the same pain."

Itsuwari was shocked. Did he really intend what he was saying? "That is madness. All those innocent lives wasted-"

"DO NOT TALK TO ME ABOUT INNOCENT LIVES WASTED!" Tobi roared in a rare loss of composure. "They are anything but innocent. They had just as much of a hand in your little scheme as you did, and they will know the same fate! The Five Great Nations will crumble beneath my feet, and weep in their agony. History will repeat itself by my hand, and neither you nor anyone else will stop me…Release!" Without warning, the thread of chakra connecting the two dissipated, and before Itsuwari could react, he felt the icy kiss of steel plunge into his heart.

"What! How…did you.." he grunted, his face contorted in pain. Tobi cruelly twisted the kunai, eliciting a howl of pain from his opponent. The elderly man turned to face his killer, a strange smile on his face.

"It seems evil has truly claimed your heart...heed my words…you will not find the peace you seek through revenge…I realize that now. It…is an empty, hollow thing…incapable of filling the void…" he gasped, coughing out blood. "Do not continue down this path….it only leads to darkness…"

"Your words fall on deaf ears." Tobi replied. "The other villages will suffer by my hand. What was done unto me, so shall be done unto them."

"Then…you leave me no choice...I created this monster…it is only fitting I destroy it!"

Using the last of his chakra, Itsuwari ripped open his shirt to reveal another seal embedded onto his own chest, set to activate upon the caster's death.

"URA SHISHŌ FŪINJUTSU!" (Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique). A small black sphere erupted from the seal, and began to rapidly expand. Soon the entire house was engulfed in the sphere, and was drawn into the seal, leaving a large crater where it had stood. ( watch?v=F5FjkQQql4I)

Itsuwari lay in the center of the sphere, his red hair turned white from the exertion. A smile graced his lips, believing his final act in life had been successful. Just at the village's edge, however, a figure emerged from the darkness.

'_This is the second time I've almost been killed by that technique' _Tobi thought. _'Even in death, that fool mocks me.' _He approached the corpse, prodding the body with his foot.

"You failed to stop your creation, old man. Your legacy lives on, and I will make sure of it that the great nations of this world suffer as I did, suffer as my home did… by your hand. This is only the beginning…"

He disappeared within another portal, leaving behind the corpse among the rubble. The other villagers slumbered on, unaware of the events that had transpired just outside their own homes.

Atop a nearby cliff, a wolf howled at the moon, restless.

* * *

><p>Back in Konoha, the villagers were sleeping peacefully as well, a well-deserved break from the hard work of rebuilding. There was not a sound to be heard were someone to walk the streets under the moonlight. In their beds, the people of the Leaf dreamt of joy and happiness, of friends and family, their hearts uninhibited by their conscious worries of the coming war. These thoughts of death and pain would not pervade anyone's dreams tonight, would not ruin them.<p>

Except for one person's.

Naruto Uzumaki was unable to share in the fantasies of his friends. He tossed and turned in his bed, his face twisted in some internal struggle unknown to everyone but himself. With a jolt, he sat up awake for the third time tonight.

He looked at the clock, aggravated by the _3:27_ blinking in his face.

'_Dammit! I go away on a two-month mission, and I can't sleep! At this rate, I'll be exhausted…'_

Naruto shuffled to the edge of the bed, gingerly placing his feet on the floor. He shuffled into the kitchen, cracking open the fridge to see if there was anything he could use to help him sleep. Seeing some milk, he grabbed it and poured a small amount into a pan, letting it simmer for a minute or two. Satisfied with the temperature, he poured the now warm milk into a glass, and quickly chugged the whole thing.

He made his way back into his bedroom, but did not lie down. Instead, he moved to the window, staring at the full moon that illuminated the streets below. The blond opened it slightly, leaning out a bit to enjoy the cool nighttime air. His thoughts drifted aimlessly as he stared at the clouds above, much like the way Shikamaru did. After a while, he yawned.

'_Finally…now hopefully I'll be able to get some sleep."_ Not even bothering to move the sheets aside, Naruto plopped on the bed, before finally drifting off into sleep. Even though he was hoping to join the rest of the village in their dreams, he would be denied.

_Naruto started as he realized he was no longer in his bed, or even in Konoha. These were ruins of some kind, a great city crumbled around him. Whatever had happened here, it had left nothing in its wake._

"_Where am I?" he asked. "What is this place..." Curious, he began to wander amongst the ruins._

_The village must have been prosperous by the size of it. Remnants of towering buildings lay scattered around him, their jagged edges scraping the sky. He couldn't help but feel like this place was familiar, like he had been here before._

_Before he could investigate further, something caught the corner of his eye. He moved closer, only to have his blood run cold at what he saw._

_It was a body. _( watch?v=U4VobT7cNWw)

_From this distance, Naruto couldn't tell who it was. He moved closer, despite every muscle in his body screaming for him not to. He kneeled down, and with a deep breath, turned the body over._

"_No….it can't be.." he choked out, as Sakura's cold, green eyes stared back at him, her body motionless. He took a few steps back, unwilling to believe his own eyes. Almost tripping over something, he turned around to see what was there. He didn't have to turn this one over to know it was Kakashi._

"_What's going on….this can't be real.." tears started to pour down his cheeks. "Kakashi-sensei…please..wake up.."_

_Kakashi didn't answer._

"_No…no no no no NO! This is just a dream..just a bad dream…it has to be…" Naruto turned and ran, as fast as he could; anything to get away from there._

_As he ran, he came across more and more of his friends, just like as the others. He saw Kiba, Iruka, Shikamaru, as well as many others, but refused to stop. This had to be a bad dream. It had to be._

"_N-Naruto…kun.."_

_He spun around to find the source of the voice. Just a few feet away, Hinata was stumbling towards him, covered in blood, and breathing raggedly. He quickly closed the distance, catching her before she fell._

"_Hinata! What happened to you? What's going on.." He stared at her, desperate for an answer._

_She lifted her head to look into his cerulean eyes, now red from crying._

"_Naruto-kun….why..?" she whispered, her voice weak._

"_What do you mean, Hinata? Why what? Hinata….Hinata?" he questioned, gently shaking her. But Hinata didn't answer._

"…_..Hinata?" he sobbed. Again, there was silence. His whole body began to convulse as he cradled her tiny frame._

"_Please…don't leave me, Hinata….don't go.." he shook harder, refusing to accept the truth. "I can't be left alone again…I just can't…please come back.."_

_He brought his hands up to her lavender eyes, now dulled and lifeless, and closed them as softly as he could. He couldn't hold it in anymore, and Naruto screamed towards the sky as his grief consumed him. He screamed in anger and in pain, his sorrow crushing his very soul._

_The sky began to grow dark as he howled his fury at the heavens. All of a sudden, a booming voice sounded out, deafening his ears._

"_**This…is the result of love. We fear to lose what we learn to love, and this fear grows. It festers deep within our hearts. It makes us desperate to protect what we love, and hate what tries to take it away from us." **__The voice now echoed within his own mind, it's words cruel and full of malice._

"_**Look at the girl before you. Such a weak creature, and yet you care for her. She will die, and you will hate what took her away from you. You will seek revenge."**_

"_NO!" Naruto angrily responded. "I won't let her die! I'll protect her with my life! I'll protect everyone!"_

_The voice laughed mirthlessly. __**"Humans are pathetic. Death is inevitable, and yet you and countless others claim you will stop it. You truly think you will succeed where others have failed? You are a monster, born out of death and suffering. You cannot protect those you foolishly care for, and when they die, you will be blamed. "**_

_Naruto shook his head furiously, trying to drown out the words. "You're wrong! I'll control it, keep it from hurting anyone!"_

"_**You cannot control your emotions. You are too weak. A friend will fall before you, and your heart will be filled with hate. In your rage, you will destroy everything that you hold dear. You were born an abomination, and you'll die an abomination, alone and hated by all around you. Only by letting go of the pitiful attachment of love can you hope to protect those around you."**_

"_No….no, I can't…I finally people who cared for me! I can't let them go!" he cried, fresh tears streaming down his face._

"_**Then they will die, and you…will suffer. It is inevitable."**_

_Naruto tried to protest, but the words were caught in his throat. What if he lost control again, and Sakura or Iruka was around him? He could end up hurting them….or worse. He gritted his teeth in frustration. What if he killed the very people he sought to protect?_

_The world around him began to grow black, and he felt himself falling into the abyss._

"_**Let go of love. A monster cannot be loved, and never will be loved."**_

* * *

><p>Naruto jolted up, his body covered in a cold sweat. He looked around, and was relieved to find himself back in his room.<p>

'_Thank goodness….it was only a nightmare…' _He looked at his hands, the blood that stained them having vanished.

'_But why did it feel so real?' _The blonde glanced outside his window to find the sun had come up, a beautiful morning greeting him and easing his mind. Letting out a massive yawn, he scooted towards the edge of the bed.

"Heh…it was just a bad dream. Nothing to worry about!" he said to no one in particular, overjoyed everything had just been a nightmare. _'Well, since I'm up, might as well make some breakfast!'_ ( watch?v=9gdiXH0awxc)

He shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing his belly in anticipation. He grabbed a package of ramen, and dumped the contents into a bowl, minus the seasoning. He then added what was left of the milk and a heaping pile of sugar , before mixing it together. As strange as it sounded, Naruto found it to be quite delicious, though he was probably the _only_ one who would think so.

After he had licked the bowl spotless, he turned to put the dishes in the sink to be dealt with later, only to find that there wasn't any room left.

'_Dammit…guess it's time to wash the dishes.' _Before he could start, however, he heard knock at his door. Not even bothering to wipe his mouth, Naruto opened the door to find a messenger standing outside, giving him a strange look. Naruto was unaware he was still in his underwear, or maybe he just didn't care.

"Good… morning Naruto-san. I have a message from Tsunade-sama. She requests your presence in her office in one hour to for assignment."

Naruto groaned. "Another mission! But I just got back from a _two-month_ mission! Couldn't she just send someone else?"

The messenger shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Naruto-san. She specifically requested you be involved in this mission, and did not sound like she would be open to suggestions."

"Fine, tell her I'll be there," the blonde replied. "But you tell her that I expect another bonus. This was supposed to be my day off, ya know!" The messenger bowed quickly, before leaping away to return to the Hokage's office.

'_Jeez, Baa-chan is gonna work me to death at this rate.' _He looked back the mountain of dishes. _'Well…at least I don't have to do the dishes anymore,' _he thought to himself, before making his way into the bathroom for a quick shower.

* * *

><p>"Again!" Hiashi commanded, resuming the stance of the Gentle Fist, the signature style of the Hyūga clan. Across the small training ground stood Hinata, her chest heaving with every breath. They had been sparring for over 2 hours now, and the kunoichi was exhausted. But she would not stop. If she was going to protect her precious people, she couldn't.<p>

Hinata charged at her father, attempting to strike him with her palms. She aimed for his shoulder, but Hiashi batted her arm away. She spun around, attempting to surprise him with an attack to his side, but before she could land the blow he again swatted her away. Taking the opportunity, the Hyūga head slammed both of his hands into Hinata's shoulders, roughly sending her the ground.

"Your movements are too predictable!" Hiashi barked as she picked herself up. "If you continue to attack in a pattern, your enemy will pick up on this, and use it to his advantage."

"Y-yes, Otō-san." Hinata replied, wiping the grime off her face. Before she could react, her father had closed the distance between them, barely giving his daughter enough time to block his first attack.

"You must take this seriously, Hinata!" he said in between strikes. "A real enemy will not give you the time to prepare yourself; he will kill you if he gets the chance. Do not give him such an opportunity!"

His attempts became more focused, striking faster and faster. Hinata could barely keep up with him, with a few of them landing painfully on her body. Without warning, Hiashi reared back one palm.

"Hakke Kūshō!" he shouted, knocking Hinata off her feet with tremendous force. She flew for several feet, before roughly slamming into the earth.

Hiashi grimaced. He was not entirely willing to be so hard on his precious daughter, but war is no time to be gentle. He shook his head, disappointed.

"That's enough for now, Hinata. We'll continue later to-" ( watch?v=8Mdo1K9i8KY)

"No…" Hinata interrupted, rising to her feet once more. "Please Otō-san…I want to keep going." There was a fierce look of determination in her eyes.

Hiashi nodded. "Very well." Just as before, he attempted to surprise her, but Hinata anticipated it this time. Ducking under the first blow, she was able to land two direct hits before Hiashi began to block them. They started to trade blows back and forth, neither gaining an advantage.

'_Her attacks feel different from before' _Hiashi though as he barely dodged a strike at his left arm. _'It seems she's finally gotten serious.' _Deciding to truly test his daughter, he focused a massive amount of chakra into his hand.

Rearing back, he thrust forward with as much strength as he could muster. "Hakke Hasangeki!" (Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher). A huge wall of concentrated chakra erupted from his hand.

But Hinata was quicker.

Using her natural flexibility to her advantage, she had managed to sidestep the attack, which left Hiashi completely exposed. She took a familiar stance, preparing the attack.

"Jūkenpō: Hakke Sanjūni Shō!" she shouted. Her arms became a blur, as she landed hit after hit.

Two strikes.

Another two strikes.

Four.

Eight.

Sixteen.

Hiashi shot across the training ground as all 32 strikes hit their mark. He slid across the ground, before finally coming to a halt on the far end of the grounds.

Hinata was worried she had seriously injured her father and made to rush to his aid. Before she could, however, Hiashi suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the lavender-eyed kunoichi felt a hand against the back of her neck.

"Hinata….you did well." She turned to find her father standing behind her, looking a little worse for wear but relatively unharmed. His breathing was harder than usual, and Hinata could see pride in his eyes.

"I think that's enough for now," the Hyūga leader remarked, his composure regained. "You are certainly improving, Hinata, but you need to be more aggressive. If you use that natural flexibility to your advantage, I can expect great things from you."

Hinata bowed deeply, grateful for the praise. "Thank you, Otō-san. I will work harder."

A maid appeared in the doorway, as intoxicating smells wafted their way into the sparring ground. Hinata's mouth began to water, and she looked eagerly at her father. Because she had arrived late for last night's sparring session, Hiashi had her skip breakfast so that they could immediately begin tomorrow morning, and Hinata was starving.

"We have prepared a meal for you and Lady Hinata, Hiashi-sama," the maid called out. Hiashi nodded curtly.

"Thank you. We will be inside in just a moment." He briefly dusted himself off, before making his way inside, with Hinata following after.

Just inside the doorway, the two found a bucket of fresh water and towels, as well as a set of clean robes. Gently rubbing the grime off, they discarded the training robes and replaced them with the clean ones. Hinata breathed deeply, the smell of her robes soothing her senses. They made their way into the kitchen, where the maid was busy putting the final touches on the food. At the table sat Neji, his eyes closed as he patiently awaited the meal, and Hanabi, who seemed a little more anxious to eat. While Hinata and Hiashi had been sparring, her cousin had been training her little sister, though he was not nearly as demanding.

As Hinata and Hiashi approached the table, the other two rose to greet them, bowing slightly. Hinata took a seat beside Neji, and her father joined her sister on the opposite side of the table. Another servant made her way into the kitchen to help set up for the meal. She slid open the door that led to the small garden outside, letting in the cool morning weather.

"Good morning, Oji-san, Lady Hinata. How was your training?" Neji asked as he retook his place at the table. Hinata opened her mouth, but Hiashi spoke first.

"Hinata's defensive stances need adjustment, and she is expending too much chakra on strikes that were blocked. Her reaction time has improved, but there is room for more."

Hinata pouted inwardly. Where were the kind words he had spoken not a few moments ago? She sighed, knowing it was only out of concern that he criticized her.

"Neji, there are some things I wish to discuss with you." Hiashi continued, not noticing his daughter's change in mood. His nephew turned his gaze towards his uncle.

"Yes, Oji-san? What is it?" he asked.

"As you know, you have been asked to lead the Hyūga clan on the battlefield." Neji nodded, letting his uncle continue.

"As such, in the meantime I will ask that you train the other clan members in the Gentle Fist."

Neji looked shocked. "But..Oji-san, I'm sure the others-" Hiashi raised a hand, interrupting him.

"This is not a matter of age or experience, Neji. You have taken to the style faster than anyone else in the clan for many years; it would be foolish to deny the raw talent you possess. Our clan must be prepared to defend our comrades, and I believe you will better prepare them for that duty."

Neji still looked apprehensive. "But still, Oji-san…I am merely a branch member. Is that really a wise idea? And what of Lady Hanabi?"

"Kō will take over Hanabi's training in the meantime," Hiashi responded. "War is no place for petty tradition. We cannot afford to hold onto the grudges or intolerance between the two families at such a time. Whether or not members of the main family care to admit it, you are the best suited to lead our clan. That is why I appointed you. I have faith in you."

Neji gazed at his uncle. Where did all this trust come from? Hiashi seemed to notice his nephew's confusion

"During the Chūnin Exams, as I watched your battle with Uzumaki-san, I was shocked when you began to use techniques only passed down through the main house. It was at that moment that I realized how foolish this branch system is. It divides us, festers hostility between the two families. To see you succeed at such a young age opened my eyes. On the battlefield, there will be no main house or branch house. Instead, there will only be comrades united by blood to defend Konoha!"

Hiashi sighed, gently pressing his fingers to his brow. "I have been trying ever since to abolish such a foolish system, but the Elders are stubborn. They hold to tradition too tightly, afraid of what the change will do to upset the power they hold in the clan's political affairs. They cannot hold out forever, though. I am the head of this clan, and I will not be denied indefinitely."

Hinata felt a surge of pride for her father. He had changed from the cold, distant man he had been only a few years ago, and it warmed her heart to see him treat her cousin with so much faith. A small pang of jealousy shot through her, though. She lacked Neji's talent, and was scared her father might never truly approve of her abilities as much as he did her cousin's.

They enjoyed the rest of the meal in relative silence. When Hinata had finished, she rose to help the maid with the dishes.

"Oh, Lady Hinata, please don't trouble yourself." said the maid. Hinata gave her a soft smile.

"It's no trouble at all. I insist." With that, the two women began diligently cleaning up. Hiashi rose from his seat when he had finished, and motioned for Neji to follow him.

"Come. We will begin preparations for your training." He turned to address the maid. "Would you please alert the other family members to join me for a small meeting in 15 minutes?"

"Yes, Hiashi-sama. Of course."

The clan head turned to his youngest daughter. "Hanabi, please help your sister. I'm sure she would appreciate the help." Before he left, he turned around to face Hinata.

"Do not take Neji's leading of the Hyūga personally, my daughter. You are making good progress, and I know we can both think of someone who has proven that through hard work, anything is possible." Hinata smiled, knowing full well he was speaking of a certain knuckleheaded ninja. He left to join Neji, and left her and her sister alone in the kitchen.

Hanabi made her way over to the sink, grabbing a pink apron and putting it on, before pulling up a stool so she could reach the dishes. Hinata noticed she looked a little angry.

"Imōto, is there something wrong?" she asked.

Hanabi turned to face her sister. "Nee-san, why am I not to be included in Otō-san's meeting? Why can I not prove myself to the clan and to the village by protecting them?"

"Hanabi, you are much too young to be involved with war! It is a terrible thing for a child to experience. You should be glad you are able to remain in the village.

The younger sister gave Hinata a puzzled look. "Nee-san, does that mean you are scared of the war?"

Hinata thought about it. Yes, a part of her was scared, afraid of what might become of her friends and family. But then she remembered her walk with Naruto, how he had put his faith in his friends to protect one another. She smiled.

"A little. But I have friends and family who would gladly fight for me, as I would for them. That is all I need."

Hanabi grinned. She could see the look in her sister's eye, and knew exactly who she was thinking about.

"Awww, did _Naruto-kun_ tell you that?" she teased. Hinata blushed. Even her own little sister could see right through her!

Hanabi sighed. "To be honest, I still don't understand what you see in him. He's brash, childish, and unbelievably dense."

Hinata giggled at her sister, not about to protest something she knew was true. "Yes, he can be a little…odd at times. But that loyalty, that joy of life, makes him unique in my eyes. I feel safe around him. It is something the whole village has finally come to realize. I am happy for that."

Her sister snorted, still doubtful. "Maybe. I still think that with some manners and common sense, every girl in the village would be clamoring to be with him. He would be the perfect man." She turned to face Hinata, a devilish grin on her face.

"He's certainly already cute enough. Isn't that right, Nee-san?" she joked.

Hinata blushed deeply. It was true. Girls around the village had come to agree that he had grown rather handsome since his return from his training with Jiraiya. It was his personality that still exacerbated most girls, but then again Hinata was not most girls. She found him to be sweet and lovable, like a little puppy.

Hanabi was about to tease her sister some more, when they were interrupted by the arrival of a messenger, appearing in the open doorway.

He bowed quickly. "Good morning, Hinata-san. I have a message from Tsunade-sama."

Hinata bowed in return. "Good morning to you as well. What is the message?"

"Tsunade requests your presence in her office for a new assignment, immediately if possible," the messenger responded.

"Yes, I can be on my way in just a few minutes. I will just need to prepare my tools and change." Hinata replied. She wished she could have taken a shower first, but she would just have to go without. The messenger nodded, before leaping off to report back to the Hokage.

She turned to her sister. "Imōto, could you please finish up here while I go get ready?"

She quickly headed for her bedroom, leaving a very indignant looking Hanabi alone to finish washing the mountain of dirty dishes. She grumbled something incoherent, before reluctantly returning to her task.

* * *

><p>After preparing her supplies and changing into her usual attire, Hinata quickly made her way towards Tsunade's office. As she approached the door, she heard a familiar voice coming from the other side. Knowing Naruto was inside, she took several minutes to steady herself so that she wouldn't repeat yesterday's embarrassment. Taking a deep breath, she swung the door open. A pair of gorgeous blue eyes turned to face her, and Hinata felt her knees weaken. She held her ground, though, and bowed to everyone present in greeting. Aside from Naruto, she saw that Kiba, Sakura, and Kakashi were also there.<p>

Naruto beamed at her. "Good morning Hinata!" he exclaimed. She felt a tinge of red in her cheeks as she stared at that smile of his.

"G-good morning, Naruto-kun," she replied. As she looked closer, she noticed Naruto's normally tan skin was sickly white, and that he had deep bags under his eyes. She grew worried.

"Naruto-kun, is there something wrong? You look a little…" she trailed off, unable to find a way to say it without offending him. The blond just chuckled.

"Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night. But I'll be fine! No need to worry!" He gave her a reassuring thumbs-up.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. This just means that after 1 hour you'll be complaining we're going too fast. Didn't I warn you not to stuff yourself with ramen as soon as we got back?"

"That wasn't it," Naruto snapped. "I just had a bad dream, that's all. Besides, you know me! I can go on forever!" His teammate shrugged, knowing he had a point. Hinata, however, was curious about his dream. But before she could ask, Tsunade had made her way into the office. Kotetsu and Izumo followed after, carrying an absolutely gargantuan amount of paperwork.

"What's with you guys?" Kiba asked, snickering as they tried to balance the massive stacks of documents.

"They're being punished," Tsunade answered. "I caught these two spying outside my office last night, for whatever reason, so now they get to handle all my work for the day!" From behind the papers, Kotetsu stuck his tongue out at his superior, and while no one saw it, Hinata returned the favor, happy that justice was served.

Naruto grew impatient. "Oi, Baa-chan! You gonna tell us what we're doing here, or can I just go back to bed?" A small vein popped in Tsunade's temple as she tried to keep her composure.

"I was just about to get to that, you little brat. Talk to me like that again, and I'll put you on D-missions for the next 5 months!"

Naruto quickly shut his mouth.

"Like I was saying," the Sannin continued, "I have a new mission for the five of you."

"Tsunade-sama, forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn," Kakashi spoke up, "but this seems to be a rather large group. There's something different about this mission, isn't there?"

Tsunade nodded. "You are correct. Because the village still needs most of our workforce here to help rebuild, we've only been accepting D or C rank missions so as to cut down on the risk. But last night, something happened that cannot be ignored."

Everyone remained quiet, so the Hokage continued to elaborate. "Early this morning, a citizen of Shizukana village was found dead by the other villagers, and his house destroyed. None of the villagers reported hearing anything strange last night, so it's highly unlikely that this was an accident."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that village just over the border in the Land of Rivers? Why would we accept a mission that should be delegated to Tani?"

"Normally, it would be. But Tani's economy hasn't been affected with the coming war, so we've been able to negotiate a better price. Also, because it could have very well been one of their own, they decided bringing in a foreign squad might uncover things that would have otherwise been missed or purposely hidden."

The Copy ninja was still unconvinced. "So we're clear on that, then. But you said that this might not have been an accident. Are you saying he was murdered? But that village is peaceful, not to mention almost impossible to find."

"It's too soon to say for sure, but that's a possibility." Tsunade replied. Naruto looked confused, and turned to his teacher.

"Wait, that means it had to be one of the other villagers, right? I mean, if no knows where it is, that narrows down the suspects, doesn't it?"

Tsunade shook her head. "It's not that simple. Upon examining the corpse, they discovered the remnants of the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique."

Naruto gave her a blank look, clearly having no idea what she was talking about. Kakashi, however, was shocked.

"But that's the seal that was found on the body of Danzō Shimura." Tsunade nodded grimly, while the other blonde in the room was clearly still confused.

"Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique? What's that?" he asked.

"It's a special type of Fūinjutsu that seals whatever is within a certain range of the caster upon his death." Kakashi answered. "Which means, this civilian was anything but. That technique is very rare, and requires extensive knowledge of Fūinjutsu to execute correctly."

Tsunade gazed out the window. "Correct. This also means that this stranger was attempting to take something, or _someone_, with him to the grave. Your mission is to travel to Shizukana village and investigate, and possibly capture the murderer should any evidence be found. The seal's appearance changes on whether not the caster's intended target was captured, so you'll need to examine that as well. Question the other villagers, and search the wreckage thoroughly."

Sakura realized something. "Tsunade-sama, is this why Kiba and Hinata are here? And what about Sai?"

"Sai is currently acting as a liaison between Root and the rest of the ANBU. After Danzō's death, someone was needed to keep the organization intact, as well as make sure the other member's loyalties were to Konoha, and not to Danzō's. And yes, that is why Kiba and Hinata will be joining you. They're skills in tracking will help you potentially track the killer."

"But then why not send just us and Shino?" Kiba asked.

"Shino is currently investigating a very important matter with the rest of his clan." Tsunade replied, unwilling to give any further details. "Also, if you discover that the killer was able to avoid the Reverse Four Symbols Seal, than you're dealing with a very powerful enemy. Sakura will be joining as the team's medic, and Naruto and Kakashi are back-up due to your familiarity of working with them. Are there any other questions?" When everyone remained motionless, Tsunade retook her seat.

"Good. Meet at the front gate in 1 hour to begin making your way to Shizukana village. Everyone is dismissed!"

"Yes ma'am!" everyone called out in unison, and began to file their way out of the office.

"Kakashi, you stay here. There's some things I need to discuss with you." Tsunade called out.

"Guess that means I'll see you guys at the gate. Until then!" the silver-haired jōnin replied, shutting the door for privacy.

"I wonder what that was about…" Kiba grumbled. He wasn't particularly fond of being left out of the loop.

Sakura shrugged. "It's probably just more intel on how to get to the village, or something like that. I'm sure he'll tell us eventually."

And with that, the four headed back to their homes for final preparations.

Having become aware of the mission first, Sakura had arrived at the gate before the others. Not more than a few seconds after, Kiba and Akamaru joined her.

"Oh, good! I was hoping you'd get here before the others," she exclaimed, rubbing her hands together deviously.

"Huh? What for?" the dog ninja asked. Sakura gave him a look as if it was obvious.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? We have Naruto and Hinata on a mission together, and the two of us here by ourselves. We need to think of how to use this to our advantage, you idiot!"

"Ohhhh, that's a good idea, Sakura!"

"Of course it is! Now get over here before the others show up," she hissed, motioning for him to get closer. The two schemers began brainstorming ideas to get Hinata and Naruto closer, going through different scenarios of what they might encounter on their mission and how they could use it to their advantage. They had just decided on some especially devious ideas when Hinata showed up. The two quickly split apart, not wanting to raise the Hyūga's suspicions. Soon after, Naruto had joined them at the gate, and not surprisingly, Kakashi was the last one to arrive.

"Sorry I was late, everyone," he said with a wave as he approached the others. "But there was this-"

"Don't even bother," replied the group in unison, well aware of his habit of giving poor excuses.

Naruto clapped his hands together excitedly. "Right! Let's head out to Shizukana Village and track us down a killer!" He started to race away from the village, before quickly screeching to a halt.

"Uhhh…where exactly _is_ it?" he asked, eliciting a groan from Kiba and Sakura.

"Naruto, I thought we were passed that whole leap before you look thing." Kakashi said with a smirk visible through his mask. "Tsunade-sama gave us a map to use, but if you already know where it is, by all means lead the way."

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, before trotting back to the others.

"Is the map all Tsunade-sama wanted from you, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, trying to divulge what the two had discussed in private. Kakashi wasn't fooled though.

"No, but it's nothing you need to concern yourself with. Now, let's head out. It'll take about two days to reach the village, provided we're able to find it, and we don't want to keep them waiting."

And so Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru, and Kakashi began their journey to Shizukana village.

* * *

><p>Nightfall. The team of Kakashi, Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, and Sakura had made good time, and were halfway to their destination. The Copy ninja descended from the trees, landing in a clearing. Seemingly happy with the spot, he set his pack down.<p>

"Okay team. This seems to be a good spot to camp for the night. We'll finish the second half of our trip first thing tomorrow morning," proclaimed Kakashi, satisfied with the distance they had covered. If they stayed on the same pace tomorrow, they would be able to reach Shizukana village ahead of schedule.

"Thank…goodness…" wheezed Naruto, the lack of sleep finally catching up to him. He stumbled a few steps, before collapsing to the ground.

"Naruto-kun! Are you alright?" asked a worried Hinata. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry about him, Hinata. Once we get a fire going, and he gets some food, he'll be back to his usual annoying self." The aforementioned blond tried to protest the teasing, but was unable to turn his body over to speak. So he was content to lay there face first in the dirt until the food had been prepared.

"Kiba, would you come with me to get some firewood?" Sakura asked. "Hinata, why don't you stay here and keep an eye on that knucklehead? He may have tried to sneak some ramen with him, and that's the last thing he needs right now."

The lavender-eyed kunoichi nodded timidly.

"Right then. Be right back!" Sakura called out, before her and Kiba headed into the woods to gather some kindling for the fire.

Kakashi watched them disappear, a suspicious look in his eyes. Hinata currently had her hands full with Naruto, who, just like Sakura suspected, had snuck some ramen in his pack, and was trying to recover it from Hinata so he could eat it dry, anything to sooth his belly. Seeing his chance, Kakashi quickly summoned a shadow clone.

"Follow those two. I have a hunch they're planning something," he whispered to his doppelganger. The clone nodded before slinking off to the forest to tail Kiba and Sakura. It wasn't long until he caught up to the two of them, who despite already having more than enough firewood, stayed hidden among the trees, whispering to each other.

"And just what are you two doing?" the clone asked suddenly as he appeared behind them, scaring the two schemers immensely.

"K-Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura stuttered. "Kiba and I were just deciding how much of this to bring back!" She motioned to the wood in her arms, but the jōnin shook his head.

"Nice try, Sakura. This is about you trying to hook up Naruto and Hinata, isn't it?"

The two stared at him, dumbfounded. Was it that obvious?

"H-how…did you…" Kiba tried to ask, unable to find the words.

"After that last mission, I paid a visit to the Memorial stone last night, and on my way home I happened to run into Ino," he replied nonchalantly.

Sakura was livid. "That pig! I knew she couldn't keep her fat mouth shut! Kakashi-sensei, don't try to stop us. We're going through with this, whether you like it or not!" She stared defiantly at her teacher, waiting for the words of disapproval to come. To her surprise, they didn't.

"Sakura, I have no intention of interfering with….well, with _whatever_ it is you plan on doing. It's none of my business, really. There is something I think you should be aware of, though."

'What's that Kakashi-sensei?" the kunoichi asked.

"After what happened between you and Naruto in the Land of Iron, I can't say for sure how he feels about you anymore. What I do know is that he might not take kindly to the idea that you're manipulating him again. He still cares deeply for you, as a friend, and still maybe as more, and something like this could really hurt him if he were to find out."

Sakura had considered this before. What if he still loved her like Sai had told her? If he found out what was going on, he might be devastated that she was trying to push him to someone else. But she had her reasons.

"Kakashi-sensei, that's exactly why I'm doing this."

"And what do you mean by that?"

She averted her gaze, a sad expression on her features.

"After what I did to Naruto, he deserves someone better than me. Someone who wouldn't stoop to lying to him just to get what they wanted." From the look on her face, it was obvious she felt guilty about what she had done.

Sakura raised her head to look her teacher in the eye again, this time with a soft smile. "Hinata has been nothing but kind to him, and when I look at the two of them when they're together, it just seems so right. Like they were made for each other. Naruto deserves to be happy, and I see Hinata as the best chance of that happening."

Kakashi remained silent for a time, quietly looking Sakura up and down. Finally, he spoke again.

"Well then, you have my approval," he said happily as he began making his way back to the campsite, giving Sakura a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Really, Kakashi-sensei? You'll help us? How come?"

The jōnin turned back to face his former student. "Because, Sakura…there was once someone in _my_ life who cared for his teammate much like how you want Naruto to care for Hinata. He died before he could tell her how he felt though, and I've never forgotten that. When I look at Naruto, I see the same situation. He deserves to be happy, and that's why you have my help. I won't let history repeat itself."

Before Sakura or Kiba could say anything, he had disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing he was just a clone. Sakura turned back to her companion, ecstatic.

"See, we even have Kakashi-sensei helping us! I'm telling you, we could probably get the whole village to help us out if we asked them to!"

"Yeah yeah yeah…I get your point. Now, what were you saying about dinner?" Kiba asked.

Sakura remembered what she had been discussing with the Inuzuka before Kakashi had shown up, and pulled a small vial out from her pack.

"This…" she explained holding it up for him to see, "is a very powerful sleeping powder. One whiff of this and you'll be out in no time."

Kiba gave her a scowling look. "Wait, isn't this the crap you used to poison me, Sai, and Lee?" he interrogated. Sakura chuckled nervously.

"Oh yeah…Heh, sorry about that!"

"Whatever. Anyway, how's this going to help Naruto and Hinata?"

That evil grin which had been gracing Sakura's features so often in recent times reappeared.

"You'll just have to wait and see." She turned back towards the campsite. "Come on, let's head back before they get suspicious."

The two returned to the clearing a few moments later to be greeted by a very annoyed Naruto. He had managed to sit upright again, but was slightly leaning on Hinata to support himself, much to her embarrassment.

"Finally, you two get back! I was afraid I was gonna starve to death out here!" he complained as he dramatically clutched at his stomach.

His pink-haired teammate groaned at his theatrics. "Oh quit your whining. I'll have everything ready in a few minutes, so just hold your horses!" The blond stuck his tongue out, but kept his mouth shut, grateful he would finally be able to eat.

After a few minutes, a delicious smell emerged from the pot that hovered over the small fire. Naruto greedily eyed the stew that was bubbling inside, his stomach growling loud enough for everyone to hear. In fact, his attention was so focused on his food that he didn't even notice when Sakura discreetly slipped something into his bowl, before pouring a hearty portion of the stew on top of it to cover it up. He gratefully accepted it, having perked up instantly.

"Wow! It smells delicious, Sakura-chan! Thanks!" he exclaimed before lapping down the entire bowl in 5 seconds flat. He licked his lips, careful not to miss a drop.

"Almost as good as ramen! I may have to tell…old man Teuchi…to add it to his…" Before he could finish his sentence, the sleeping powder Sakura had spiked his soup with took effect. He promptly passed out, conveniently slumping over into Hinata's lap. She let out a surprised 'Eep' as her crush's head plopped in between her legs, causing her to blush deeply.

Sakura shot Kiba a prideful look. He grinned wickedly at his partner in crime, impressed with her handiwork.

Meanwhile Kakashi had watched the entire event unfold, having noticed Sakura slip the drug into Naruto's bowl, and sat there with an amused expression in his eye as the poor Hyūga squirmed in her seat, unsure of what to do.

'_Naruto-kun's so c-close to me! What do I do? Should I wake him up, or should I just let him sleep? H-he's so warm…' _She wanted to just reach down and stroke his whiskered cheeks all night, but was afraid she might wake him up. So instead, she was content to just watch him sleep.

Kiba snickered at the sight in front of him, making Hinata even more embarrassed when she realized she had been caught staring at Naruto. He stood up to stretch, before making his way towards the edge of the camp.

"Well, since Naruto's out for the count, I'll take the first watch. How about you go after me, Hinata?...Hinata?" Wondering why his teammate was ignoring him, he turned around.

To his surprise, he found Hinata had passed out as well, the two of them having tumbled over the log they had been sitting on. Naruto was now lying on top of Hinata like a blanket, a lopsided grin on his face.

Kiba couldn't help himself anymore, and fell to the ground as he burst into raucous laughter.

Sakura rubbed her hands together evilly. "Oh, did I forget to mention I put some in Hinata's bowl as well? Silly me."

Kakashi shook his head. "Those two are sure to have an interesting morning. Kiba, we'll just let them sleep for the night. You take first watch, I'll go after you, and then Sakura can finish up. Sound fair?"

The two nodded.

The Copy ninja grinned through his mask. "Good. Be sure to get a good night's sleep. We wouldn't want to miss tomorrow's _show_, now would we?"

The three turned to look at Hinata and Naruto, both snoring softly as they inadvertently cuddled. Naruto, who was well-known for being an extremely rough sleeper, was instead completely motionless, and now he lay next to the Hyūga, burying his face in her hair.

Kakashi was right. Tomorrow was definitely going to be an interesting morning.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Heh, those two. I wonder what other ideas they cooked up? And now Kakashi's in on this too! Oh lordy, what could happen next?

Remember, if you have the time, any feedback of reviews are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	5. The Mystery of Rōjin and Ushiwaka!

**Author's Note: **Hurrah! Another update!

First thing's first, I want to apologize for the error I made in previous chapters. Because I had yet to settle on a name for Tobi's opponent, I tried out several different ones, and completely forgot to make sure once I decided on one to proofread through his parts of the story. That was wholly my fault for rushing things, and I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again. As such, the name I settled on was **Sagi**, not **Itsuwari**, even though they have similar meanings. Again, sorry about that.

Also, thanks to **Rose Tiger, johnnythecageking, Alucard45, dragonball256, **and **Chinkypinai **for the reviews! I'll admit it, I was a little less enthusiastic about writing this chapter, but after I read your kind reviews, it really got me back into the groove.

Last but not least, remember that when you see the (.comblahblahblah), copy/paste it into Google and let the youtube video it leads you to play while you read. An exception for this one, for the **second song**, use the **second result**, as the first one is just for a comment one another youtube video.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: The Mystery of Rōjin and Ushiwaka!<strong>

Far to the north, away from all civilization, lay the Mountain's Graveyard. Long thought to be home to the demons of ancient times, it had been avoided by any and all travelers. This lack of human contact allowed the area's ecology to rapidly evolve, animals and plants alike growing to gargantuan proportions. Combined with the unfamiliar and rugged territory, it was almost completely uninhabited by man.

Almost. ( watch?v=Cy3HWnwMLyI)

Deep within a large cave system underneath the mountains, Zetsu awaited the return of Tobi. To them, the inhospitable surroundings only made for a natural defense against any prying eyes, so the Akatsuki had turned it into their base of operations, able to plan without intervention from the shinobi villages.

A portal appeared within the air just ahead of Zetsu, who took a few steps back. After a few seconds, Tobi had emerged.

"**How did it go?" **the black half questioned, his voice echoing through the pitch darkness.

"Well enough, but the old fool attempted to seal me within his own body after my blade pierced his heart, the same as Danzō. Had it not already happened once before, he would have succeeded."

"Are you saying you got lucky, Tobi?" the white half jeered. "You seem to be relying on luck a lot, recently."

"I've made several dangerous gambles in recent times, all of them working out better than I expected. If luck isn't on my side, it at least isn't on anyone else's." He turned to his partner, his Sharingan piercing through the black. "Everything is in order. Should anyone investigate the murder, they'll only make the situation worse." He motioned for Zetsu to follow him, and they began their way deeper into the mountain.

"**Are you sure they'll take the bait?"** grunted Black Zetsu.

"Most likely. If by some chance they see through our little ruse, or even miss it completely, we can easily find another way to make things work to our advantage. The power balance is unstable as it is; it won't take much to persuade them to our side." Tobi motioned for Zetsu to follow him, as they made their way deeper into the depths of the cave.

"Has our new _associate_ been able to gather any information of use?"

White Zetsu grinned. "Oh yes, Tobi. He's been a very big help!"

"Good. What has he learned?"

"**As you expected, the Aburame clan tracked their bug to the rendezvous point. They currently believe that whoever was behind it is very knowledgeable of Konoha's espionage techniques. That, coupled with the lack of the bodies, has put them on their guard."**

"It would have been foolish for them not to. What about last night? Have the Leaf responded to the village's request?"

"**Yes. A five man squad has been dispatched to investigate the murder."**

"Who are they sending?"

"**Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyūga, and Naruto Uzumaki."**

Tobi did not move, but Zetsu could sense him slowly digesting the information.

"This…could work to our advantage. The jinchūriki is impulsive and reckless, but very coercive with his friends. They will listen to him, which means our trap should work even better than we expected. However, Kakashi might be a problem. We must take additional measures if we are to avoid being connected to the coming events."

"**What do you mean?"**

"If I were to continue to involve myself personally in these battles, the evidence would only pile up. No, we need someone else to handle the other targets for us. Introducing a third party would help throw the trail off of us."

Zetsu looked intrigued. "Who did you have in mind?"

"We will use Sasuke." Tobi replied bluntly.

"Is that really a wise idea? The boy is volatile as it is. I doubt he will listen to you," the white half protested. "Why not send me, or Kabuto?"

"No. I need you here to keep an eye on that snake. I don't trust him with something as delicate as this. Using Sasuke will be more beneficial to our situation. The other countries will grow angry that the Leaf allows such a dangerous criminal to roam free. Anger we can use."

"**Then how do you plan on convincing the Uchiha to be your errand-boy?"** the black half demanded.

Although it was hidden from view, Tobi was smirking. "That brat is easier to manipulate than you and I originally thought. His hatred of the village can easily be aimed towards our own goals. All it will take is some _creative_ persuasion."

The two had stopped walking, and had arrived at a small door within the cave system. A small candle hung on the wall next to the door, illuminating their faces with the flickering light.

"I will start working with Sasuke immediately," Tobi stated. "Zetsu, continue your work. We'll need as much chakra as we can get from the Gedō Mazō (Sealing Statue) without breaking the tailed beast seals, so be careful."

"Don't you worry Tobi, I'll be fine," said Zetsu's white half, a grin gleaming in the darkness. "You should be more concerned about yourself."

Tobi didn't answer. Without bothering to knock on the door, he disappeared inside, leaving Zetsu out in the hallway. After the door shut, Zetsu sank beneath the earth, off to continue his mysterious work with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

* * *

><p>In a small training area deep within the mountain, Sasuke Uchiha was sparring with the other members of Taka. In order to test his abilities, both Suigetsu Hōzuki and Jūgo had teamed up in a 2 vs. 1 match to try and overwhelm him. Despite all their best efforts, Sasuke easily dodged or blocked all of their attacks, not even bothering to activate his Sharingan. Having grown bored, he raised his hand, signaling his opponents to stop. They landed in front of him, their breathing ragged. The Uchiha did not hide the contempt in his eyes. <span>( watch?v=mqVKqMdqbgU)<span>

"How are we supposed to destroy Konoha if you two can't even land a single hit on me? It's pathetic."

Suigetsu raised his head to look him in the eye, killer intent radiating from his body.

"You better watch your mouth, Sasuke. Just you wait. I'll get the jump on you eventually, and then we'll see who's pathetic."

"Whatever," Sasuke snorted. "I'd be better off training alone."

"I may have a _better_ use for your time," a voice echoed through the training chamber. Tobi emerged from the shadows, revealing himself to the others.

"What do you want?" the Uchiha demanded, placing his sword within its sheath.

"I come to you with a proposition. A man to capture and bring back here for information."

Sasuke turned to Tobi, annoyance flashing in his eyes.

"I am not your puppet. If this man is not a part of Konoha, I don't care, I only have one goal; to destroy the Leaf Village. If you think I'll be your personal assistant, you're wrong."

"And what if I were to tell you that this man _was _involved with the Leaf Village?"

The Uchiha didn't move, but Tobi sensed he was interested.

"While no longer an active member of the village anymore, this man continues to provide them with valuable information on their enemies. Bringing him here would be invaluable to your goals. He could have vital information on how to strike the village most effectively."

"You're wasting my time. I don't care about politics. I only wish to kill everyone in the village, and I'll do it without your help."

Tobi shook his head. "You are a fool if you truly believe that." Sasuke spun around at his comment, bristling with rage.

"What did you just say to me? You underestimate my power! I will slaughter every single one of them for what they did, with my own abilities!"

Tobi remained motionless. "No, Sasuke. You overestimate your own. To believe you can take down an entire village by yourself, even with your companions, would only lead to your death. Your former teacher or any other number of jōnin would push you to your limits. Even Naruto could weaken you enough to make you an easy target. It would be suicide, and Itachi will have died for nothing."

Sasuke looked ready to kill the man in front of him, who was blatantly insulting him and his brother. He placed a hand on his sword, as if daring Tobi to continue.

"However, if you would quit your incessant bragging for a single second, I can help you achieve the power required to destroy Konoha. This man is a powerful shinobi. Bringing him back alive will be a true test of your skills, and bring you closer to your goal."

The Uchiha remained silent, carefully thinking over Tobi's words. Finally, he relinquished his grip on his blade.

"Fine then, " he snorted, his voice dripping with malice. "We'll do it your way. Who is this man, and where can I find him?" For the second time today, Tobi smiled from behind his mask. That had been easier than he thought.

"I'm glad we were able to come to an agreement. Now, allow me to fill you in on the details…"

* * *

><p>Sakura stood upon one of the branches of the trees surrounding their camp, keeping watch over her teammates, not that it mattered. Because there weren't any important documents to carry or people to escort, contact with an enemy would most likely be little to none. Still, a shinobi must never let their guard down, so the pink-haired kunoichi kept a weather eye open, taking in every detail.<p>

It would be a beautiful morning. The sky that was visible above the tree line had a slight pink hue to it as the sun began its ascent into the heavens, and clouds of deep orange gently rolled over one another. It was hard to keep such a vigilant watch when you were surrounded by such beauty, and every now and then Sakura felt her mind dull under the peacefulness of the coming day.

She shook her head, attempting to brush off the drowsiness. Squinting through the trees, she was just barely able to make out the sun's position through the thick foliage. It was about 6 or so in the morning, so if Kakashi wanted to arrive early, they would need to get moving.

Sakura leapt from her perch, landing softly in the grass below, before making her way towards the camp. She giggled quietly at the sight before her.

Kiba, true to his name, was sleeping in a similar position to his faithful companion, curled up in a ball and lying on his stomach. Akamaru's giant form lay up against his back, giving Kiba the comical appearance of being a pup to the ninja hound.

Kakashi lay quietly in his sleeping bag, his breathing muffled by his ever-present mask. Many a time had Sakura and Naruto attempted to remove it while he was sleeping, only to discover he had developed a reflex of turning over whenever they attempted to grab it.

The most amusing sight however, was that of the entangled bodies of Hinata and Naruto. Due to Sakura's little slip of the wrist last night, they had both passed out in each other's arms, and were now in an even _more _intimate position. While Hinata lay with her limbs splayed out in all directions, Naruto had unconsciously grabbed her, and was now hugging her like one of his pillows. His head was nuzzled deep into her side, and his legs wrapped around her stomach. It took everything Sakura had not to fall into another fit of laughter. Trying to contain her merriment, Sakura suddenly realized something.

Naruto had a bad reputation for being quite possible the roughest sleeper in the entire village. He tossed and turned violently, and his teammate could remember one particularly bad instance where he ended up almost a mile away from their camp, much to her disbelief. But the tossing and turning were gone, as well as the obnoxious snoring that usually accompanied it. Instead, his breathing was as quiet as could be, his chest rising and falling as he clutched the equally peaceful Hyūga.

'_We might have to bring Hinata on all our missions now, if she can keep Naruto quiet like that.' _Sakura thought to herself. _'I can finally stop sleeping with earplugs like Kakashi-sensei does.'_

A sudden idea sparked within Sakura's mind. A wicked grin on her face, she quietly crept over to where Kiba was, and gently nudged him. The Inuzuka cracked open one eye groggily, peering at his companion.

"Five more minutes, Ma! I was having the perfect dr-" Before he could continue, Sakura had covered his mouth with her hand, silencing him. Noticing the confused look in his eyes, she turned his head towards the direction of Naruto and Hinata, and he understood what she was planning. Without a sound, he woke Akamaru up, and pushed a finger to his lips, encouraging his dog to keep silent as well.

Remembering that Kakashi wanted to see what was about to happen as well, they turned to wake the jōnin, but found him to already be sitting up, a knowing look in his eye. When he saw Naruto and Hinata, his eye squinted from a smile underneath his mask. ( watch?v=xQrXaei0jms)

Rubbing her hands together, Sakura moved to where the remaining firewood sat, now only a few small sticks to keep the embers burning. She grabbed an especially pointy one, before taking another and giving it to Kiba. He waved it at her, unsure of where she was going. Trying to tell him without speaking, she attempted to mimic a poking motion, before pointing at the two still sleeping members of their group. Kiba nodded eagerly, finally understanding.

They tiptoed over to the two spooning shinobi, with Sakura behind Naruto and Kiba hunching over Hinata, an evil look in their eyes. They looked to each other, and nodded.

Without a sound, they slowly brought their pokers behind their backs, before giving the two sleeping ninja a solid jab.

Hinata awoke with a start at the sudden pain in her side. Realizing she had been sleeping, she attempted to stretch before sitting up, but found her left arm and leg was unable to move. She inclined her head to see what the problem was, and almost fainted immediately from the sight.

Naruto Uzumaki had both his arms and his legs wrapped around her, his features hiding underneath her arm. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, and she was blushing so much that Kiba could have sworn he saw steam shooting out of her ears.

Naruto however hadn't stirred upon Sakura's jabbing, and so the medic-nin was obligated to poke him again, a little harder this time, in order to wake him up. He groaned, not wanting to let go of his pillow that was providing the much appreciated warmth. Although he kept his eyes closed, he realized something was wrong. He didn't _have_ his pillows with him when he went on missions.

Slowly, his hand moved up and down the mystery object, trying to figure out what it was. He took experimental squeezes, taking note that whatever he was holding was soft, but with an underlying firmness. Then, his hand gently brushed against an unusually large lump. Taking another probing squeeze, his eyes shot open in horror.

The mystery object was in fact Hinata, and Naruto was currently in the middle of fondling a particular part of her anatomy. She turned to face him, her face as red as his.

While it will never be proven, some people as far as Suna could have sworn that the morning quiet was pierced by what sounded like two people screaming.

Kiba and Sakura were currently rolling in the dirt, clutching their sides as they tried to keep themselves from passing out with laughter. Even Kakashi was struggling to maintain his composure, both hands covering his mask as he tried to further muffle his snickering. Hinata and Naruto, on the other hand, were both standing on opposite sides of the camp, their faces still beet red.

"H-H-Hinata….I-I'm…SO..sorry… I didn't….m-mean to.." he sputtered, desperately trying to tell her it was an accident. The words wouldn't come, though, and he sobbed softly, wishing he could just die right there to save himself from the embarrassment.

Kiba wiped a tear from his eye, having calmed down enough to speak. "No need to apologize, Naruto. After all, Hinata fell asleep almost as fast as you did last night. You could say it's half her fault." He elbowed her gently, but she didn't reply. Her face was still extremely red, and she was having trouble breathing, let alone speaking.

'_Na-Naruto-kun…' _she brought a hand to her chest, unable to decide on how to handle the situation. _'He was s-so close…what should I say? I'm embarrassed but…I can't say I didn't like it…' _her blush deepened even more as she thought about how good it felt to have his arms around her like that. She wanted to just tell him how she felt, that she didn't mind and actually enjoyed it, but the words were caught in her throat, and she could only nod dumbly at Kiba's teasing.

Naruto, however, took her silence completely different. _'Is she mad at me? I didn't mean for this to happen, but how do you say you're sorry when you just grabbed someone's…' _he didn't finish the idea, not wanting the mental image as he was red enough as it is. Before he could try and apologize, he was interrupted by Kakashi.

"Okay team, I think we've gotten enough rest. We'll have a quick breakfast before heading out. Whoever cooks, the others will clean up their gear for them. Let's get moving!"

Hinata raised her hand. "I-I'll cook, Kakashi-sensei…" While she didn't really want to ignore Naruto, she was afraid that if he tried to talk to her anytime soon she would faint. Volunteering to make breakfast gave both of them some time to think about what to say, so Hinata figured it was for the best. She didn't notice, but Naruto's spirit dropped considerably at her statement, still under the impression that she was angry at what he had done. He hung his head in shame, before lumbering off to gather his equipment together.

Their meal was eaten in an awkward silence, despite Kiba and Sakura's multiple attempts to ease the tension. Naruto and Hinata continuously stole glances at one another, only to look away in embarrassment whenever they were caught. After some time, they had finished eating and were ready to leave. Sensing his chance, Naruto walked up to the lavender-eyed kunoichi and opened his mouth to speak. But before he could say anything, Kakashi ordered they begin moving and Hinata leapt into the trees to begin the second half of their journey.

Naruto was thoroughly depressed, convinced that Hinata was not only mad at him for what he did, but also purposely avoiding him. He watched her ahead of him as they moved through the forest, his normally happy features now distraught. He clenched his fists in frustration.

'_Hinata…I promise I'll find a way to make it up to you! I won't let this get in the way of our friendship!'_

Now reinvigorated with determination, Naruto was sure he'd find the right time to talk to her, and opted to wait for the perfect moment, whenever that may be.

* * *

><p>The sun had reached its highest point in the sky, shining brilliantly upon everything beneath. Shizukana Village would normally be out enjoying such fine weather, but the recent tragedy had left everybody on edge, unsure of how to deal with the situation. When the mayor informed them that actual shinobi from the neighboring Land of Fire would be arriving to investigate, a quiet murmur spread amongst the villagers. They had never seen ninja before, having been able to avoid any major problems since the village's founding. It was the first time for many of them to see someone from the outside world, so there were a few who were apprehensive. The mayor insisted that this was for the best if they were to maintain their peaceful lifestyle, so everyone begrudgingly agreed, and were now curiously awaiting the ninjas' arrival.<p>

Finally, as mid-afternoon came around, 5 figures appeared in the distance. People began to crowd around the edge of the village, eager to get a good look at the outsiders. ( watch?v=K-fFQH0iKM0)

Kiba looked nervous at the growing number of people waiting to greet them. "Jeez, you'd think these people have never seen a ninja in their entire life," he said out loud.

"That's because a lot of them _haven't_, Kiba." Kakashi replied. "Shizukana Village prides itself on maintaining as little contact with the outside world as possible, and it's worked for them so far. They've managed to avoid war, and their crime rate is practically non-existent."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, but wouldn't they get tired of the same of stuff their entire life? I would be dying to leave the village as soon as I could!"

"Well Naruto, not everyone's as hyperactive as you are. Some people prefer the quiet life."

The group finally reached the outskirts, and as the villagers crowded around them, they bowed in greeting. One older man and what appeared to be his wife stepped forward to welcome their new guests.

"Welcome to Shizukana Village, Shinobi of the Leaf. I am the mayor Shidōmaru, and this is my wife Atsuko," he said, bowing in return. "On behalf of the village, we would like to thank you for being so quick to respond to our request. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened, and the town hasn't been the same since."

Naruto stepped up, giving the mayor his most heroic pose.

"Don't you worry about a thing, gramps! We'll have this solved in no time!" The others sighed at the blonde's complete lack of manners, but the older man merely smiled.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, young man. Now, would you and the rest of your group kindly follow me? My wife and I have prepared lunch for you, and we can discuss the details." Hearing both Kiba's and Naruto's stomachs growling, he chuckled before motioning for them to follow him. After a short walk, they had arrived at the mayor's home.

"It's not much, but it's home," said Shidōmaru as the squad made their way inside. In the center of the room stood two tables that had been pushed together, with quite a sizeable spread laid out on top. Naruto eyed the food hungrily, eager to dig in.

Noticing this, the mayor turned to his wife. "Would you please pour everyone some water? I'll seat our guests." Atsuko nodded, heading over to the sink to prepare the glasses, while everyone else took a seat at the table. Naruto, being unable to contain himself anymore, immediately began stuffing his face.

Kakashi turned to the mayor. "Thank you for your generosity. Shall we get down to business?"

Shidōmaru nodded, and everyone around the table (minus Naruto) turned their attention to him.

"Two nights ago, one of our townsfolk was murdered by an unknown assassin, and his home destroyed. This is the first ever recorded crime in our village, so we don't really know how to handle it.

Kakashi nodded. "That's alright. We can start by learning as much as we can about the victim. What can you tell us about him? What was his name?"

"I'm sorry to say we don't actually know his name," said Shidōmaru. "You see, this man wasn't born in the village, like most of the others. He just showed up one day, asking if he could settle down. Said he was looking for the peaceful life. We asked him his name, but he never gave it, so everyone just started calling him Rōjin."

"So no one knew his name...did he ever tell you where he came from?" the Copy ninja asked.

Their host shook his head. "I'm afraid he wouldn't divulge that either. He seemed like a pleasant enough fellow, just trying to live his final years in quiet, so we never really pressured him about it."

Kakashi looked intrigued. "Final years? So this man was elderly?" he asked.

The mayor nodded. "From his appearance, I'd say he was. The strange thing is, he was also extremely healthy for his age, helping the other villagers with their work and rarely getting tired. If something like this hadn't happened, I'm sure he would have lived to be over 100 years old!"

"That _is_ strange. What was Rōjin like? Did he ever act suspicious around others?"

"No, or at least never when other people were around. He was very reserved, and didn't involve himself too much in the other villager's lives. Kept to himself mostly, now that I think about it. He would help around the village doing odd tasks to earn his keep, but he never really had any friends here."

The mayor looked around the table. "I'm sorry. I don't think any of this is going to be of help to you. If only we had heard something, maybe we would have been able to catch the monster who did this."

"Actually, it's a good thing no one heard anything," Kakashi replied, earning him a look of confusion from their host. "You see, according to your initial report, there were strange markings on the victim's chest, correct?"

"Yes, but we just assumed it was a tattoo of some kind. Was it something else?" Shidōmaru asked.

"Yes, it was. Those symbols are actually part of a very powerful sealing technique, one only a powerful ninja could execute properly. I do not know who this man said he was, but he was not giving you the entire story. And whoever killed him had the skill to avoid such a dangerous technique, making this unknown enemy even more dangerous. If someone had walked in on what happened, they would have surely been killed as well."

The mayor couldn't believe his ears. Had this stranger really been who these ninja were claiming he was?

"This…is just so much to take in. Everybody knows everybody here in this village; no one keeps secrets. To think that this man was actually a ninja…" he trailed off, trying to collect his thoughts. After a while, he regained his composure.

"I'm sorry I haven't been very helpful to you, but that's really all I can offer to you about Rōjin, or whatever his name might have been."

Kakashi shook his head. "Please, Shidōmaru-san, don't worry. What we _don't _know can sometimes be just as useful as what we _do_ know. Now, could you lead us to his home? Looking through the rubble might give us more clues as to what happened."

Shidōmaru nodded, standing up from the table. "Atsuko, I'll show these ninja to Rōjin's home. Could you please stay here and look after the house? I won't be gone long." She nodded, giving him a reassuring smile, and the older man motioned for Kakashi and the others to follow him.

After a short walk, they had arrived at what was left of Rōjin's house. The entire front of the house had been obliterated in the shape of a perfect sphere, and in the middle lay what Naruto assumed to be the man's body, underneath a sheet.

"We covered him up when he was discovered this morning. Didn't want the children to be frightened. Now, there's one last thing you need to be aware of." Shidōmaru said as he gestured towards the body. "When you examine him, you'll find he has white hair. Except that for the entirety of his stay here, his hair was red. It's one of the strangest things I've even seen."

Naruto tensed up. _'That's just like what happened with Nagato…' _he thought. _'There's no way this could be connected…right?'_

Kakashi turned to face the older man. "Thank you for your help, Shidōmaru-san. We'll handle things from here. You've had enough stress for one day." The mayor bowed in gratitude, and excused himself. Now only Kakashi, Naruto, Kiba, Hinata, and Sakura remained.

"Okay everyone. Whoever we're dealing with is undoubtedly very skilled, so a trail to follow will be hard to come by. Kiba, you and Akamaru search the house for any scent that seems out of place. Naruto, you and Sakura will talk to the villager's closest to us. Maybe they know something the mayor didn't. Hinata, please use your Byakugan and help Kiba look for anything that might be out of the ordinary. I'll examine the corpse. We'll meet back at Sunset to discuss what we found."

"Yes sir!" everyone called out in unison. As Naruto and Sakura left to interview the nearby villagers, Hinata, Kiba, and Kakashi began their investigation.

Hinata formed a seal, and activated her bloodline. She adjusted her vision to a higher magnification so the more minute details would become visible, and began looking for any discrepancies.

Kakashi meanwhile approached Rōjin's body with the intent of examining the seal on his chest. Lifting the cloth that was covering the remains, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a picture Tsunade had given him of what the seal would look like if the intended target was captured or not. Holding it up to the seal on Rōjin's chest, Kakashi felt his breath get caught in his throat.

'_It's just as I feared._ _Whoever this man intended to seal away within him…failed. That means he's still out there somewhere.' _Kakashi furrowed his brow as he returned to his feet_. 'Just when I thought I could take a break too…'_

"Kiba, have you or Hinata found anything yet?" he asked.

The Dog ninja snorted. "Not a thing. Nothing in this house smells different from the rest of the village, though the scent of dango is really heavy in here, not that that's anything to get worked up about. What about you, Hinata?"

The kunoichi shook her head. "I'm sorry Kiba-kun, I haven't found anything either. There aren't any signs of a struggle anywhere. It's as if he was never here," she stated dejectedly.

Kakashi sighed. "That's what I was afraid of. Okay, I'll head back to Shidōmaru-san's home and look over the village records, see if there are any clues I can uncover. You two search the rest of the village while Naruto and Sakura finish up talking with the villagers. We'll meet back here at sunset to discuss what we found, agreed?" When the two nodded in agreement, he turned and began making his way back to the mayor's house.

"Alright Akamaru, let's go see if we can't sniff out something elsewhere. Good luck Hinata!" Kiba said before leaping off with his faithful companion. Hinata, not needing to move, reactivated her Byakugan, and begin giving the entire village the most thorough search she could.

As promised, at sunset the team convened back at the rubble to discuss what they found.

"Okay, we'll start with Kiba and Hinata. Were either of you able to discern any new information?" Kakashi asked. The two tracker-nin averted their gaze, giving him his answer.

"I-I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei. We couldn't find anything…" Hinata answered. Noticing how disheartened she sounded, Kakashi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Please, don't be too upset, Hinata. I'm sure you did your best." The Hyūga nodded graciously, thankful for the jōnin's understanding. He turned back to the rest of the group.

"What about you and Sakura, Naruto? Did any of the villagers notice anything unusual?"

The blonde rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Sorry Kakashi-sensei. No one I talked to seemed to know anything more about this Rōjin guy than gramps did. Some of them didn't even know who I was talking about! This guy must have really kept to himself…"

Sakura shook her head, not having learned anything useful either.

Kakashi inclined his head towards the sky, watching the clouds go by with what light from the sun remained.

"I must have looked through this village's entire history, and I didn't find a single thing about who this man is or where he came from."

He turned back to look at his team. "Well, that's all the leads we have. You all did your best, and that's what really matters. The only thing we can do now is apologize to Shidōmaru-san, and head back to Konoha. I only hope Tsunade-sama isn't too up-" Before he could finish his sentence, one of the villagers came running up to them, a grim expression on his face.

"Excuse me Leaf shinobi, but Shidōmaru-san requests your presence back at his home. He says it's urgent!"

Kakashi nodded to his team, and they all raced back to the mayor's home. As they entered, they noticed a stranger sitting at the table, seemingly waiting for their arrival.

Shidōmaru stood up to greet them. "Welcome back. I believe I have someone here who can offer you some useful information. This is Keiryaku-san. He was visiting family of his for a few days, and has only just returned."

The new guest nodded at the Leaf shinobi. He had a glazed look over his eyes, as if his mind was elsewhere. Then he suddenly addressed everyone.

"Yes, I was away for a few days. I wasn't here when Rōjin-san died, but something happened a few weeks ago that may be of interest to you." ( watch?v=JbZQBxqQYHo)

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Really, like what? Do you know who it was that killed him?"

The man shrugged. "Maybe. At this point in time, it may just be me being paranoid. Anyway, a few weeks ago, as I was heading back home, I passed Rōjin-san's house, and heard voices inside. Knowing the old man usually kept to himself, I was naturally curious. So I took a peek inside the window, and there was a man in there with him, and they were shouting at each other."

"Do you know what they were arguing about?" asked Kiba.

"No, I'm sorry I don't know the specifics. It was something they were both involved with many years ago, and it was making the stranger very angry. When nothing was being settled, the man left his house angrily, saying he would regret it."

Sakura looked worried. "I don't like the sound of that."

Keiryaku turned towards her. "I agree. This man we know almost nothing about has an argument with a mysterious stranger, and a few weeks later he ends up dead. That just doesn't happen on accident." While he was speaking, Kakashi had pulled Hinata aside.

"Hinata, I have a job for you," he whispered. "While this information is certainly useful, we have to be careful. I'm going to ask this man a question, and I want you to use your Byakugan to detect any changes in his chakra flow, a sign he might be lying."

The Hyūga nodded wordlessly, making her way behind Keiryaku so he wouldn't see her activate her bloodline.

Kakashi stood directly in front of Keiryaku. "Are you saying that you think this stranger is the one who murdered Rōjin-san?"

Keiryaku stared into Kakashi's visible eye, his gaze unwavering.

"Yes…I do."

Hinata carefully inspected the man's chakra network as he spoke, before turning to Kakashi and shaking her head. He wasn't lying.

"Okay then. Can you describe this man for me?" Kakashi asked. "A physical description would greatly help us in our search."

"Well, from what I could tell, he was fairly tall. There was this large helmet on his head in the shape of a bird which had the Tanigakure symbol carved into it, with a long cloth draping out the back. He wore a light red kimono, and carried what looked like a sword and a flute of some kind."

Kakashi's eyes widened at this new information, and he turned to Hinata to make sure he was telling the truth. From her spot behind Keiryaku, she nodded again.

"If what you say is true…this mission just became a lot more dangerous," the Copy ninja said.

Naruto didn't the sound of that. "Huh? Do you know who he's talking about Kakashi-sensei?"

His teacher nodded grimly, a wary look in his eye.

"Yes Naruto, I do. The man Keiryaku-san is talking about is a shinobi from Tani called Ushiwaka."

The jinchūriki didn't look impressed. "So what? He doesn't sound so tough! I bet we could take him. After all, we have you, Kakashi-sensei!" he said, trying to lighten the mood, but Kakashi didn't seem happy.

"It's not that simple, Naruto. This man is a genjutsu master, probably more powerful than anyone in Konoha is. Not only that, he holds a large amount of influence in Tani. Even with the evidence we've been given, interrogating one of Tani's top ninja and accusing him of murder won't be good for relations between us and Tani. We already took a mission that would normally have been sent to them, so they're on edge as it is. Even if Ushiwaka is found guilty for the murder, Tani won't react to the news positively." He gently rubbed his temples, having grown stressed with this new information.

"However…" he continued, "We can't very well abandon our mission. I'll send a message requesting for any intel we may have on Ushiwaka back to Tsunade-sama, which should arrive here sometime tomorrow if I get it out now. We'll begin tracking him as soon as we receive the intel, and confront him with this information if we find him. For now, we'll rest here in the village." He turned to Shidōmaru.

"I hate to ask more of you, Shidōmaru-san, but could we have a place to stay for the night?"

The mayor smiled warmly, spreading his arms. "Of course! It would be my pleasure. It's the least we can do for what it sounds like you're preparing yourself for. The missus and I will stay with some friends for the night, and you can sleep here."

Kakashi bowed low. "Thank you, Shidōmaru-san. We are in your debt." The older man bowed as well, before excusing himself, his wife, and Keiryaku.

The Copy ninja turned back to his team after they had shut the door behind them.

"Alright, I'll send word back to Konoha requesting any information we have on Ushiwaka, as well as a formal request to confront him." He kneeled over, and formed a few hand signs.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A small puff of smoke billowed from the seal that appeared, and dissipated to reveal Pakkun, one of Kakashi's ninken.

Naruto grinned broadly. "Pakkun! What's up?" The ninja hound turned to face him, giving the blonde shinobi a wave of his paw in greeting.

"Hey, there Naruto! I could ask Kakashi the same thing." He turned back around to face his summoner. "You need something from me, boss?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes Pakkun, I do." He pulled a scroll out from pouch, offering it to the ninken. "I need you to get back to Tsunade-sama as fast as possible, and have her give us as much intel as they can on one Ushiwaka."

"Ushiwaka? The genjutsu expert from Tani? What do you need that for?" Pakkun asked.

"We have reason to believe he may be involved in a murder here at the village, so we need to track him down and interrogate him. This is a delicate matter Pakkun, so I'm counting on you. Once you reach the village, just stay there and I'll re-summon you back here tomorrow morning. You'll have to move fast in order to reach the village before then."

The dog grinned. "A challenge, eh? Don't you worry, Kakashi…I'll be back at the village faster than any of you humans could be." he joked, biting into a soldier pill his summoner had given him. Wagging his tail in farewell, Pakkun shot out the door, leaving a small blur in his wake.

Naruto stretched his arms, letting out a massive yawn. "Does that mean we can go to sleep now, Kakashi-sensei? 'Cause I'm beat!"

Sakura grinned. "You sure about that, Naruto? You looked pretty well-rested this morning."

Both Naruto and Hinata blushed a deep crimson at their teammate's teasing, having almost forgotten about it. Hinata stole a glance at her crush, desperate to tell him everything was fine and that he shouldn't feel guilty about it, but again felt the words catch in her throat.

"Now now, Sakura. I'm sure they heard enough of that. Let's get some sleep, everyone. If things go well tomorrow, we'll only have to talk with Ushiwaka. But if things don't…well, let's just hope they don't come to that." He turned to Sakura and Hinata.

"You two can take the bed, if that's all right with you. Kiba…you, Naruto, and I will just pick a spot on the floor."

The two other male shinobi pouted at their leader's order, but obeyed nonetheless, choosing somewhere to lay out their bag.

Kakashi smiled through his mask. He was worried about tomorrow, but felt confident his team would be up to the challenge.

"Sweet dreams, everyone."

* * *

><p>"NO!"<p>

Naruto shot up, panting heavily. He attempted to peer through the dark room, and let out a heavy sigh of relief when he realized he was back in the mayor's house, his team sleeping peacefully around him.

'_Just another nightmare…Where are these dreams coming from?'_ he wondered. Just like the night when he had returned to the village, his dreams were haunted by strange and terrible visions, leaving him restless and tormented by their meaning.

He stared into his hands, trying to make sense of his most recent nightmare.

~Begin Dream~

_Naruto was enjoying a peaceful stroll through the village as sunset kissed the sky above. The village had been fully restored, and its citizens were in happy spirits. As he made his way through the streets, he noticed Sakura in the corner of his eye. Waving happily, he called out to her._

"_Sakura-chan! Hey, Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed, trying to get his teammate's attention. She turned, and Naruto's smile faded. As he looked into her eyes, he saw what looked like anger and….fear? Naruto grew worried. He tried to catch up to her and ask what was wrong but before he knew it, she took off running in the opposite direction, leaving him standing in the middle of the street, confused at her behavior._

'_Something's wrong. Sakura-chan looked so scared…' he thought to himself. He started to follow her, hoping to make some sense of the situation. As he moved through the crowd, he felt the eyes of the villagers upon him, and a cold shiver ran up his spine. He wouldn't dare look at them directly, but it felt like when he was a child. It felt like they were boring holes through his body, their gaze wary and disgusted. He tried to brush it off, but felt himself unable to dismiss the hundreds of eyes fixed upon him._

_He noticed Kiba was making his way towards him, and Naruto hoped he could ask the Inuzuka for help looking for Sakura. But the dog ninja didn't stop moving, and slammed his shoulder into Naruto's, almost making him lose his balance. He continued on his way, despite Naruto's demands for an apology._

'_What's wrong with everybody? Did I do something to make them upset?' Naruto was now thoroughly worried. First Sakura had what looked like run away in fear from him, and now Kiba had ignored him completely._

'_I'll go ask Kakashi-sensei,' he decided as he dusted himself off. 'He'll know what to do.' Leaping to the rooftops, Naruto began making his way towards the Konoha Memorial Stone, where his teacher could often be found._

_After a few minutes, Naruto arrived at the memorial, but was surprised to find that Kakashi was absent from his usual spot. Instead, Neji stood before the stone, his fists clenched in some unknown internal struggle. _( watch?v=qbXVmiFr4-8)

_Naruto attempted to approach the Hyūga, but was stopped by a voice._

"_You have some nerve showing up here…" Neji growled, his voice low and menacing. From behind him, Naruto had a puzzled look in his eyes._

"_What are you talking about, Neji? Listen, do you know where Sakura is? I saw her in the village but she-" He reached out to his friend hoping Neji would know where Sakura had gone. Before he could, however, the Hyūga slapped his hand away, and turned to face him. His Byakugan was active, and his face was full of rage._

"_Don't you dare lay a hand on me, Uzumaki! You insult her memory with your presence here!" he spat._

_Naruto took a few steps back. "Her memory? Whose memory?" he asked, his voice shaky. Neji turned away, trying to mask the tears that had begun to form._

"_Your stupidity knows no bounds. Whose memory? See for yourself…" he answered, motioning towards the stone._

_Hesitantly, Naruto approached the memorial, until he could make out the names inscribed upon it. He saw Obito Uchiha, Kakashi's teammate from when he was a genin. He saw Hayate Gekkō, who had been the proctor during his first Chūnin Exam, and had died during Orochimaru's invasion of the village. Countless other names crossed his sight, and Naruto wondered which one Neji had wanted to him to see. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost missed a name, carelessly glancing past it. Something about the name stuck out to him, and he felt his gaze slowly return to it._

_-Hinata Hyūga-_

_Naruto stumbled backwards as he read, the shock causing him to lose his footing. He fell to the stone beneath him, gasping for air._

_He turned to Neji, a horrified look in his eyes._

"_Neji…why is Hinata's name up there?" he asked, his eyes desperately searching Neji's for an answer. But the Hyūga's gaze was cold, and offered him no comfort. Finally, he spoke, and the words made Naruto's blood run cold._

"_You killed her."_

_Naruto couldn't believe his ears. Hinata was…dead?_

"_No…no that can't be true! Hinata's my friend! I would never do that to her!" he shouted._

"_But you did!" Neji hissed. "You lost control, and slaughtered her in cold blood!" He could not stop the tears this time, as they streamed down his cheeks._

"_There was barely anything left to bury …Hiashi-sama had to bury his own daughter, Naruto. Do you understand that! It was by YOUR hand that Hinata died!" he roared, before lunging at Naruto. Before he could react, the Hyūga's hand was firmly grasped around his throat as he held him down. He leaned in close, and Naruto's eyes widened as a horrible but familiar voice spouted forth from Neji's mouth._

"_**You're nothing but a monster, Uzumaki. Destined only to bring suffering to the world. The people of this village would be better off if I just killed you now…"**__ he snarled, his eyes glowing red._

"_It's…not my…fault.." Naruto managed to choke out as 'Neji's' grip tightened around his neck. "It…was the…"_

"_**The Kyūbi?" **__the voice finished for him. __**"Wretched child… that is nothing but an excuse! Your weakness allows the hatred of the Nine-Tailed Fox to control you, to plague the lives of your friends." **_

'_Neji' pointed back to the memorial stone. __**"I show you not what 'could' be, but what WILL be! What will inevitably happen if you allow yourself to believe in the disgusting idea of love. You will not be so lucky, and you will have to watch helplessly as you slaughter the very people you so foolishly protect!"**_

_The surroundings around Naruto began to fade, the colors blurring together as the sky grew darker and darker. Neji too began to disappear, his body evaporating into smoke._

"_**A monster cannot love…It can only live...for itself."**_

_~End Dream~_

Naruto stared into the darkness, robbed of sleep for the second time this week. Where were these nightmares coming from, and why now? He kicked his sleeping bag away in frustration, and stood up. He decided to take a walk, hoping it might ease his mind. But as he made to turn to the door, something caught his eye.

He turned around to find Sakura was alone in the bed the mayor had offered them, Hinata nowhere to be found.

'_Hinata's not here…I wonder where she'd be at this time of night?' _Now thoroughly curious, Naruto decided to postpone his walk in order to find the missing Hyūga.

He stepped out into the crisp nighttime air, and attempted to detect Hinata's chakra. Though it was faint, he felt the slightest hint of her signature somewhere towards the north, and so headed off in that direction.

Eventually, he came to the river than ran along the border of the village. Feeling her chakra get stronger, he realized that he could follow the river and eventually reach to where Hinata was.

'_This will be the perfect time to apologize about this morning!' _he thought excitedly, as he got closer and closer. _'I won't have stupid Kiba or Sakura around to get in the way!' _He heard the sound of rushing water, and was able to make out what appeared to be a waterfall through the trees.

Naruto quietly crept up to the edge of the clearing, curious as to what Hinata was doing by herself way out here. He saw a figure standing on the surface of a small pond, the waterfall behind illuminated by the moonlight.

It was Hinata. ( watch?v=AxJtXGkz794)

A slight blush heated in his cheeks when he realized she had discarded her bulky clothing, and was dressed only in a mesh top and a pair of black shorts. But what mesmerized him even more was not what she was wearing, but what she was doing.

Her body gently swayed across the water's surface, and if Naruto didn't know any better, he would have sworn she was dancing. He was entranced as she glided over the pond, shifting and twisting her body in such a way that the poor blonde had to wipe away a nosebleed. Something was nagging at the back of his mind, though. Everything felt so…familiar. It was almost as if he'd seen this before.

All of a sudden it hit him.

Years ago, during his search for the Bikōchū, Naruto had stumbled upon a mysterious, beautiful girl dancing on the water much like Hinata was now. He never was able to find out the girl's identity, but that night was forever burned into his memory. It was only just now that he finally realized that Hinata, and the "ultra-pretty" girl from the waterfall were in fact one and the same.

By now Naruto was completely hypnotized by Hinata's movements, the rhythm of her body making his heart pound and his knees weak. His mind was a complete blank as he stared at the beautiful girl before him, only able to concentrate on Hinata and Hinata alone.

He leaned forward, as far forward as his body would let him. He was desperate to get closer to her, to hold her, touch her…

Realizing what had crossed his mind, Naruto snapped out of his daze. The second rush of blood to his nose was too much for him this time, though. He lost his balance, and tumbled into the water below.

Hinata, having heard the noise, spun around to face her assailant. Realizing it was not an enemy, but a certain clumsy ninja, she lowered her guard.

"Na-Naruto-kun? Are you al-alright?" she sputtered, rushing over to make sure he was all right.

He sat on the shore of the pond, coughing up some water that had found its way into his lungs. He grinned meekly at Hinata as he hocked the last of it up.

"Y-yeah Hinata…I'm fine…" he managed to say through his gasps for air. Realizing something was wrong, Hinata activated her Byakugan. She noticed that Naruto's diaphragm wasn't contracting correctly, and with a quick chakra-infused tap, relaxed the muscle. The unfortunate blonde breathed deeply, before turning to his companion.

"Thanks Hinata!" he exclaimed happily, despite his whole body shivering from the cold water. He took off his jacket, causing Hinata's cheeks to heat up as she noticed his toned muscles through his shirt. Her curiosity eventually overcame her, and she couldn't help but ask.

"Naruto-kun? What exactly a-are you…doing out h-here?" she asked. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed he had been caught.

"Well I…uh…" he chuckled nervously. "I couldn't sleep, and I noticed you weren't in bed, so I came to look for you!" he finished, conveniently leaving out the part where he had been peeping on her.

He gave her a confused look. "But…what were _you_ doing out here, Hinata?"

The Hyūga looked down, twiddling her fingers as she often did around Naruto. What would he think if she told him she was training this late? Would he think it was stupid?

"Well, I uh…came out h-here t to train…It's silly I know…" she stuttered. She felt so…vulnerable as his cerulean eyes lay fixated on her. If Hinata became aware that she still hadn't put back on her jacket yet, she surely would have passed out then and there.

Naruto cocked his head. "Silly? Hinata, you should never be ashamed that you want to better yourself. In fact, I could learn a thing or two from you!"

Hinata blushed at his praise, feeling slightly better.

"What kind of training were you doing?" he asked.

"Well...it's mainly flexibility exercises for…Naruto, do you remember the battle we had during our search for the Bikōchū?" Naruto's eyes widened as he recalled Hinata displaying her original technique for the first time.

"Do I remember? How could I forget! Hinata, that was amazing what you did back then! Really!"

Hinata felt a surge of pride as her crush complimented her for the second time.

"Th-thank you, Naruto-kun. But yes, I practice in my spare time, in order t-to perfect the form." She turned to give him a small smile, but it faded as she noticed Naruto was giving her a strange look. He shifted uncomfortably, almost as if he was hiding something.

"But Hinata…" he finally said. "That's not all what I remember from back then." Noticing the confused look in the Hyūga's eyes, he took a deep breath.

"I also remember you practicing that technique by the waterfall."

Hinata let out an involuntary 'eep'. She had hoped he would never realize it was her, afraid she might die of embarrassment. Now that she knew he had figured out it was her, her whole body heated up in a massive blush. She reached behind her to pull her hood up, but grabbed at nothing but air. Horrified, she came to the realization that she had never put back on her jacket after Naruto had shown up. She brought her legs up to her chest, trying to conceal as much as her tiny frame would let her.

Naruto seemed to pick up on this, and gently draped his own jacket around her shoulders. She snuggled into it, grateful for the warmth it was providing. Even though it smelled of ramen, Hinata enjoyed the scent, and breathed deeply, letting it calm her down.

Naruto gave her a soft smile. "You don't have to be so embarrassed Hinata. You're actually…really pretty…" he murmured, scratching at his cheek.

Hinata couldn't believe her ears. _"Naruto-kun thinks I'm…pretty?' _Though Naruto couldn't see it, Inner Hinata was jumping for joy. She turned to thank him, but noticed his expression had darkened.

"Besides…" he continued, "You shouldn't be the one who's embarrassed." He wasn't looking her in the eye anymore, and he had tensed up.

"Naruto-kun?" she whispered, worried for him. Suddenly he turned to face her.

"Hinata, I'm sorry I'm always so forgetful around you." He sounded ashamed. Hinata shook her head, trying to cheer him up.

"Naruto-kun, please don't be mad at yourself. It's okay if you-"

"No Hinata, it's not okay!" he interrupted, a little louder than intended. Hinata drew back, surprised at his sudden change in mood.

"You deserve to be treated better. To not be treated like part of the background. You're important to me Hinata, and I haven't been showing you that very well, have I?" his voice was low, and he let his head sink into his chest. He felt terrible. A small feeling of warm grew on his right shoulder, and Naruto lifted his eyes to see Hinata had gingerly placed her hand on him, her eyes reflecting a kind determination.

"Naruto-kun, you don't have to be so hard on yourself. What was in the past is gone, and you shouldn't hate yourself for who you are." The words stung a little as she spoke, aware that there were times she was still felt ashamed of how shy she was. But this was Naruto. He had helped her change so much over the years, and it killed her to see him so unhappy.

"Besides, you apologized. Wasn't it just a few m-moments ago that you said people shouldn't be sorry for wanting to better themselves?"

Naruto stared at her dumbly. Was she really this forgiving?

"Hinata, I -" he tried to say, but she cut him off.

"Naruto, it's okay, really. Here, wh-what if we…make a deal?" she squeaked, a tinge of red decorating her features. The blonde seemed intrigued, and leaned in closer.

"What kind of deal?"

"Be-because you apologized to me, I'll apologize t-to you…"

Naruto squinted his eyes, a habit of his when he was in deep thought.

"Hinata, what on earth could you possibly have to apologize for?" he asked. Hinata quickly looked away, her face now a deep crimson. A knowing look appeared in the Uzumaki's eyes.

"A-are you talking about this morning?" he asked hesitantly. Seeing at how flustered it made Naruto, she could only nod.

"But that wasn't your fault! Kiba told me I was the one who ended up laying all over you! And then this morning…when I…" he caught himself before he finished, his face as red as Hinata's.

"B-but…it wasn't your fault either. Didn't you say you h-hadn't gotten any sleep last night, Naruto-kun?" she protested. "You h-had a nightmare, right?" The moment it came out of her mouth, Hinata regretted it. Naruto turned away from her, and it finally hit her.

"…That's the real reason you're out here, isn't it Naruto-kun? You h-had another bad dream?" Hinata

He remained facing away from her, but nodded.

"D-do you want to talk about it?" she prodded. Maybe she could help him feel better, and then she could finally see that beautiful smile again.

Naruto thought about it. It would be nice for there to be someone he could talk to, someone who would listen. These dreams had come out of nowhere, and Naruto wasn't sure what they could mean. But then he remembered something the two dreams had had in common.

They were both about Hinata.

'_How could I tell her that I've been having dreams about her dying!' _he thought to himself. _'I don't want to scare her…' _He looked into her lavender eyes, and for a moment all his defenses crumbled away. She looked so worried for him, so ready to give him comfort. But he couldn't tell her. Not yet.

"I'm sorry, Hinata, but I don't really want to talk about them right now."

Hinata's heart sank. She nodded sadly, understanding it wasn't her business.

"But thank you for asking. It means a lot to me Hinata, it really does. I may not want to talk about them now, but if or when I do, you'll be the first person I come to! That's a promise!" He grinned as wide as he could, but Hinata could tell he was hiding something. Not wanting to pester him, she decided to drop it.

"You know, Hinata…" he continued. "Now that I think about it, I've had a bad dream two nights ago, and I had one tonight, but not when we….well you know…"

Hearing Naruto say those words, and seeing the red in his face, Hinata almost kissed him then and there. She wanted to tell him how she felt again, even if he had forgotten. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him.

'_You can do this, Hinata…' _she thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth.

"Naruto-kun, we s-should probably head back..."

'_I'm such a coward. Why is it so hard to tell someone you love them?' _she screamed at herself. _'Will it have to take another near-death experience for me to tell Naruto-kun how I feel? I'm so pathetic…'_

Naruto, unaware of her internal struggle, had gotten to his feet, and offered Hinata his hand. She hid her feelings as best she could as she gently accepted it, letting him pull her to her feet. But he didn't let go, instead gently tugging her towards where her jacket had been laying. He stared at the clothing, almost as if he wasn't sure what to do with it, before releasing his hold on Hinata and bending over to pick up her things.

Though Hinata couldn't see it, Naruto was just as troubled as she was. But it wasn't about their mission tomorrow, it wasn't about what had happened that morning, it wasn't even about Naruto's nightmares.

Instead, he was trying to calm the feeling in his stomach from when he had held Hinata's hand. It felt there were butterflies in his gut, and his knees had grown weak. And he hadn't really wanted to let go.

'_What was that all about?' _he wondered as they began making their way back to the village. _'What's this… feeling I have? It feels like when I was around Sakura-chan, but it seems different from before...'_

The two continued their mental struggles the rest of the way back, an awkward silence hanging between them. Finally, they had returned to the mayor's house, and headed inside.

"G-goodnight, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly, heading towards the bed where Sakura lay, completely oblivious to what had transpired.

Naruto watched her cross the room, and that same feeling tingled in his stomach again. For a split second, he was _jealous_ of Sakura.

He yawned all of sudden, and was glad he would be able to get _some _sleep tonight.

"Goodnight, Hinata-chan," he called out quietly. Before Hinata could question why he added the 'chan', he had plopped back onto his sleeping bag, and had fallen asleep in a matter of seconds.

Hinata stifled a giggle as a small amount of drool began to pool on Naruto's pillow. Trying her best not to disturb Sakura, she wiggled into between the sheets, and closed her eyes, as happy as she had been when Naruto had walked her home. She slowly nodded off, eager to dream about Naruto as she almost always did.

And though Naruto wouldn't remember it, he would be dreaming of Hinata.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Ohhohohoho! Naruto, you dog! He must be so confused right now, but that's to be expected, since he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Also, for clarification, **Rōjin **means 'old man', a fitting nickname since the villagers don't know his _real _name.

I know I said action was coming soon, and I hope I didn't upset too many people when it wasn't to be found in here. I promise next chapter will have their battle against Ushiwaka, and I'll try to make it fun to read. +1 internet for whoever catches the reference of his name.

Anyway, thanks for reading! Any feedback you give is greatly appreciated.


	6. Battle! Ushiwaka versus the Leaf!

**Author's Note: **And another update down! I'm sorry this one took a little longer than the last few have, but I was really swamped with work recently, even having to pull an all-nighter. BLECH.

Anyway, I'll go right ahead and say it: Writing fight scenes is just boring to me. Reading a battle is like reading music; just doesn't feel right. Regardless, I hope I did a good enough job for you guys! So don't be afraid to tell me otherwise. Also, if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a big fan of the game _Okami_, and made numerous references to it, including using music from the game to put in here. There's also a particularly bad joke in here that was inspired from the game, so I apologize for that. I simply couldn't help myself.

Thanks to everyone for the reviews, and as always, copy/paste the ( watchblachblah) into Google, and let the music it loads up play while you read. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Battle! Ushiwaka versus the Leaf!<strong>

Tsunade groaned.

It was now close to two in the morning, and the mountain of paperwork piled up on her desk never seemed to get any smaller. Petty crime reports, supply logs, and other various documents lay scattered across her office; the Hokage's seal of approval becoming more and more random in its placement, a sure sign Tsunade was getting impatient. Originally she had planned to finish early for the night and sneak out for a few drinks, but Shizune came rushing in last minute with all the paperwork, and had practically dumped it on her desk.

She let out a deep sigh. Deciding to take a quick break, she pushed her chair away from her desk, and shuffled over to the window. Cracking it open slightly, she breathed in the crisp nighttime air.

'_Autumn will be here soon,'_ she thought as a slight shiver ran along her arms. Even though the cooler weather would no doubt be appreciated, Tsunade knew the village would not be able to fully enjoy it. The coming war would make sure of that.

The Sannin gripped the windowsill tightly. _'Madara…what are you planning?' _The other Kage had been in constant communication since the summit in the Land of Iron, discussing any and all intel they were able to gather about Akatsuki's movements. The only problem was that the intel was little to none. An immensely powerful shinobi had declared war against the Five Great Nations, and they still didn't know what kind of power he had on his side to make that kind of declaration in such confidence. It deeply worried all of the Kage, but it couldn't be helped. None of them, Tsunade included, were about to send out their entire forces against an unknown adversary, so they were forced to stay put in their respective villages, and train themselves to be as best prepared as they could. It could be argued that Kumo and Konoha were the best prepared, since they were the only villages that still had jinchūriki.

Naruto.

Tsunade couldn't help but smile to herself. It wasn't a secret among the village that she held a soft spot for the boy. After all, anyone else who called her "Granny" would almost certainly earn themselves a trip to the hospital. She worried about him as an older sister would to her brash younger brother, but had great faith in him nonetheless.

As she rested upon the window reminiscing, something small caught the corner of her eye, dashing across the rooftops. Whatever it was, it was coming fast. Before she could move out of the way, a furry object smashed into her face, knocking the both of them to the floor.

"Ughhhh…my head…" Tsunade groaned. She lifted her head to face her 'attacker' and was surprised to find Pakkun resting on her voluptuous chest, a lecherous grin on his face. Not missing a beat, she grabbed the mutt by the tail, and with a small yelp, tossed him across the room. Landing on his feet, Pakkun rustled his fur indignantly.

"Hey, what's the big idea for!" he barked.

"I could ask you the same thing, you stupid dog! Ever hear of something called personal space?" Tsunade hissed back, brushing the fur off of her.

Pakkun rubbed a paw behind his head. "Oh yeah…Heh, sorry about that! It's just that I'm in a hurry!"

Tsunade tensed up. "A hurry? What do you mean? Has something happened with Kakashi and his team's mission? Is Naruto alright?"

"Woah woah, easy there toots. They're all fine, as of now. But they could run into trouble come tomorrow morning. I was sent here to retrieve as much intel as we have on Ushiwaka of Tanigakure." He reached behind his back and grabbed the scroll he was carrying before handing it over to the Sannin. Tsunade quickly skimmed through the information that they had been able to gather, a grim look in her piercing bronze eyes. Finally, she lifted her head.

"Do they really believe Ushiwaka is behind the murder?" she asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

Pakkun shrugged. "Whoever _did_ do it was extremely careful, so the eyewitness account is their only evidence. They have no other option but to confront Ushiwaka."

"That's what I was afraid of." Tsunade replied. Suddenly, she leapt to her feet and began making her way out of the office.

"Hold up a second, will ya! Where are we going?" Pakkun asked as he caught up to the Fifth Hokage.

"This mission just got a lot more politically unstable," she answered matter-of-factly. "As such, I'll need to convey an emergency meeting to discuss possible courses of action. You'll get your intel if you follow me."

Not seeing a better option, Pakkun resided himself to trotting after Tsunade to accompany her to this emergency meeting. Although he would have preferred just going ahead and receiving the information, and taking a nap until Kakashi summoned him back, he couldn't help but be little curious as to what would be discussed.

Towards the base of the newly constructed administrative building stood the war room, a massive wide open space filled with a large map of the entire continent. Tsunade and other important military figures of the village gathered here every day to discuss strategy, Intel, and other important matters related to the war. On the far side of the room stood several smaller tables, which various sub-committees used for their own purposes.

Having sent out several ANBU to collect the other attendees for the meeting, Tsunade and Pakkun were the first to arrive. Shortly thereafter, the Konoha Council consisting of elders Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane arrived. Their heavily lined faces were even more so, hinting that they must have been soundly asleep when the ANBU arrived to retrieve them. As they reluctantly took their seats at the table, Inoichi of the Intelligence Division walked in. With a wide yawn, he too joined the others around the table. Finally, Shikaku Nara, jōnin commander of Konoha, lumbered in, his bored expression greatly resembling that of his son's. They all shared nervous glances with one another. Whatever Tsunade had dragged them out of bed for, couldn't be good. She cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Thank you everyone, for coming on such short notice," she exclaimed as she looked over those in attendance. ( watch?v=J5qQsXn6uQU)

"Well, we assumed you dragged us out of bed because it was important." Shikaku bluntly pointed out rather rudely. It seems he still wasn't over being denied sleep, something the Nara clan despised over all else. He eyed Pakkun in the corner of the room, who came trotting over to take a place on the table next to Tsunade.

"Does this have something to do with Kakashi's recent mission to the Land of Rivers?" he asked, well aware of Pakkun's status as one of the Copy ninja's ninken.

Tsunade nodded. "Yes, it does. Pakkun arrived here about a half an hour ago, bringing with him some very serious news. I have called you here to discuss that information."

The ninja hound set the scroll he was carrying onto the table, before unrolling it so the others could read what was written on it.

"Yesterday evening, Kakashi and the rest of his squad arrived at Shizukana village to investigate the murder of one of their own."

Homura snorted. "Yes, we're very well aware of that. We accepted the mission in the first place after all. Just get to your point."

Pakkun ignored the elder's rude tone and continued. "Little to no evidence was found regarding the culprit, until a villager who had been away from the village returned that night."

"What evidence did he possess?" Inoichi asked.

"He relayed the overhearing of an argument between the victim and a stranger. When nothing was settled, the stranger left, looking none too pleased."

"And so this villager believes that this stranger murdered the victim because of the argument?" Shikaku finished, his eyes closed as he sat deep in thought.

Pakkun nodded. "Yeah, exactly. Kakashi even had Hinata watch over the man during his story, to make sure he was telling the truth."

"And was he?" Homura questioned. Again Pakkun nodded.

"At the very least, he thought it was the truth."

This time it was Koharu's turn to speak. "So who is this man believed to be the murderer?"

"Ushiwaka of Tanigakure."

A hush fell over those in attendance. They all knew the name very well, and if he was involved, the situation had indeed gotten much worse.

"Are you sure Ushiwaka of Tani is involved? How is he even related to this matter?" Shikaku asked hesitantly.

Pakkun shrugged. "Don't really know. But that man swears he saw someone exactly matching Ushiwaka's description leaving the victim's house a few weeks before the murder. That's the only evidence they were able to retrieve, so they have to act on it whether they like it or not." He pointed to another scroll that lay unrolled on the table. "That is a formal request to confront Ushiwaka of Tanigakure with the evidence we have regarding the murder, as well as a request to engage should he prove guilty or hostile. We also need any and all Intel we have on him so Kakashi's team doesn't go in completely unprepared."

Inoichi nodded, and ordered one of the ANBU guarding the room to retrieve the intel from the archives. A few moments later, the ANBU reappeared, a scroll in hand. He handed it back to Inoichi, who began to read off its contents.

"Ushiwaka, age 34, is a Genjutsu master of Tanigakure. Considered to be one of the most powerful practitioners of the style, he is arguably only rivaled by the skills of Itachi Uchiha and Kurenai Yūhi, and should be approached with extreme caution."

"He is also believed to hold a grudge against the Leaf village due to circumstances surrounding his daughter, Tayuya of the Sound Four."

A murmur dispersed through the group. Tayuya was a member of the group that had helped Sasuke defect from the village, and had almost killed Shikamaru during their pursuit. She would have succeeded if it weren't for the timely arrival of Temari of Sunagakure.

"Because Orochimaru was the reason behind her defection from Tani, and he used to be a member of this village, Ushiwaka has extended his hatred of him towards the entirety of Konoha."

Shikaku pursed his lips as he carefully examined the documents. "This could have serious political consequences for Konoha. Even if Ushiwaka is found guilty of these crimes, I doubt Tani will be happy that one of their most prized ninja was accused by us. They might react especially violent if we were forced to engage in combat."

Tsunade nodded. "That's why I came to you. We need to discuss the best possible course of action so as not to weaken relations between our two villages." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Homura was mulling over something.

"Who exactly is part of this mission, besides Kakashi?" he asked.

Inoichi glanced down at the mission report. "Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyūga, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki."

The two council members shifted in their seats, and everyone else present could tell they weren't happy about something.

"Is there a problem with who I chose for this mission?" Tsunade asked, a slight hint of annoyance present in her voice.

"No, or at least there wasn't," Koharu answered, trying to keep her tone level. "It has only come to our attention that if Kiba Inuzuka and Naruto Uzumaki are involved, maintaining a civil solution will be more difficult."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"I only mean that their personalities are a little more…volatile than the others. They have a tendency to leap before they look, so to speak. This mission cannot be something they trust their gut in."

Shikaku leaned forward in his seat. "You're concerns certainly aren't unwarranted. It would be an outright lie to say that those two are the patient type, but I'm confident that with Hinata, Sakura, and Kakashi there, they will be able to keep them in line."

'_To be honest, I hope you're right...' _Tsunade thought to herself. While she didn't appreciate the council's treating of the Uzumaki like a child, she couldn't deny their reasoning.

Homura nodded sagely. "Be that as it may, if we are to accept the terms of their request, we must insist that combat be avoided at all costs, even if it means retreating. Our village has not fully recovered from Pain's invasion. Angering an entire country so close to our own borders would be…unwise."

Tsunade moved her eyes across the table. Everyone seemed to be accepting of the terms.

"Very well, then. Pakkun, tell Kakashi we grant his request for confronting Ushiwaka. But only on the condition that they must avoid combat if at all possible. Only if they feel their lives are threatened or retreat is proved impossible should they engage him." She placed a scroll upon his back as she spoke, tying it around his body with a small rope. "This is both the request and all the intel we have on him. I am also including a sample of his DNA, which can be retrieved from the seal on the other side of the scroll. You can use it to track Ushiwaka's scent. Kakashi is to summon you tomorrow morning, correct?"

"Yep," the ninken replied. "Boss told me to just stay put until morning."

"Then you are dismissed. Please, wish everyone good luck when you return."

With a nod, the ninja hound leapt from his perch on the table, and trotted out of the room. After he had disappeared from sight, Tsunade turned back to those that remained.

"Thank you all for coming. That will be all for tonight."

Grateful they could finally return to their beds, the other members of the meeting excused themselves, and bid each other farewell. Shikaku, however, remained behind, peering at Tsunade as she gathered her things.

"There's something more to this, isn't there?" he asked, not about to take no for an answer. "You looked as those there were more to this situation, and yet you kept it to yourself." Seeing the look in her eyes, the Nara clan leader knew he was right.

Before she had called the meeting together, Tsunade had read over the report Kakashi had sent back of what had happened in their mission so far. However, when she came to the details of the actual victim, more specifically his lack of a name, birthplace, and the change in appearance after his death, it greatly worried her.

"That _is_ unusual." Shikaku proclaimed aloud as he digested the information. "And you said the seal upon the deceased's body indicated he failed in capturing his target?"

Tsunade nodded.

"Then I understand your concern. Though for now, we should treat this as an isolated incident. Jumping to conclusions before we have more of the story will only lead to problems. Still, should any new information come to light, please don't hesitate to seek me out. It is my duty to help this village, after all."

The Sannin smiled at him, grateful for his assistance. "Thank you Shikaku. I appreciate your help, and will take you up on that if our suspicions prove right." The elder Nara bowed in response, and finally excused himself from the room, leaving Tsunade alone.

'_Though I hope I won't have to,' _she thought to herself. Taking one last look at the photograph, she returned the documents to their file, and left the room.

'_Naruto….Please be careful.'_

* * *

><p>Though the sun had only just begun its ascent into the sky, Naruto and the others were already wide awake. After having a small breakfast, they gathered their gear together, and waited for Kakashi to resummon Pakkun so they could receive a debrief.<p>

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu." He said, placing his palm on the table. Clearing the smoke with his tail, Pakkun once again raised his paw in greeting.

"Morning everyone!" he said happily. Kakashi patted him on the head, as he removed the scroll that was tied to his back.

"Good morning, Pakkun. I hope this scroll has what we need?"

The ninja hound bared his teeth in what was most likely an attempt at a grin. "That and more. Come on Kakashi, when have I ever let you down?"

The Copy ninja shrugged. "Good point. Here, I'll debrief the others. In the meantime, I need to you to head outside and get started on tracking Ushiwaka's scent. The faster we find him, the better." He cut his finger ever so slightly, an let a drop of his blood fall onto the seal below. As it made contact with the paper, it hissed as a small amount of Ushiwaka's DNA dispersed into the air as smoke. Pakkun took a deep breath of the scent, making sure to memorize it.

"Alright, I have the scent. I'll scout around the village and give you a general direction once you're finished up in here." He leapt out the door to begin his search, leaving Kakashi and the others inside.

"Okay, let's see what we got…" Kakashi drolled as he read through the scroll's contents. After he was satisfied, he rolled it back up, and placed it in his pouch.

"Alright so what do we need to know to take this guy down!" Naruto asked excitedly, slamming his fist into his other hand for effect. Sakura rolled her eyes at how easily worked up he got.

"Well, for starters…" Kakashi responded. "You need to know that we'll be avoiding 'taking this guy down' if we can help it."

"Whuh? But this guy killed a civilian! Shouldn't we at least kick his ass a little?" the blonde whined.

"Naruto, you know very well that he wasn't _just_ a civilian. We don't know the whole story, so we can't assume he was guilt-free. Having said that, we're under direct orders to abstain from combat if at all possible, so try to contain yourself, will you?"

The Uzumaki crossed his arms and let out an indignant 'humph'. Ignoring his pouting, Kakashi continued.

"As I was saying, our target is Ushiwaka of Tanigakure. Age 34, 180 cm, 74.3 kg, is a highly skilled shinobi, specializing in Genjutsu. His techniques are performed through his use of a flute. As you know, genjutsu transmitted through sound is one of the more difficult to counteract, since you don't have to be in sight of your opponent. This was apparently passed down to his daughter, though she was nowhere near the level of proficiency he is."

"His daughter? Who's that?" Naruto asked, curiosity overwhelming his tantrum.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Are you that dense, Naruto? Who else do we know that fought using a flute and genjutsu?"

The blonde scratched his chin as he tried to recall this mystery shinobi. After about a minute of concentrating, he shrugged.

"Tayuya, you idiot!" Sakura hissed, giving the aforementioned 'idiot' a solid punch to his shoulder. "She was part of the group from the Sound that took Sasuke! Don't you remember?"

Naruto, despite having absolutely no idea who she was talking about, nodded vigorously, unwilling to be on the receiving end of another blow.

"Moving on…" Kakashi interjected, "Because Orochimaru was the reason she defected from Tani, and because Sasuke was the reason she died, we shouldn't expect a warm welcome if we find Ushiwaka. If you recall, Tayuya almost killed Shikamaru, so expect much worse from her father."

Everyone surrounding the jōnin gulped. Turning to Kiba and Hinata, he continued.

"Now, normally Sakura would be considered the most important member of the team due to her medical skills, but it's different when dealing with someone who excels at Genjutsu to the degree that Ushiwaka does. Kiba, your skills in tracking will be needed to make sure he can't slip away and cast a genjutsu in hiding. Hinata, your Byakugan will be even more necessary. Along with its telescopic capabilities, your ability to see chakra will be vital in keeping other members of the team out of the genjutsu. I'm counting on you."

Hinata grimaced, afraid she wouldn't be up to Kakashi's standards. Never before had she been so vital to a mission's success. A reassuring thumbs-up from Naruto helped calm her nerves a little, but she was still worried.

"Don't worry Hinata, I'm sure you'll do your best." Kakashi said, noticing the fearful look in her eyes. He turned back face everyone else.

"Okay everyone, one last thing before we leave. While I already said we should avoid combat if at all possible…that goes double for you and Kiba, Naruto. This is an extremely delicate matter, so don't let your emotions cloud your judgment." While the two were not happy to be called out, they knew he was right.

"Let's head out. I'll call for Pakkun once we're outside to see if he's been able to pick up on a scent."

They quickly hustled outside, but were surprised to find Shidōmaru and his wife standing outside.

"I understand you're on your way to confront the murderer of Rōjin," he older man stated. "Before you leave, my wife and I just wanted to thank you for your help with this. Whether or not you catch the man responsible, you've helped ease our villagers' minds. We're very grateful for this."

The group of shinobi bowed in gratitude, before saying goodbye to the elderly mayor and his wife. Heading towards the border of the village, they spotted Pakkun waiting for them in the trees, and leapt up to join him.

"Though it's small, I've got his scent. He's to the west heading southwest, probably to return to the village," the ninken announced. "He's moving fast, but we need to intercept him before he gets back to Tani."

Kakashi nodded. "Alright. Thank you Pakkun. Let's head out, everyone!"

Without another sound, the Leaf shinobi shot off into the forest, beginning their search for Ushiwaka.

* * *

><p>Ushiwaka was not in a good mood.<p>

The most powerful Genjutsu user in all of Tani, if not the most powerful _ninja _in all of Tani, was reduced to a simple messenger-boy! Why, the very thought of it made him quiver with rage! Another cutback in the village's funds had forced them to accept less dangerous missions so as not to risk the lives of their shinobi, but did they really have to resort to sending one of their best ninja out as an errand boy!

He stopped for a moment to calm himself down. While it was not the most heroic work, it was his duty nonetheless to carry out his mission to the best of his ability. Noticing a large clearing with a small pond in the center, he leapt from his perch in the branches.

'_Although…' _he thought, _'I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I carried out my mission at a more leisurely pace.' _Kicking off his sandals and lowering his helmet to give his eyes some shade, Ushiwaka laid down underneath a boulder near the water's edge to enjoy a short nap.

As he lay their underneath the morning sun, he let his mind wander. Once he received his pay, he would probably spend it all on drink, a regular occurrence after missions ever since his daughter abandoned the village to serve under that snake Orochimaru.

He face twisted in internal pain. His precious Tayuya, the only family he had left, had cursed his name and defected from the village. Not months later, he learned of her death at the hands of Temari of the Sand, and the last shred of joy within his heart withered. The only thing left was his duty to the village, and even that was waning. Without a proper challenge in years, he felt his skills had declined. It was pitiful.

His self-loathing came to a halt when he realizes he was no longer alone. Cracking open eye, he saw what appeared to be five figures standing over him.

"Are you Ushiwaka of Tanigakure?" a voice asked.

"And what if I am? Who's asking?" Ushiwaka snorted, clearly not happy his rest had been interrupted.

"The Hidden Leaf Village."

Kakashi's team barely had enough time to dodge the sword as Ushiwaka attempted to cleave them in two, the illusion of his body near the water dissipating like smoke.

'_An illusion? And we already fell for it…this guy's better than I thought,' _Kakashi thought to himself, as Ushiwaka landed gracefully upon the water, his sword still unsheathed, and his eyes wide with fury.

"The Hidden Leaf! How dare you show yourself to me! You will tell me your reason for being here, or I swear I'll cut you in two!"

Kakashi dropped his stance, hoping this would be a sign that combat should be mutually avoided.

"Ushiwaka, you're under accusation of murder through the evidence of an eye-witness. We are to return you to Konoha, where you will be interrogated for the validity of this information."

The Genjutsu master spat onto the ground. "Me? Accused of murder? Don't belittle me, Leaf ninja. I would never leave behind enough evidence to be followed. Your 'eye-witness' is nothing more than a fool," he snarled. Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization.

"Wait…you are the leaf shinobi who took on the mission from Shizukana village! The mission you _stole _from my village! And now you think _I_ am the murderer?"

Kakashi kept his gaze level. The man was clearly losing his temper, and he didn't want to do anything that might further anger him. ( watch?v=hTxC-AOQXQ4)

"That is what the evidence we were presented with lead to. If you are innocent, you have nothing to fear."

Ushiwaka swung his sword menacingly, clearly not amused. "I have no intention of going anywhere with you, trash! You Leaf shinobi hold yourself to such a higher degree, with your 'Great Nation' status. It's disgusting! Tell me, how could such a _great nation _allow itself to be destroyed over and over?" His face twisted into an ugly sneer, an obvious sign he was enjoying this.

"And your shinobi are deplorable! It seems you can't keep your own ninja from betraying you. First it was that Orochimaru, and now it's that Uchiha brat! Pathetic! Here's a prophecy for you…it's only a matter of time before your entire village is burned to the ground, and I do hope that it's soon."

"Shut up, you half-baked prophet!" Naruto interjected, having grown angry with the mention of Sasuke. "You take back what you said about Sasuke!"

Ushiwaka looked offended. "And why should I? That little shit is the reason my daughter is dead! Because of him I have no one left. Do you hear me? NO ONE!" By now he was foaming at the mouth, and Kakashi was growing increasingly concerned.

'_This is bad…if we don't calm him down soon, avoiding a fight will be impossible…dammit!'_

"Please Ushiwaka, calm down…if you were to just come with us, I'm sure we can work out-"

"I already told you I have no intention of going anywhere with you, Leaf shinobi." His voice had lost its rage, and was now dangerously quiet. "I will no longer tolerate your insults."

He pointed his sword at them, killer intent radiating off of his body.

"I wonder how much pride I can bring to my village…slaughtering the five of you."

Kiba had heard enough.

"That's it, bastard! You're going down!" He leapt into the air with Akamaru, diving towards the man.

"Kiba, no!" Kakashi tried to call out, but the Inuzuka ignored him.

"Gatsūga!" (Fang Passing Fang) he roared as he dove towards Ushiwaka. Before it could connect, Ushiwaka effortlessly sidestepped the attack, leaping several feet back.

'_So much for avoiding combat…' _Kakashi thought, drawing a kunai from his pack.

"Everyone, Formation A, now!" he shouted. Immediately, Naruto and Kiba ran to either side of Kakashi, with Hinata and Sakura bringing up the rear.

"You can attempt to defend yourself any way you want, Leaf Shinobi. Nothing will keep you from your death." Ushiwaka mocked. Pulling his flute out, He brought the tip of his blade to the other end of his instrument, before blaring a single piercing note as he drew it across his sword. Even after he finished, the sound continued, his sword now producing a loud, high-pitched hum.

"Hinata, was that a genjutsu?" Kakashi muttered, not wanting to alert their opponent of their possession of a Byakugan. "Check for any changes in our chakra networks."

"No, Kakashi-sensei. You're chakra networks haven't been affected."

Nodding to Kiba and Naruto, they prepared themselves for an attack. Suddenly, they were surrounding Ushiwaka, with Kiba and Akamaru taking his front and back, with Kakashi and Naruto coming in at the sides.

'_This guy's finished...' _Naruto thought to himself, Rasengan in hand. Just as he was about to strike, however, a deafening screech screamed into his ears, and he lost his balance. Taking his chance, Ushiwaka delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, sending the Uzumaki flying across the water's surface. A breach in their attack opened, he then evaded Kakashi's and Kiba's attack as well.

Ushiwaka laughed in contempt as the others leapt back across the pond to check on Naruto, who had now regained his footing.

"What's the matter, brat? Lost your nerve?" he taunted, as Naruto tried to figure out what happened.

"You seem confused, so allow me to elaborate. The sound you hear from my sword is a genjutsu, able to remain active even if I'm not producing the sound. Get too close, and it disrupts your inner ear, which is responsible for maintaining balance. You won't be able to land a single hit on me."

"We'll just see about that! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted back. Several clones appeared around him, and they all shot off to try and overwhelm him.

Ushiwaka immediately swung his sword at the first two, the deafening sound causing them to run into one another. He carved through the both of them, and they disappeared with a puff of smoke. The others fared just the same, as the genjutsu master effortlessly dodged everything Naruto threw at him, ruthlessly cutting down each of the clones until none remained.

"Shadow clones, eh? I know you….you're Naruto Uzumaki!" Ushiwaka called out.

"You bet I am! And if you think I'm gonna lose to you, you're dead wrong!" Naruto spat back. Ushiwaka seemed amused.

"To think, that the great Akatsuki leader Pain was killed by a mere child! And that pitiful organization called themselves great! I will kill you Uzumaki, and prove to the entire ninja world the superiority of Tanigakure!"

"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto whispered, deciding shadow clones weren't going to be enough. Kakashi nodded wordlessly, understanding perfectly. Naruto leapt back behind everyone else, who formed a defensive stance around the jinchūriki. He sat upon a small rock that jutted out of the water, and remained perfectly still.

'_That must be the famous Sage Mode of the Toads…' _Ushiwaka gathered, as he watched from a distance. _'I can't allow that child to complete the transformation, or I'll be overwhelmed.' _He cautiously moved around the protective circle the others had made around Naruto, searching for an opening.

'_There!' _seizing his chance, he attempted to break through their defense, but Sakura was faster. Channeling a massive amount of chakra into her fist, she connected into his shoulder, throwing him high up into the air. As he tried to get his bearings, she appeared above him, fists above her head. Before she could hit him, he kicked her out of the way, and used the momentum to escape.

'_I won't be breaking through the defense at this rate…it seems they need a true taste of my power!' _Ushiwaka smirked, sheathing his sword.

"You know, my daughter was very accomplished with her flute, able to control the lesser wills of demons and monsters to fight her battles for her…" he said, as he brought his flute to his lips.

"However…she was nowhere near as skilled as I am! Mateki: Genbusō Kyoku!" (Demonic Flute: Illusionary Warriors Manipulating Melody). A soft melody rang out in the clearing, and everyone tensed up. ( watch?v=Hq0B5FUsGiU)

Kakashi kept his cool, keeping an eye on Ushiwaka_ 'Okay…as long as I'm aware of the Genjutsu, I can break out of it. I just have to wait until-' _Before he could finish his thought, he had to duck under a massive punch that would have surely broken his neck. ( watch?v=5ph973FrkUs)

"Sakura! What are you doing!" he yelled, skidding to halt on the water. But Sakura ignored him, charging forward. Kakashi began dodging her attacks, as she ruthlessly came at him with everything she had.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hinata struggling with the same thing, as both Kiba and Akamaru had landed a good hit, causing her to double over in pain. She was able to recover quickly enough to block the second attack, before sending Akamaru flying into his master will a well-placed counterattack.

'_This is bad…he must be controlling Sakura and Kiba with that song of his. And as long as he keeps us on the defensive, we can't break the technique!' _Kakashi thought, barely getting out of the way of a kick aimed at his head.

Ushiwaka continued to play, a wicked grin on his face as he taunted with is opponents. _'This technique is far superior to that of my daughter's. Instead of summoning weak minded creatures, I can control shinobi, and force them to attack their comrades! Plus, you cannot break my hold over them unless I stop the technique, and you'll have to kill me before I do that.'_

He looks over to Hinata, who was having an extremely hard time defending herself from the constant onslaught of both Kiba and Akamaru.

'_That girl…she seems weak. If I take her out first, I'll have a shot at taking down the Uzumaki brat.' _He changed his tune, and Sakura instantly changed directions, appearing in front of Hinata. Before the Hyūga could react, Sakura had embedded her fist into her stomach, causing Hinata to cough up a small amount of blood. She shot away from the force of the blow, ramming into a tree behind her.

'_Now's my chance!' _Ushiwaka thought. The three controlled leaf ninja charged at Naruto, ready to deliver a killing blow. Kakashi was able to appear at the last second, kicking away Sakura. But Kiba had come up behind him, and was inches away from a killing stroke.

Ushiwaka smirked._ 'You're finished…'_

'_What!'_

Despite attacking from behind, Kakashi had somehow blocked the Inuzuka's attack, who retreated backwards. The jōnin had lifted his headband, but instead of a Sharingan, two Byakugan became visible. In a puff of smoke, 'Kakashi' revealed himself to be Hinata, as she took the stance of the Gentle Fist.

'_That girl possesses the Byakugan…' _Ushiwaka realized. Noticing Kakashi emerge from the forest's edge, everything clicked into place.

'_I understand now…they switched places from the very beginning to protect the Byakugan's ability to see the chakra network, rendering my genjutsu ineffective. Very clever…but it is of little concern. She won't be able to hold off her friends forever.' _He continued his tune, and Sakura and Kiba went back on the offensive.

Hinata, however, had anticipated this, and as soon as they got within range, it was over.

"Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō!" (Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms). Before they could get away, razor sharp chakra needles began slicing through Sakura, Akamaru, and Kiba. Hinata was careful though; she was intentionally avoiding vital spots, and instead concentrating on hitting the tenketsu so as to prevent them from moving.

Her breathing was ragged, indicating she was exhausted, but she did not let up until all 64 of the targeted tenketsu had been hit. After the assault, Ushiwaka's pawns slumped to the ground.

'_I'll hand it to the girl…that is an impressive technique. But she's reached her limit…' _He tried to raise Sakura and Kiba from the ground, but found his commands went ignored.

'_Of course…the Byakugan can see the tenketsu of the chakra pathway. She must have closed them off during that attack!' _A drop of sweat ran down his brow. Any minute now, the Uzumaki would emerge from Sage Mode, and the fight would turn in their favor.

As if on cue, Naruto's eyes shot open, his eyes surrounded with the orange rings of Sage Mode. Before he could go on the offensive, however, Ushiwaka slammed his palm into the ground.

"Kuchiyose: Chūgokujin yubi no pazuru!" (Summoning: Chinese Finger Puzzle). Strands of cloth shot out from the ground, wrapping tightly around Naruto.

'_Dammit! I can't move..' _he thought as he struggled against the bindings. But the more he tried to escape, the more their grip tightened.

"Don't bother trying to escape, Uzumaki. Those bindings will move with you, preventing any chance of you causing damage." Ushiwaka taunted, though he was secretly relieved he had once again taken the Uzumaki out of the battle, if only for a short time.

Because he had stopped playing, his control over Sakura, Kiba, and Akamaru had broken. The medic-nin tried to get to her feet, only to find her muscles would not obey her. Hinata, noticing she had awoken, quickly rushed over and re-opened the closed tenketsu, allowing Sakura to return to her feet. Kiba wasn't so lucky; since he did not have Sakura's endurance, he remained unconscious. Kakashi had also finally rejoined the group, and even though Kiba and Naruto were still out of commission, Ushiwaka was outnumbered three to one.

'_I may have underestimated their skills…dammit!' _he thought to himself as he planned his next move. _'If physical attacks won't work, perhaps it's time these shinobi feel my full power…' _He quickly threw down a smoke bomb, filling the entire area with a thick cloud. By the time it had settled, he had disappeared.

"I must admit, you leaf shinobi are more skilled than I thought," he taunted, his voice echoing all around them. "But every shinobi has their weakness. You only need to…exploit it."

"People truly are weak-minded creatures. Our lives are ruled by fear and shame instead of love and kindness. We each possess demons within ourselves, our darkest thoughts and emotions made real, hiding in our psyches. I wonder what yours are…" Cruel laughter surrounded them, the sound taunting them. All of a sudden, another melody broke through the silence. Yet oddly enough, for several minutes nothing happened. Suddenly, Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata heard a blood curdling scream from behind them, and whipped around to find the source.

Naruto was writhing in pain, his screams violent and inhuman. They watched in horror as his skin began to rip apart, tearing from his muscles. A massive form erupted from his back, growing to monstrous proportions.

Peering down at them with red eyes filled with hate, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox stood before them, crushing what remained of Naruto's body.

"**At least, I am free of that pitiful child!" **he roared, his features twisted into a vile grin. He lifted Naruto's corpse inn his giant fist, before crushing it between his hands.

"**You three…you protected the boy. So by extension you denied me my rightful freedom! You will know suffering like no other!" **His voice boomed for miles, deafening their ears.

'_Relax…this is just a genjutsu. I just need to break it and…' _Kakashi attempted to release the illusion, but the Fox remained, laughing malevolently.

"**Foolish human!" **it mocked, **"You cannot be rid of me so easily. I am the darkness within your heart, all the hate and pain and suffering. I'm as much a part of you as your flesh and blood!"**

Ushiwaka looked thoroughly pleased. From his hiding spot, he could tell the three had been affected by the genjutsu.

This was his trump card. While similar to other illusions that displayed a ninja's worst fears or sources of suffering, this could not be broken through conventional means. Most simply continued to try and fight the illusion, only to die from exhaustion. As long as the affected refused to confront their fears and overcome them, the Genjutsu would remain active. If others happened to be present, those under the technique would see them not as their friends or comrades, but as the manifestations of their pain and suffering. Ushiwaka had taken great pleasures in past battles as he watched his enemies ruthlessly kill each other while they were controlled by the technique, and it would seem this would be no different.

* * *

><p>Kakashi watched in horror as the massive body of the Nine-Tails began to split in two, shredding itself down the middle. The two halves began to shrink growing smaller and more human like, until two very familiar figures emerged from the smoke that had formed. Obito Uchiha and Naruto stood before him, their eyes glowing red. They charged forward, kunai in hand, giving the jōnin barely enough time to dodge.<p>

"**You failed me, Kakashi,"** Obito mocked**. "I was your comrade, and you left me to die. You abandoned me.."**

"No, I tried to save you! I tried to protect you!"

"**You are worthless as a teacher,"** Naruto spat as they traded blows. **"You always favored Sasuke as a student, leaving me behind to fail. You only cared about your precious 'genius'."**

"That isn't true, Naruto! I-" Kakashi tried to protest, as he narrowly avoided being decapitated.

"**Don't lie!"** Naruto roared, his red eyes boring into Kakashi's very soul. **"I asked you to teach me the Chidori, I only ever tried for your approval. And what did you do? YOU ABANDONED ME! You instead chose to teach the technique to that traitor Sasuke, calling it a 'blade to protect your comrades'. Do you remember what you saw at the Valley of the End? That bastard tried to kill me with it! With your technique!"**

His attacks grew more vicious, as Kakashi's attempts to defend himself grew weaker and weaker at his exhaustion.

* * *

><p>From his bindings, Naruto watched in shock as his friends began to attack one another, their intent to kill clear.<p>

"Guys, stop! What are you doing!" he tried to call out to them, but his pleas went unheard. He struggled against the cloth even more, but by then it had tightened enough to where he could barely breathe.

Sakura was becoming increasingly weak, as ghostly apparitions of Naruto and Sasuke attacked her ruthlessly.

"**You're pathetic, Sakura,"** the Uchiha chided. **"You continue to love someone who has tried to take your life twice now. I care nothing for you. You are weak."**

Even though Sakura was aware it was a genjutsu, the words had begun to affect her.

Naruto growled. **"All I ever did was love you, Sakura. I only wanted you to be happy…I was willing to die for you! Willing to die so you could be with that traitor!"**

She felt hot tears begin to form as the words stung. "SHUT UP!" she howled. "YOU'RE NOT REAL!"

But Naruto didn't let up. **"Do you remember what you said that day Sakura? During our first day as Team 7? You said the one thing you hated…was me. You said you hated me, Sakura."**

The harsh words shook her to her very core. She collapsed, unable to defend herself any longer. Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she begged for forgiveness.

"Naruto…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean it! Please, forgive me! I TAKE IT ALL BACK!" She screamed in agony, but Naruto ignored her. He took advantage of her mistake, and cruelly kicked her to the ground.

Sakura stood, but only just barely. She knew it was just illusion, she _knew _it was, but it had affected her nonetheless. She continued to fight on, her attacks becoming more and more desperate.

* * *

><p>Hinata deftly dodged a powerful kick, and attempted to strike out at her foe. But the fake Naruto easily slapped it away, and continued his vicious assault.<p>

"**I was so alone, Hinata. I never had a family or friends, and everyone I knew hated me. You could have been there for me, helped me through the pain. But you were content to watch me suffer from afar. You're a coward, Hinata."**

"Na-Naruto-kun…please…I'm sorry.."

Hiashi appeared behind her, leaving Hinata with hardly any time to avoid the blow aimed at her heart.

"**You are weak, daughter. Your cousin is better than you, your sister is better than you…You cannot even defend the ones you love. This world has no place for weak ninja like you."**

"**I wanted to die, Hinata. There were days when I wanted to die, and you could have spared me from that pain. But you didn't. You never cared, Hinata…"**

"Naruto-kun, you know that's not true! I love you!" she tried to protest, but felt the bitterness of his words nonetheless.

"**If you really loved me, you wouldn't have let me suffer. You're a liar, Hinata. You're a coward and a weakling."**

A solid punch connected with Hinata's jaw, and she crumbled to the ground. She was on the brink; she simply didn't have any strength left. As the world around her began to grow black, a faint voice whispered in her ear. ( watch?v=K3HIoLfC9go)

"_When I look at you…I get an intense feeling in my heart…Because you're not perfect…because you fail…you have the courage to get back up. I believe that's what true strength is…"_

It was her voice. Her words to Naruto from before the chūnin exams.

_Naruto cracked a wide grin. "Thanks Hinata! Earlier I was feeling really depressed but…now I feel great!"_

_He started to walk away, but something stopped him. He turned back to Hinata, a softer smile gracing his features._

"_You know…I used to think you were a hesitant, plain-looking weirdo…"_

_He cracked as wide as smile as he could manage. "But… I really like people like you!"_

_People like you._

_Like you._

_Like me._

Hinata felt a surge of warmth radiate through her body, giving her the strength to stand. As she faced Hiashi and Naruto, there was a determined look in her eyes. A newfound hope.

"You're right…I was a coward and a weakling…"

Before they could react, Hinata slammed both of her palms into them, sending them flying across the clearing. As they stood, the illusion began to fade.

Hinata charged again. "I make a promise, here and now! I won't run away anymore, and I'll protect the ones I love! I'll protect Naruto-kun!"

Having overcome her fears, the illusions of Naruto and Hiashi faded away, returning Hinata to the real world. Sakura and Kakashi were still trapped, however, and continued to attack. Hinata blocked their attacks with renewed vigor, keeping a watchful eye for an opportunity to get to Naruto and free him.

Meanwhile, Naruto was watching her in amazement as she fought off Sakura and Kakashi despite her obvious exhaustion. There was a fierce look in her eyes; a look that refused to give up.

A familiar feeling rushed through Naruto as another memory buried deep within in mind suddenly resurfaced.

**~Flashback~**

_Naruto watched in horror as Pain tossed Hinata around like a rag-doll, slamming her repeatedly into the ground. And yet every time, she rose to her feet, and continued trying._

_Pain was growing annoyed with her interference, and threw her high up into the air, before letting her plummet back to the earth below._

"_HINATA!" Naruto screamed. He was watching one of his precious people die right in front of him, and he could do nothing to stop it. To his surprise, she once again rose to her feet, and stumbled her way towards them._

"_Hinata…please…don't come.." he muttered to himself. 'Please don't do this, Hinata…'_

_A strange look was in Pain's eyes, as he watched Hinata literally crawl towards Naruto._

"_I don't understand…why would someone so weak like you try to resist…"_

"…_Knowing you'll die?"_

_Hinata tried to lift the chakra rod that pierced through Naruto's hands, but all her strength had left her. But a small smile graced her lips._

"_I stand by…what I say.."_

_Naruto slowly raised his eyes to meet her, and was speechless. She looked so calm, almost happy, even though she was about to die…_

"_Because that's…my ninja way…" _

_She slowly rose into the air, before being slammed into the ground for the last time. Another chakra rod appeared in Pain's hand, and he swiftly plunged it into Hinata's body with a sickening noise._

"_This is just like how my parents were killed…murdered by Konoha ninja, right before my eyes…Love breeds sacrifice, which breeds hatred…and allows us to know Pain."_

_The words were lost on Naruto; they fell on deaf ears. He could only stare at the small pool of blood that was beginning to form around Hinata's body._

_An evil feeling began to grow within Naruto's heart. It grew and grew until it consumed him. Rage. Hate. Pain…_

_He would pay for this. He would die for this._

**~End Flashback~**

'_She didn't stop…and I thought she died…Hinata…you..' _Naruto was at a loss for words. He could only watch, his mouth agape.

Hinata meanwhile, had finally spotted an opening in Kakashi's and Sakura's attacks, and was able to break through and reach Naruto.

'_These bindings respond to any attempt to escape, and their malleability prevents any blunt damage from destroying them…' _She concentrated some chakra into her hand, and with as much strength as she could muster, sliced cleanly through the trap. ( watch?v=Sv93yQE8bRo)

'_But the Gentle Fist doesn't focus on blunt damage, and that's its weakness!'_

From his hiding place, Ushiwaka watched in shock. It had seemed the girl was about to succumb to her fate, but some unknown force recalled her strength.

'_Only an incredibly strong emotion could have broken my technique…that girl is stronger than I thought. And now she has released the Uzumaki boy! I truly underestimated them.'_

'_Wow…Hinata's amazing…' _Naruto was almost taken down from a sudden attack from Kakashi, he was so lost in his thoughts. He quickly realized where he was again, and turned to the Hyūga.

"Hinata! Let me handle things from here! You need to escape and rest!" Naruto ordered, as the two of them defended against Sakura and Kakashi's attacks. She was barely able to hold herself up, but continued to fight anyway.

"No, Naruto-kun! Someone needs to keep Sakura-san and Kakashi-sensei away from you. I'll distract them while you find Ushiwaka." The look in her eyes dared him to argue to with her. Knowing she wouldn't budge, Naruto reluctantly nodded.

"Okay. I promise I'll beat him as soon as I can!" He raced off into the forest to begin his search for Ushiwaka. There wasn't much time to spare, as Hinata was growing weaker by the second.

'_I just need to concentrate on finding his chakra signal….there!' _Naruto rapidly changed direction, making a beeline for where the genjutsu master was currently hiding.

However, Ushiwaka noticed him coming, and summoned several clones with his flute before disappearing amongst the crowd.

"What's the matter, Uzumaki?" he taunted. "What good is all that power if you can't even find me?"

His mocking was cut short, as Naruto somehow managed to divulge the real one out of the sea of illusions. He landed an enormous blow, causing Ushiwaka to cough up a large amount of blood as he was sent spiraling into another tree.

"But….how…" he managed to croak as he tried to get back on his feet. Naruto smirked triumphantly.

"Toads have the ability to tune out certain frequencies in their ears, a trait passed on into Sage Mode. As long as it's active, your genjutsu is useless!"

Ushiwaka was stunned. They had bested him in Taijutsu, and defeated his most powerful illusions. Now he was alone with the Uzumaki, and his genjutsu was useless! He bit his lip as he tried to think of a way out, but came up with nothing.

'_Dammit…I cannot lose to such trash! I refuse to!'_

He lifted his flute once again, despite Naruto having explained its uselessness. A short melody ran out, as Naruto shook his head.

"You just don't get it, do ya? I already told you that's not going to-" He only had an instant to dodge Ushiwaka's sword, an attack that surely would have killed him.

'_What happened? He's faster than before…'_

Ushiwaka began to attack relentlessly, paying no heed to leaving himself open for a counterattack. However, his attacks were so ferocious that Naruto couldn't get a hit in.

"This is genjutsu cast on the user instead of the opponent. Much like releasing the Eight Inner Chakra Gates, it allows my speed and strength to increase tenfold, by removing doubts and inhibitions the mind may have." Ushiwaka seemed calm despite the feral nature of his attacks, unnerving Naruto greatly. It wasn't as if he was trying to win anymore; merely trying to take him down with him.

His attack speed slowed for just an instant, but that was all Naruto needed. Quickly summoning a shadow clone, he began to prepare a Rasengan.

'_Kakashi-sensei still wants this guy alive…even if I hit him with this Rasengan, he should survive.' _He charged, shoving the spiraling sphere of chakra in front of his body.

Ushiwaka didn't even try to dodge. Instead, as soon as Naruto's attack was within range, he grabbed ahold of his wrist. To Naruto's shock, he pushed the Rasengan deeper into his own body, and began to tear into his body cavity, splashing a large amount of blood across Naruto's face. He was sent flying by the force of the attack, his body slamming into a boulder behind him, before he slumped to the ground, unmoving.

Naruto approached the body carefully, unsure of whether or not the man was truly dead. To his surprise, despite the grisly sight before him, Ushiwaka was still breathing, albeit barely. He looked into Naruto's eyes with his own as the world began to fade, and smirked.

"You may have defeated me, brat…but at a dear cost. With me dead, all of Tanigakure will demand your head in retribution." He chuckled weakly, coughing up more blood from his lungs.

"Konoha will suffer for this…you've started a chain reaction, Uzumaki. Nothing you do will stop it, and the Leaf Village will finally be destroyed once and for all because of your actions here."

"You're wrong! You're the one who sacrificed yourself. I was trying to take you alive!"

Again Ushiwaka laughed mirthlessly. "And who will believe you? That technique of yours leaves behind such an obvious mark, everyone will know you were the cause of my death. To the people of my village, it will seem as if you slaughtered me in cold blood…"

He closed his eyes, as his features softened. "At last…I can…finally..join..my daughter.." His final breath left him, and only Ushiwaka's body remained.

Naruto was stunned. What had he meant when he said Konoha would suffer? Or the chain reaction? He clenched his fists in frustration as his only chance at answers was now a corpse.

His head shot up as he realized Hinata was still by herself. Racing back to the clearing, Naruto could only hope he wasn't too late.

As he arrived, he noticed the motionless bodies of Sakura and Kakashi. His blood ran cold, and Naruto rushed over to check on them. To his relief, he felt a heartbeat.

"It's…ok, Naruto-kun…they're just unconscious…"

Naruto spun around to find Hinata standing behind him, a proud smile adorning her lips. Her clothing was tattered and she was bleeding in several places, but she was alive. Relieved Naruto had been victorious, the last of Hinata's strength left her, as she began to fall.

Naruto caught the Hyūga, laying her gently next to his comrades. Even though she was unconscious, she still seemed to be smiling, something Naruto could only marvel at.

'_This girl…she's something else…' _Forming a hand sign, Naruto slammed his palm into the ground, and in a large puff of smoke, revealed both Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, two of Naruto's toad summons.

"Yo!" Gamakichi called out happily with a wave of his hand. He surveyed the damage around him, and whistled.

"Wow…looks like you guys had quite the battle! But it looks like it's over, so what did you summon us for?"

Naruto gestured to the rest of his team. "We finished our mission, but I'm the only one still up and running. I need you guys to help me carry them back to the village!"

"Ooohhh, does this mean we'll get snacks?" asked Gamatatsu, always thinking with his stomach.

Naruto chuckled. "Sure thing. You can have lots of snacks, but only we get back to Konoha as fast as possible!"

The two summons nodded, and reached for someone to carry. Gamakichi headed towards Hinata, but Naruto stopped him.

"Nah, you get Kiba and Akamaru. I'll take care of Hinata."

Gamakichi grinned, shooting Naruto a knowing look, causing the jinchūriki to blush slightly. He gingerly picked up Hinata's small frame, and cradled her in his arms. He nodded to his companions as his trademark grin split across his whiskered face.

"Right then! Let's head out!"

* * *

><p><span>( watch?v=Cy3HWnwMLyI)<span>

Meanwhile in the Mountain's Graveyard, Sasuke was impatiently awaiting the return of Kisame Hoshigaki, who had left the hideout to gather intel on their newest target.

"Be patient, Sasuke. These things take time. The intel Kisame has gathered will no doubt be instrumental in you succeeding with your mission. I would hope you would appreciate that a little more." Said Tobi, his visible eye glaring at the Uchiha through the darkness, who snorted.

"Whatever."

Soft footsteps began to echo through the cave, getting louder and louder. Finally, the towering figure of Kisame emerged from the darkness, his shark-like teeth visible as he grinned through the darkness.

"Your target has taken residence in Suna, under the guise of a medical assistant. He lives towards the center of the village, so infiltrating won't be easy."

"I'll be fine!" Sasuke snapped, his Sharingan already activated. "Just tell me where I can find him already!"

Kisame smirked. He was the polar opposite of his brother Itachi.

"You'll have to wait a few weeks. From what I was able to gather, it seems he's been out of the village for some time, and isn't expected to return for a while."

"That is…unfortunate, but it cannot be helped," said Tobi, as he began to leave.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke demanded.

"I have other things to attend to, boy. Since you won't be going anywhere for some time, you should go and train, instead of sitting there and pouting."

"I don't need you to lecture me!" the Uchiha spat back angrily, but Tobi ignored him. Motioning for Kisame to follow them, the two disappeared within one of the many passages that were spread throughout the mountain.

Sasuke watched them leave, until he sat alone in the darkness. Finally, he got up, and reluctantly began making his way to the training ground to take out his frustrations on the other members of Taka.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Like I said at the beginning, I really don't know if I succeeded in writing the fight scene. It wasn't very enjoyable for me either, which is partly why this chapter is a day late (besides my work). Still, feedback especially regarding this chapter would be great!

Please Review, and Thanks for reading! See you next time!


	7. And So It Begins

**Author's Note: **W00t! Chapter 7 is up for your reading pleasure!

A few things to get settled. First, I'll go ahead and say that there might be some people who will think this chapter will be boring, but it's nonetheless important for establishing several things which you'll read about later. Besides, if I made sure every single chapter had crazy stuff in it, they would be a lot longer, and the updates would be much further apart, so be thankful for that!

I tried something different for the sounds this time. One link will take you to just ambient sounds instead of music. I may do this more often, but not to where it bogs down your reading experience.

Remember, I _love_ all things feedback, so if you enjoyed the chapter or have a suggestion, please don't hesitate to message me, or even better, write a review.

Don't forget to copy/paste the ( links) and let the music play while you read! Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: And So It Begins<strong>

'_Where…am I?'_

Hinata, finally conscious, attempted to open her eyes to view her surroundings, but was quickly blinded by a bright light, forcing her to snap them shut again with a groan. She heard a soft laugh coming from one side, and instantly recognized the voice as that of her Sensei, Kurenai Yūhi. After a few minutes of letting her eyes adjust, she was finally able to meet her sensei's dazzling scarlet eyes, who gave her a soft smile. ( watch?v=-EhPyz5iPTk)

"Hinata, I'm glad to see you awake." she said warmly, reaching out to stroke her student's hair. Hinata attempted to sit up to properly greet her, but as a sharp pain shot up her spine, decided against it. Kurenai helped her ease back into the bed, leaning her against the backboard.

"I don't think you'll be doing much moving anytime soon, Hinata. Just try to take it easy, okay?" she gently commanded. The Hyūga wasn't about to argue, and gratefully settled back into her bed

Hinata stretched as much as her body would let her, now fully aware of just how sore she actually was. She gave her teacher a questioning look.

"Kurenai-sensei…what happened?" she asked, taking experimental motions with her hand.

"I'm afraid I don't know much of the specifics, but from what I was able to gather, you and the others defeated Ushiwaka, and Naruto brought everyone back to the village as fast as he could. From what I heard, you were in pretty rough shape." She gave her student a bright smile.

"You know, Naruto would be here right now visiting you if he didn't have to give his report to Tsunade-sama. He looked worried sick when I saw him." A soft blush danced across Hinata's cheeks as her teacher mentioned the blond. Was he really that concerned for her?

A question popped in Hinata's mind, and she turned back to her sensei. "Kurenai-sensei…you said you saw Naruto here. Does that m-mean you were already at the hospital?"

Kurenai nodded. "Yes, I was." She placed a hand on her growing stomach, and Hinata instantly knew why. "Every few weeks, I visit my doctor and we discuss the baby's progress. I caught Naruto on his way out, and we chatted for a bit. I decided to stay here until you woke up to give you some company."

Hinata smiled in gratitude, as Kurenai chuckled softly.

"You know, I kind of feel bad for Naruto." Noticing her student's confused look, she continued. "Well, he's the only one able to report to Tsunade-sama, so he'll be the only one she can chew out."

Hinata sat up somewhat, worried. "Only one? What happened to Kiba-kun? And Sakura-san and Kakashi-sensei?"

Kurenai leaned over slightly, revealing Kiba snoring loudly in the bed behind her, nuzzled into Akamaru's large body. Hinata giggled quietly at the sight.

"Kakashi and Sakura are in another wing of the hospital, but there's no need to worry; they're doing just fine."

Her features darkened somewhat. "According to the doctors I asked, they sustained some pretty heavy psychological damage, and so their minds have shut down all other functions so it can devote its resources to properly dealing with the stress. They both have medic-nin on constant watch to make sure they don't slip into a coma."

"Kurenai-sensei…that hardly sounds like they're doing fine…" Hinata couldn't hide the worry in her voice, but Kurenai placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Hinata, you're talking to the Leaf village's foremost Genjutsu expert. After a few hours, their brains will be able to return to functioning normally. Their physical health wasn't so lucky, and they'll need to stay bedridden for at least a few days."

The Hyūga took a look at her own condition. She was covered pretty much head to toe in bandages, and she felt terribly sore all over.

"Makes me wonder h-how I'm already awake…I feel horrible." she muttered quietly.

"Yes, I was wondering about that too. From what Naruto told me, you were able to break free of whatever technique Ushiwaka was using on you, and that you passed out after he had died. You know, Naruto was pretty smitten with you. He went on and on about how bravely you fought. It was kind of cute, really." Hinata blushed again at her teacher's teasing, averting her eyes to somewhat hide her embarrassment.

Kurenai continued to speak, her tone suddenly becoming serious.

"Hinata…what exactly did Ushiwaka do to you?" she asked gingerly.

And so Hinata retold the events of Ushiwaka's battle, from his kenjutsu to his controlling of Kiba and Sakura, as her teacher listened in silence. When it came to Ushiwaka's most powerful genjutsu, she seemed hesitant to speak, but with some comforting words, she was able to continue. She describes the illusion in great detail, how the Nine-tails erupted from Naruto's body, and how it shifted into the form of her father and Naruto himself. How they taunted her with cruel words, and how Hinata accepted the fears they mocked her with, and was able to escape. Kurenai said nothing, but the pride was obvious in her eyes.

"And although I don't know what happened to Sakura-san and Kakashi-sensei, I imagine it must h-have been something similar…" Hinata finished, taking a deep breath.

"Hinata, I want you know how proud I am of you. You truly have come far from when I first took you on as a student." Kurenai said warmly, taking her student's hand in her own.

The Hyūga beamed under the praise, the aching in her body temporarily melting away.

I also want you to know I both respect and support your decision to be there more for Naruto. I know that must have been a big step for you." Kurenai continued. Suddenly, a teasing smile flashed across her face.

"Besides…I have a feeling Naruto may feel the same way."

Hinata jerked her head in her teacher's direction, a small 'eep' escaping from in between her lips.

"Kurenai-sensei….w-what do you mean?" she asked nervously. Her heartbeat began to speed up, and a familiar heat began to surface in her cheeks.

"Well, from what he told me, Naruto carried you all the way home himself, and had two of his toad summons take care of the others. I also noticed that when he was talking about you, he just seemed…different. He had a different look in his eyes."

Hinata twiddled her fingers together in embarrassment. "Kurenai-sensei, I'm s-sure it was nothing. He was probably worried about everyone else in the same way…"

Her teacher silently shook her head, and pointed behind Hinata.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that…"

Hinata, ignoring the aching in her neck, turned around to what her teacher was talking about, and felt the breath get caught in her throat. A small envelope lay on the table, unopened.

Her palms sweating, Hinata slowly reached for the parcel, and opened it. Inside was a very crude, crayon drawing of Hinata beating up several thugs, while an amazed Naruto watches on. A small message was added at the bottom:

_Hey Hinata!_

_Sorry I can't be there for when you open this, but I hope you like it!_

_That was so awesome what you did back there! Really!_

_Get better soon!_

_Love,_

_-Naruto._

Hinata was silent as she slowly read over the note a second time, and then a third, and then a fourth. By the time she was on her 15th reading, the poor girl finally realized Kurenai was staring at her, a knowing smirk on her lips. She stood up, before heading for the door. Before she left, she turned back to her student.

"Get better soon, Hinata." Without another word, she left the Hyūga alone again, with only Kiba's snoring to keep her company. But she didn't care. She continued to read the note over and over, committing the words to memory.

Suddenly, her eyelids felt incredibly heavy, and she felt the overwhelming need to sleep begin to overpower everything else. Hinata Hyūga gently drifted off to sleep, with the widest smile on her face that she had ever had, the small note clutched against her chest.

* * *

><p>"YOU WHAT!" Tsunade roared, several stacks of papers flying off the desk as she slammed her fist into it. Naruto angrily looked away in embarrassment as the Sannin continued to scold him.<p>

"Naruto, you had one order! ONE. You were supposed to avoid combat with Ushiwaka at all costs, and you're telling me he's dead! We were supposed to bring him in alive for questioning, and now we have no leads on who the killer is!"

She groaned in frustration, massaging her temples as a brand new headache began to form.

"When Tani discovers what happened, they're going to be furious, Naruto! I don't know if I'll be able to diffuse all the problems this is going to cause-" Naruto had finally had enough, and pointed an accusing finger at the Fifth Hokage.

"Stop blaming me for everything, you old hag! I already told you it wasn't my fault he died!"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously. "…What did you just say?" Naruto, completely oblivious to her tone, didn't let up.

"Yeah, that's right! I called you an old hag! Maybe if you didn't-"

"Not about that, you idiot!" Tsunade interrupted, despite her urge to punch the Uzumaki through the wall. "I was talking about what you said after that, how it wasn't your fault he died?"

Naruto gave her an indignant look. "Yeah, I told you in my report that the guy grabbed my wrist and forced the Rasengan I had right into his chest. I was trying to just knock him out!"

Tsunade didn't seem to buy it. "You put this in your report? What page?"

The blonde walked over behind her desk, as he scratched his chin in thought.

"Ehh…I'm pretty sure it was page 3 or 4.." he said, not sounding sure at all.

"You mean this one?" Tsunade asked.

"No, the one before that one."

"This one?"

"Yeah, that's the one!" Naruto exclaimed happily as she began to look over the particular passage. All of a sudden, Tsunade punched him in the back of his, giving him a nicely-sized lump.

"Owwwww! Crazy old lady! What was that for!"

Tsunade was already prepping another punch, but Naruto had been able to get on the opposite side of the room.

"Because, you simpleton…just writing "he died" is nowhere near enough information! Do you have any idea how much detail that leaves out! I've told you _over and over_, you have to be more specific with your reports!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, finally understanding what she meant.

"Oh yeah…Hehe, sorry about that!" Tsunade let out a massive sigh. Truly there could be no one denser than the great Naruto Uzumaki. She returned to her desk, having finally calmed down.

"Listen, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I wasn't aware of this. But since you've apparently left out important details like that in your report, you're going to need to tell me what happened between you and Ushiwaka again. And this time _don't _leave anything out, okay?"

And so Naruto retold the events between his team and Ushiwaka. How he blamed Konoha for the defection and death of his daughter, how he provoked Kiba into attacking them, and how he somehow made Hinata, Sakura, and Kakashi fight one another. Finally, he got to the point where Ushiwaka used Naruto's attack to commit suicide, and Tsunade did not look happy.

"I see…" If this information was true, Ushiwaka had been well aware of what would happen with his death, and was trying his best to make sure it happened. She looked up to find Naruto looking very uncomfortable, as he stared into his hand. He didn't speak for several minutes.

"Tsunade-baachan…why would he do something like that? Why would he _want _to kill himself?" Deep down, Naruto already knew the answer. There were many times in his childhood that he often contemplated his own existence. You only got to that point when you truly believed you had nothing else to live for.

"Ushiwaka was already unstable, Naruto. He didn't have any other family other than Tayuya, and having her join that snake Orochimaru must have hit him very hard." Tsunade explained. "He must have known the fight was over, and wasn't willing to give you the satisfaction of taking him in alive. In his own way, it's the best he could do for revenge against the Leaf village."

Naruto still seemed distraught. "So you think there might be more to it? He said Konoha would suffer for what happened..."

"Like I said earlier, Tani will not take kindly to the fact that one of their best ninja was killed over something we now have no leads on. They'll demand answers, and the best we'll be able to do is send out a liaison to help diffuse the political tension this will undoubtedly cause. Naruto, I want you to visit the Intelligence Division."

The blond moaned. "What is it now?"

"You are to report to Inoichi-san and have him look over the events from within your mind. This way, we can verify the information so our representative can at least assure Tani of its validity."

"What? Don't you trust me?" Naruto snorted, teasing her.

"It's procedure, Naruto, so you'll just have to deal with it. Also, once you're done with that, you won't be going on any missions for a while."

"WHAT?" Naruto exclaimed, clearly not happy with the news. "I know we technically failed the mission, but don't you think that's a little harsh!"

Tsunade chuckled at his complaining. "That isn't what I meant by that, you dolt. Have you forgotten about your two month mission?"

The 'Dolt' rubbed the back of his head in thought. "Yeahhh…I haven't forgotten about it. What's that have to do with me, though?"

"I'll need you to stay within the village so you can sign off on all the supplies that will be coming into the village over the next couple of weeks. Just think of it as a super-important mission for the Village's economic stability!"

Naruto grumbled something incoherent, not impressed with Tsunade's weak attempt at making the 'mission' seem more interesting. She rose from her desk again, making her way over to him.

"Again, I'm sorry with how I acted towards you earlier. Everyone on your team is safe and sound, and that is cause for congratulations." She gently patted him on the back, causing Naruto to squirm in embarrassment at the praise.

"It was nothing, Tsunade-baachan, really! Besides Hinata is the one you should be thanking. She was amazing back there!"

Naruto began to brag on the Hyūga's bravery, as the Sannin watched on in silent amusement. There was something in his eyes as he spoke of her, the startling blue color seeming even brighter than usual.

"Sounds like someone has a crush." Tsunade teased, relishing the sight at Naruto stumbling over his words as a faint tint of red appeared.

"S-shut up! I don't have a crush on Hinata! It was just cool what she was doing, that's all…" Naruto trailed off, twiddling his fingers together nervously. The Godaime smirked as he continued to stutter, desperately trying to change the subject. Satisfied he had suffered enough, she raised her hand to interrupt him.

"Okay, okay. I was just teasing, after all. You're hereby dismissed as long as you make sure to stop by the Intelligence Division. I'll be sending someone to tell Inoichi you're coming, so I'll know if you try to put it off."

Naruto waved her off. "Yeah yeah, I get it already!" He sounded annoyed, but the goofy grin plastered on his face signified he was just messing with her.

"Then off with you."

With a brief salute, Naruto excused himself from the Hokage's office. She watched him leave with a soft smile.

'_That Naruto…' _she thought, shaking her head as she returned to behind her desk. She felt renewed vigor, and swiftly plunged into what remained of her paperwork.

* * *

><p>Naruto began making his way through the streets towards the Intelligence Division, enjoying the warm weather the afternoon sun brought to the village. The more he thought about it, the more staying around in the village seemed like a pretty sweet gig. He just had to sit around and wait for the supplies to show up, and let them know where they should be sent from there. In the meantime he could catch up with friends, or train with Kakashi, or just sleep in.<p>

He grinned. _'You know, this mission sounds pretty sweet!' _He quickened his pace, adding a bit of a bounce to his step.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a villager on a nearby rooftop carrying a large wooden beam. Suddenly, the man began to lose his balance. He tumbled off the building, falling several stories as nearby villagers watched in horror.

Naruto acted fast. Summoning a few Shadow clones, he leapt into the air to catch the man before he hit the ground, while his clones stopped the wooden board from landing on anyone else. He gently placed the man back on his feet, as the villagers cheered and applauded him.

"You…you saved my life! Thank you!" Though the man was flustered, he managed to compose himself to offer his out his hand. Naruto shook it, rubbing the back of his head with his other hand as he grinned sheepishly.

"Hehe…don't worry about it! I'm just glad you're all right!" he said happily, as the man bowed in gratitude for the last time, and turned to make his way up the ladder to resume his work.

"You stay away from my son, you freak!"

Several people turned in the direction of the voice, and saw an older man revealing himself in the doorway. He was scowling, and from the empty bottle in his hand, Naruto could see he had been drinking.

The man approached Naruto, brandishing the bottle menacingly. Naruto could smell the sake on his breath, and took a few steps back.

"Keep your hands off my family, monster! I mean it! If I see you again I'll-" His son had rushed back down the ladder, and was now restraining the drunkard.

"Father, are you listening to yourself! He just saved my life! He's the hero of this village, the one who defended us from the Akatsuki!"

The man broke free of his son's grasp, and staggered towards Naruto again.

"Yeah? And whose fault is it the Akatsuki were here in the first place! Because of you, we lost everything! If you hadn't been here, our village would have been spared!"

A small crowd had formed around the event, but the man showed no signs of stopping.

"And what if someone else comes and tries to capture you again! The village may not be so lucky, and it will be all your fault! You're still a demon in my eyes, boy! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!"

By now several others had come to help the man's son restrain his father, who ushered him back into the house, and roughly slamming the door behind him. Naruto could still hear him screaming through the wall.

"I am deeply sorry for my father's actions, Naruto-san. He doesn't know what he's saying." The man looked ashamed, unable to meet Naruto's gaze.

Naruto had stayed silent during the entire ordeal, the drunken words of the man echoing in his mind. Was he right? Since if Naruto had never been a part of the village, Pain would have never attacked in the first place. So did that make the man right?

"It's okay…I'm sure he didn't mean it!" Naruto smiled weakly through the words, but they felt like poison on his tongue. The son offered his apology once more, before disappearing inside the house to deal with his father. The villagers that had been watching the scene unfold offered Naruto their words of comfort, but he didn't hear them.

'_You're still a demon in my eyes, boy! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!'_

He had begun walking again, but at this point, he didn't care where his legs took him. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Though a much rarer occurrence, Naruto still endured harsh words from a few stubborn villagers, who blamed him for the village's destruction, instead of congratulating him for saving it. He could usually put on a happy face and brush it off, but the hate in that man's eyes reminded him all too much of his past, of the hate that he used to see in everyone's eyes. It seems he would never be able to fully rid himself of this pain, and it distressed him greatly.

His spirits now considerably dropped, he hadn't even noticed that he had arrived at the Intelligence Division, and would have continued on walking had Inoichi not noticed him from the window of the lobby. The man quickly flung the window open, and called out to him.

"Naruto! Tsunade said you would be coming, but you're going the wrong way!" He was only teasing, but the look on the boy's face when he turned back around and made his way inside made Inoichi instantly regret it.

"Naruto…something wrong? You don't seem like yourself…" he quietly prodded, the worry evident in his voice. Not wanting to upset him, Naruto smiled despite his feelings and gave the Yamanaka head a thumbs up.

"Yeah! Just a little tired, that's all!"

While Inoichi didn't look like he fully believed the boy, he nodded, not wanting to pressure him any further.

"Okay then, if you say so. Please, come with me and we'll have this over with as quickly as possible. I know how eager you are to get home."

Naruto, grateful for the man's intuition, agreed. They walked a short distance through various hallways, until they arrived at a small room with a strange looking chair in the center.

"Just take a seat over there, Naruto, and we'll get started in just a bit." Inoichi commanded. Naruto walked over to the oddly shaped chair, and sat down. Immediately, two protrusions on either side quickly closed in until they covered up the boy with only his head exposed.

"What the-? Hey, what gives!" Naruto demanded as he wiggled from underneath the stone. Inoichi chuckled as he made his way across the room.

"I'm sorry it isn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but that stone has special seals inscribed into it. They block out all other energies your body produces, and amplifies those from within your mind. Makes my job easier, and it makes you more comfortable during the procedure. Still, the sensation is a little odd, so bear with me."

Naruto still seemed a little uneasy, but stopped struggling, giving Inoichi the sign to continue. The man gently placed his palm on top of Naruto's head as steam began to rise out of holes drilled into the stone surrounding him. He began to feel extremely light-headed, and a little giddy.

"Normally the subject is unconscious, but since you're giving the information willingly, there's no need." Inoichi explained. Naruto giggled at the man's voice.

"Shure thing, boss!" He slurred, as a bit of drool appeared in the corners of his mouth. "Jusht do whatya need to do!" At the sound of his strange speech, Naruto was sent into another fit of giggles. Inoichi just shook his head in amusement. Concentrating on the task at hand, Inoichi entered Naruto's subconscious.

He quickly reeled through the entire events over the past few days, taking in every detail the messenger Tsunade had sent told him to be aware of. Everything checked out, and the procedure was over in a matter of seconds. Naruto shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his mind of the weird sensation.

"And that'll be all we need!" Inoichi exclaimed as he made his way over to the other side of the room. Pushing a small button, the stone surrounding Naruto parted, and allowed him to move on his own once again.

"Everything Tsunade-sama told us to watch out for matched up with your memories, so we can verify the truth of it. I'll send this along to Tsunade-sama, and in the meantime, you're free to go."

"Yessir!" He made to head out the door, but Inoichi placed a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, Naruto was surprised to find the man holding out a few bills.

"Here, why don't you treat yourself to some Ichiraku on me! Think of it as a little thank-you present."

Naruto's face lit up like a child in a candy store.

"Really, you mean it!" he asked excitedly. As Inoichi nodded, Naruto howled in joy, his thoughts on the drunken man's words now completely gone. Thanking him several more times, Naruto rushed out to grab himself an early dinner.

"That boy…" Inoichi chuckled as he left the room, shutting off the light. He made his way down a few hallways, before stopping inside a small office. Shuffling over to a cabinet that hung on the wall opposite the desk, he removed a scroll, and placed in on the table. He scribbled down what he had seen from within Naruto's mind, as well as his recommendation that they proceed with sending the liaison out to Tani to help diffuse the tension. A small hawk landed on the windowsill, ready to receive the information and return it to Tsunade. However, instead of giving it to the bird, Inoichi instead made another copy of the scroll, placing it neatly in his jacket. He gave the original to the bird, and left the office without a word. The hawk eyed him curiously, but since it received its package, turned around, and headed towards the Hokage's office.

* * *

><p>"…akura…" a muffled voice whispered.<p>

Sakura groaned, turning in her bed as she tried to reclaim sleep. The annoying voice spoke again.

"…Saku…et up, will ya…"

This time the voice sounded more forceful, but still the medic-nin refused to yield. She was far too comfortable, and had been enjoying a pleasant dream until this mystery voice had roused her. It was not the time for a conversation, and she shoved the pillow over her ears in an attempt to block the sound out. The voice snickered.

"…Fine…kamaru…ake up Sakura for me…"

Before she could react, a very large, and very wet object slobbered all over her face, destroying whatever chance she had at falling back to sleep. Akamaru barked happily as she shot up, grabbing the sheets to wipe the large amounts of drool from her face. Having cleaned the majority of it off, she turned to face a now thoroughly entertained Kiba, who patted his faithful companion in gratitude.

"Great job, Akamaru! Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy!" he tickled the underside of his dog's chin, who wagged his tail in approval.

Sakura however, was not as amused.

"BLECH! Kiba, what the hell!" she shouted, glaring daggers at the Inuzuka. He either didn't seem to mind or care, and continued to chuckle.

"Well, I had to get you up somehow! I wanted to see how you were doing. From what the doc told me, you and Kakashi-sensei were in pretty bad shape." His tone changed, and Sakura could hear the genuine concern for her. The memories of their mission came flooding back, as well as the soreness, and Sakura found herself cringing at even the slightest movement.

"Ugh. I feel horrible," she said, as she began to take in her surroundings. She recognized her room as the psychological wing of the hospital, but didn't think anything of it at that point. Across from her, Kakashi lay in his own bed, peacefully asleep. Even though he had a breathing apparatus attached to him, his ever-present mask was still on his face. At first the sight worried Sakura, afraid he had sustained more serious damage, but with his lack of bandages and the deep, methodical rhythm of his breaths eased her mind. From the corner of her eye, she noticed through the window that the sun had long since gone down, and only the light from street lamps could be seen.

"How long have I been out?" she asked, taking a sip from a glass of water that was sitting on top of the table next to her.

Kiba counted on his fingers. "Hmmm, it's almost midnight now, so I'd say it'll be two days in a few hours."

Sakura immediately spat out the water she had been drinking, drenching the dog ninja. True to his name, he merely shook himself to get it off.

"Almost two days!" she exclaimed. "Just what the hell happened!"

Kiba's face darkened. "That's what I'd like to know. From what I was told, Naruto was the only one conscious when we got back to the village. Took him about a day to get here, so he must have been moving pretty fast. I just now woke up again a few hours ago, and just stopped by to come check up on you." He was scowling as he spoke, and Sakura could tell he was upset at something.

"Is something wrong?" she asked carefully, aware of his short temper. To her surprise, he didn't lash out as he usually did, but instead turned away, unable to face her.

"They told me I was out almost right from the beginning. Taken down that fast…I'm so pathetic!" his voice rose to a shout as he finished, and he slammed his fist into the wall next to him, causing Sakura to jump.

"All that training…was it just for nothing…?" He seemed so ashamed with himself, and Sakura was unsure of how to cheer him up.

He didn't speak for several minutes, letting his hand rest on the small crack his outburst had created in the wall. Finally he turned back around, and had seemed to have calmed down somewhat.

"But anyway…how're you holding up? Doc told me you and Kakashi-sensei took some pretty heavy psychological damage."

"_**All I ever did was love you, Sakura. I only wanted you to be happy…I was willing to die for you! Willing to die so you could be with that traitor!"**_

Those were the words the illusion of Naruto had taunted her with, and as they came back almost as powerful as the first time, Sakura couldn't handle it. She quickly leaned over, and violently vomited into a trash can that had been conveniently placed beside her bed.

"Sakura! What's wrong!" Kiba said, shocked. He rushed over to her to hold the girl up as the rest of her stomach's contents emptied themselves into the bin. After a while, the fits subsided, and Sakura was able to lean back into her bed again. She gulped down the remainder of the water, eager to get the foul taste out of her mouth.

"Yeesh…sorry I asked…" Kiba quipped sheepishly as he held his nose. Akamaru trots over to her, and gently licked her hand. She patted the large dog on the head, grateful for the attention.

"It's…okay…" she managed to hack out in between ragged breaths. "I'm feeling…a little better…"

She took several more minutes, wanting to be sure another fit of throwing up wouldn't show up. Satisfied, she turned back to the Inuzuka.

"It was some genjutsu Ushiwaka used on me. These illusions of Sasuke and Naruto appeared, and started to… attack me. I tried to dispel it, but they could actually hit me, forcing me to defend myself. Last thing I remember is everything going black. Next thing I know, you're dog is slobbering all over me." She had some difficulty forming the words, the memories of their cruel mocking still fresh in her mind. She also conveniently left out exactly what they said, as Sakura didn't know if she would be able to tell him without breaking down into tears again.

Kiba shuddered as he folded his arms. "Man, that sounds rough. Almost makes me _glad _I was unconscious the whole time. Still, it's pretty amazing Hinata was able to break out of it." From the way his nails were digging into his arms, he still wasn't too comfortable with the fact that he had been the one taken out. Kiba was a proud person, and coming in last just didn't suit his personality. But Sakura hadn't even noticed that; all her attention was focused on what he just said.

"What did you say about Hinata?" Sakura asked. Taking a look around the room, she finally realized the Hyūga wasn't among them. "Wait…where _is _Hinata? Is she okay?"

"Don't' worry, she's fine. She's in another wing of the hospital. I visited her earlier today, but she didn't wake up."

Sakura sighed, relieved. "That's good to hear. Now, what did you say before that? Something about Hinata breaking of the genjutsu?"

Kiba smirked. He may have been angry with himself, but he couldn't help but be proud of his teammate.

"Yeah, Kurenai-sensei told me. She was visiting me when I woke up, and told me everything that Naruto and Hinata had told her before he had to go report to Tsunade-sama."

"What did she tell you?"

"Well, that's why she isn't in this wing of the hospital. Whatever it was she saw in that jutsu, she was able to break out of it. She was just exhausted from defending herself from you and Kakashi-sensei."

Sakura sat up quickly, ignoring the pain in her body.

"Defending herself…from me? What do you mean?"

"Well, apparently those illusions of Naruto and Sasuke you saw? That was actually Kakashi-sensei and Hinata. From Naruto's point-of-view, you three just started attacking each other out of nowhere. Then all of sudden, Hinata broke the illusion, and held you two off until Naruto beat that Ushiwaka guy. Gotta say, I'm pretty proud of her."

"Yeah…" Sakura agreed half-heartedly. Hinata had been able to defeat the illusion? If it was any similar to what Sakura herself experienced, she was pretty sure that it involved Naruto. The fact that she had been able to dispel the illusion said volumes about just how deep her love for the Uzumaki was.

She smiled softly to herself. Hinata deserved Naruto, and Naruto deserved Hinata. Though she didn't make it as obvious as Ino did, she also thought that they would make an absolutely adorable couple. Now that their mission was out of the way, it was time to start making sure that happened.

"Kiba!" she said suddenly, making him jolt.

"Yeah? What is it?"

She turned to look him in the eye, her eyes burning with determination.

"You and Akamaru go get everyone else. It's time we discuss how to put our plan into action."

Kiba groaned. "I dunno, Sakura…it's really late. I doubt anyone will want to show up, especially Shikamaru…"

Sakura lifted her fist, and leaned as close to the dog ninja as she could.

"Listen here, Dogbreath…" she whispered, her voice dripping with malice. "If you don't get everyone over here right now, I'll make sure you get the bed right next to mine for a month. GOT IT?"

Both Kiba and Akamaru nodded vigorously, well aware she could make due on her threat. Not even bothering to use the door, the leaped through the window, and made a mad dash across the rooftops.

"You tell the others the same goes for them if you run into any trouble!" she called out as he disappeared from view. She rubbed her hands together, proud of her handiwork.

"Well that was easier than I thought!" she giggled to herself. She slowly rose from the bed, careful not to aggravate her injuries as best she could, and shuffled towards the door. She spotted a nurse in the hallway, and waved her over.

"Is there something you need, Sakura-san?" the woman asked kindly. "Is there anything wrong?"

Sakura shook her head, giving the nurse a warm smile. "No, it's nothing like that. I've just run out of water. Could I please have another glass brought in?"

The nurse bowed. "Of course, Sakura-san. I'll be back with a pitcher in just a few moments." She scurried off to fulfill the request as Sakura returned to her bed. Being one of the best medic-nin in the village certainly had its perks.

She leaned back in her bed, propping her pillow against her back for support. She began to run through every scenario her and the others had planned that night at Yakiniku Q, trying to decide which one they would discuss when everyone arrived.

* * *

><p><span>( watch?v=nN2KHYgxbng&amp;feature=related)<span>

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched every time the clock next to his bed clicked, the sound of it annoying him. However, actually leaning over and taking out the batteries would be far too troublesome, so instead he simply lay there sprawled out over his bed, wasting the night away.

There was a light tapping on his window, but Shikamaru dismissed it as him hearing things. Deep down he knew exactly what the sound was, but was hoping that if he ignored it long enough, it would go away.

The tapping grew in intensity, getting louder and louder with every passing second, but the lazy chūnin still refused to yield. He plugged his ears with his fingers, hoping it would take the message.

**CRASH!**

Shikamaru's window shattered, causing him to jolt into an upright position. Through his window a large whole had been made, the hand that had made it still there. From the other side of the glass, Shikamaru could see a _very _embarrassed looking Lee, who then tried to remove his arm without cutting himself. Seeing no other option, he yanked his arm out, causing the window to crack even further.

"Couldn't you have just used the door?..." Shikamaru groaned, slumping out of his bed to go let the Taijutsu master in.

Lee bowed deeply. "Shikamaru-san, I am so sorry about your window! I simply thought you couldn't hear me, and attempted to tap louder to get your attention. I guess I got carried away…" He rubbed the back of his head, giving his friend a sheepish grin.

Shikamaru surveyed the damage. "Yeah, you _definitely _got carried away. You do realize I had just replaced that window from the_ last _time you broke it, right? Now I'm gonna have to fix it again…troublesome."

Lee pumped his fist excitedly. "Don't worry, Shikamaru-san! I will help you fix what I have caused! I make that a promise!" Shikamaru held his hands up, not very keen on Lee's suggestion.

"And risk the rest of my house? No thank you. Whatever, you got me up. Now what is it you want?"

"Ahh yes, of course! I was sparring with Gai-sensei and-"

"At Midnight?" Shikamaru interrupted, giving his fellow chūnin a questioning look. "Why on earth would you-…you know what? Never mind. That sounds exactly like you and Gai-sensei now that I think about it."

Lee missed the subtle jab and continued speaking.

"Yes, well Gai-sensei and I were practicing counterattacks, when Kiba-san appeared with Akamaru."

"Yeah, so? What did he want?" Shikamaru sounded barely interested, but only because he wasn't liking where the conversation was headed.

"Well…uhh…he told us that Sakura-san…" Lee stumbled over his words, trying to find the right way to say it. Shikamaru's mouth thinned, his patience waning rapidly.

"Just spit it out, will you!" he barked, causing Lee to jump. His body went rigid, and he gave Shikamaru a very unnecessary salute. Shikamaru covered his face with his hand.

"Yessir! Kiba-san told me that we are too meet with everybody at the hospital to discuss the youthful love between Hinata-san and Naruto-kun!"

Shikamaru said nothing, his expression blank. Without saying a word, he made his way over the bed, before plopping face first into the mattress.

"_No._" His muffled voice answered.

Lee looked heartbroken.

"B-but, Shikamaru-san! Sakura-san has asked for our help! As her friends, it is our youthful duty to-"

"_Lee, it's past midnight, I'm exhausted, and I really couldn't care less about 'my youthful duty'. Just tell Sakura that I won't be there. You guys can just plan without me._"

The Taijutsu expert mulled over Shikamaru's words. Yes, Sakura had asked for their help, and it was most certainly true that she had promised bodily harm should anyone refuse to show up. But Shikamaru had declined, and Lee couldn't very well drag him out.

Finally, he bowed low.

"If that is your decision, I will not argue with it. I will show myself out, Shikamaru-san." He made to head towards the door, but Shikamaru's voice stopped him.

"_Just use the window, Lee. It's already broken anyway…"_

Shikamaru heard the sound of the tinkling of glass, and could tell Lee had left, leaving in silence once again.

'_Finally…' _he thought. _'Now I can get some sleep.'_

_._

_._

_._

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

'_Dammit.'_

Shikamaru rolled off the bed, slipping on his sandals. Soon he himself had leapt out the window.

"Lee, wait up!"

* * *

><p>Sakura was happily sipping on her water, patiently waiting for everyone to show up. After a few minutes, she heard a distressed voice outside.<p>

"_I'm sorry, but visiting hours have been over for almost 7 hours, and we've already made too many exceptions! You're being too loud! Please, keep your voices down!"_

Sakura giggled, before shuffling over towards the door, despite the pain. She swung it open to reveal the nurse from before, who was desperately trying to shoo away the Konoha 11 (+ Sai).

"It's alright. I'll be sure to keep them quiet." Sakura piped in, interrupting the woman.

"I'm sorry Sakura-san, but we can't really allow this many people this late at night. I have to insist that you-"

"I don't have to call for Tsunade, do I?" Sakura had her hands on her hips. Waving her apprenticeship with the Hokage was not her favorite thing to do, but they didn't have the time for this. The woman sighed, defeated.

"No, of course not. All right I'll allow it this last time, but _please _remember to keep quiet. We still have other guests who are trying to sleep."

Sakura nodded, grateful. "Of course we will. Thank you."

The nurse gave a quick bow, before scurrying down the hallway. The other began pushing their way inside. As Kiba walked in, he and Chōji were holding each other up, tears in their eyes as they laughed. At first Sakura was extremely confused, but had to stifle her own laughing when she knew the cause.

Neji had appeared in the doorway, and was dressed in a long flowing robe, even longer than the ones he usually wore. It almost looked like he was wearing a dress, but that wasn't the worst part. His hair had been tied up in multiple buns, giving him the overall appearance of a woman, and an ugly one at that. Tenten slapped him on the back, smirking cheekily.

"Ooohh, Neji! I didn't know you were into that sort of thing! You actually look a lot like Ino right now!" The remark earned the Hyūga jōnin another round of mocking, as he stood there fuming. Ino, whose hair was in a similar fashion, didn't seem amused.

"Hey, it's good for the hair follicles! Don't blame Neji just because he's the only one with some fashion sense!"

That only made Kiba and the others laugh even harder.

"Is that why you're doing this, Neji?...Because it's good for your scalp!" Kiba roared, elbowing Neji as he fell over himself laughing.

The Hyūga glared at Sakura. "This wouldn't be happening if you hadn't demanded us here in the middle of the night! This had better be important." He huffed over to one of the spare beds and sat down, his arms crossed.

Sakura took a look around. Several of the others were indeed in their pajamas, and didn't look too excited to be there. She smiled weakly.

"Hi everyone! I'm sorry for dragging you out so late!"

The others grumbled, and seemed to be over it. At least for now.

Sakura took a deep breath. "Anyway…as you know, we all discussed how we would get Naruto and Hinata together a few days ago."

"Uhhh, Sakura-san?" Sai whispered, "Are you sure we want to be talking about this when _he's_ in the room?" he pointed to Kakashi, who was still sleeping peacefully.

Or, who was trying to _appear _to be sleeping peacefully.

Since Sakura had gone on many missions with him in the past, she was well aware of his habits. He had often feigned sleep when their team were on missions, so the others would get stuck with cooking and packing their camp away. Sakura squinted, and using her medical know-how, could clearly tell his breathing was not indicative of REM sleep.

"It's okay Lee. Kakashi-sensei actually already knows," she said, throwing a quick glare at Ino. "And when we were on the mission, he asked us about it, and now he's going to help us too! Besides, he's not really asleep. Hey, you're not fooling anyone, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi didn't stir, keeping his body motionless.

Sakura was getting annoyed. "Kakashi-sensei? I know you don't want me to come over there…" Her voice was dangerously low, and several of the others could have sworn he had tensed up. Still, he didn't move.

"Fine, if that's how you want to play," Sakura quipped, shrugging her shoulders. All of a sudden, she reached under bed, pulled out the bedpan that was underneath each of them (don't worry, it's clean and empty), and chucked it directly at the Copy ninja's head, which connected with a thundering clang.

"Ah…ahh…Owww.." Kakashi whined, his fingers twitching as stars circled his head. Sakura crossed her arms and huffed in triumph.

"Serves you right for thinking you could still pull that." As Kakashi sat up in his bed, glaring at her, she turned back to the others, ignoring him.

"Okay, now that everyone's _awake_, we can finally get started. As you know, we all decided a few days ago to hook up Naruto and Hinata."

Everyone nodded.

"But unfortunately, we were called away on a mission before we could try anything. Now, that we're back, we've got to get moving."

Chōji yawned. "I hear you Sakura, I really do. But couldn't this have waiting until the next morning, say after breakfast?"

Sakura shook her head. "Again, I'm sorry I had to drag most of you out of bed, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. With Hinata in another wing of the Hospital, and Naruto too exhausted to want to do anything, we can talk freely without arising any suspicion."

"Now, since the two of them were together on the mission, Kiba and I took it upon ourselves to take advantage of the situation, and made some good progress. There were several times they were alone, and now we need to keep going, so as to build on that."

Kiba looked proud as she spoke, who along with the others gave him a confused look. He noticed, and revealed his clever idea.

"Well, I was actually the first one to wake up. I went to check on Hinata, and found that Naruto had left a note for her."

"What did it say?" Ino asked.

"Just something about how he would report to Tsunade and let her rest. He gave us all one." He pointed to the table beside Sakura, and there was indeed a small envelope underneath her glass of water, still sealed.

"Anyway," he continued. "When I saw hers, I thought it would be a great idea to switch it with one that I wrote, but make it seem like it was still Naruto's. I added some more lovey-dovey stuff to it as well as some of what the doc told me of what happened, but nothing too over-the top. I went to check on her later today, and she practically crushing it when I saw her. If we hide ours, she'll be none the wiser!"

Sakura stared at her partner in crime, her eyes wide. A wide smile grew across her face, and she almost clapped.

"Kiba, that was genius! This is exactly the kind of stuff we need!" Kiba scratched his cheek, very satisfied with his accomplishment.

She turned back to the rest of the group. "Take note of that everyone. If you see an opportunity, take it." From the corner of her eye, she could see Neji shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Something you disagree with, Neji?" Although her tone was friendly, the others could see her tense up.

He sat quietly for a few seconds, contemplating his words. Finally he raised his eyes to meet hers. "I was already unsure of joining the rest of you in this, but you managed to convince me under the promise that we would only be 'nudging', to use your words." His expression darkened.

"However, I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with you outright lying to my cousin. I have taken it upon myself to protect her from any harm, be it physical or emotional. This could do more harm than good."

Sakura crossed her arms. "Look Neji, you know as well as I do that Naruto's an idiot, and that Hinata isn't exactly the most confident of people. We're going to have to do things that will be out of their comfort zone if we want this to work. It's just a little white lie. Besides, we agreed that if she asked you about it, you didn't have to lie, so it's not like you're the one who she would be angry with."

Neji relaxed slightly, but still did not look like he was comfortable with the idea.

"Do not think I will not act upon my promise, Sakura. She deserves to be told the truth."

"And I told you she wasn't going to find out! Like I said, this plan is foolproof!"

Neji leaned back against the backboard of the bed. "I hope for Hinata's _and _Naruto's sake that's true." He closed his eyes, and fell silent.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Okay then. So I was thinking we would go with Scenario 3 for our first 'mission'."

Shikamaru held his hands up. "Hold on for just a second. I know how adamant you are about this, but you're still in the hospital, as well as Kiba, Kakashi _and _Hinata. You can't exactly be running around."

"I'll be fine within the next few days; I _am_ one of the village's best medics after all." Sakura bragged, flexing her muscles to prove it. Even though huge waves of pain rippled through her arm as she did so, she didn't let anyone else see it.

"Kakashi-sensei has always been a fast healer, Kiba didn't sustain near as much damage, and Hinata was awake almost as soon as Kiba was. We'll all be ready to go in just a few days."

Shikamaru didn't seem convinced. "Why are you in such a rush to do this? If you've forgotten, we have a war coming up, and even thought it might be troublesome, it's not something we can just ignore."

"That's why we have to get in as much as we can," Sakura insisted. "We don't know what's going to happen with this war, so we can't be _lazy_."

"You know," Chōji piped in, in-between mouthfuls of chips. "I've heard there may not even be a war. Overheard some rumors that despite all five of the villages' best efforts, no Intel can be gathered on the Akatsuki's strength. Almost as if it was a bluff or something."

"_As I was saying_," Sakura announced, trying to get everyone back on track. "The war isn't the only the reason I want to get started so soon. We have just about a three week window of opportunity here, and I don't want to budge on that."

"This involves the Festival on the 23rd, does it not?" Shino finally said. Everyone in the room turned to him, as Sakura nodded.

"Right you are, Shino. We have just around three weeks to make sure Naruto asks Hinata to the festival There's bound to be some romantic stuff going on around then, so that's why I want to hurry and get started."

The festival Shino was referring to was Konoha's Elder Festival, a very large celebration meant to honor the ancestors of shinobi who gave their lives for the village. It also just so happened to coincide with when reconstruction on the village was to be finished. With all the help from the Leaf ninja, especially with Yamato's Wood abilities, the village would be very close to being fully repaired. The supplies Naruto had been sent for were to finalize everything, so Tsunade had decided to celebrate that as well come the time for the Festival. At midnight, Yamato would use his own version of the First Hokage's signature technique, the Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release: Nativity of a Sea of Trees), and restore the lush greenery around the streets that the village was named for. With these two events occurring at the same time, the festival was expected to be the biggest the village had ever seen, and so Sakura was determined to make sure Naruto would ask Hinata to accompany him.

Ino's eyes glazed over, holding her cheeks with her hands. "Awww, can you imagine how adorable they would look when the fireworks go off?" All the girls in the room sighed dreamily at the romantic thought, while all the boys snorted in annoyance.

Sakura shook her head, returning to the normal world.

"So remember that, everyone! Our goal is to make Naruto ask Hinata to the Festival, and we only have 3 weeks to do it! I'm counting on all of you!"

She turned to Neji. "You know what to do, right? Remember, Scenario 3 starts with you."

The Hyūga nodded briskly. "Yes, I'm fully aware of that. I'll be sure to do as you ask."

"Good." Sakura answered, a smug grin on her face. "Alright everyone, we'll meet back here tomorrow to discuss the details and make the necessary preparations. In three days, we'll enact Scenario 3 of my grand master plan!"

"Yes ma'am!" Everyone called out in unison. Bidding everyone a good night, they began to file out one by one to head back to their beds. Kiba was the last to leave, waving goodbye to Kakashi and Sakura as he yawned deeply, before heading back with Akamaru to his own hospital bed. Only Kakashi and Sakura remained, the former giving the latter an amused look with his visible eye.

"You seem really adamant about this, Sakura," he teased as he sunk back into his sheets.

"Kakashi-sensei, you have to admit Naruto and Hinata were made for each other. Now that I think about it, you'll be able to help us when the time comes." Her eyelids began to feel heavy, and Sakura began to get comfortable.

The Copy ninja yawned. "Just let me know what you need me to do, so long as it's nothing over the top. Goodnight, Sakura…" Despite the sizable bruise on his head from where Sakura had hit him, he was fast asleep in seconds, leaving Sakura alone to her thoughts.

She shut off the light, letting the pale moonlight pour into the room. Snuggling under the blanket, she couldn't help but smile. The idea of Naruto and Hinata together was making her uncharacteristically giddy; so much so that she would have gotten started on her grand master plan sooner if she could. She could do something for her dear friend, something that didn't seem small and insignificant.

'_Three more days, Naruto. Better get ready.'_

* * *

><p>Naruto sat slumped over his kitchen table, multiple empty glasses of milk strewn around him. The heavy bags under his eyes indicated that once again, sleep was eluding him. Just the same as the other times, it was because of a nightmare.<p>

In this instance, Naruto was trapped within the Kyūbi's cage, unable to move or speak, as he watched himself slowly begin to lose control. He had stared on in horror as his body slipped into its Version 2 form, and began to ruthlessly attack his friends, no longer able to discern them from enemies. The Kyūbi said nothing, but it felt like it was taunting him as it slowly took down Naruto's friends one by one, taking great pleasure in causing them pain. He tried struggling, screaming for help, but nothing worked. In time, he could only look on helplessly as the last of those he held dear were killed, their blood all over the ground.

As with the other times, a strange and evil voice boomed in his ears, mocking his attachment for his friends, maliciously saying that a monster such as himself should only live for himself. Naruto didn't like to admit it, but the words were starting to take their toll.

After all, he had gotten lucky up until now. Every time he had transformed, there was an enemy that he could concentrate on, and his friends were spared. That had been narrowly avoided at Tenchi Bridge, though he still had hurt Sakura somewhat, something that scared him immensely. What if the voice was right? What if he lost control when there was no enemy, and these horrible nightmares came true?

Naruto shuddered at the thought. ( watch?v=EBUQlHskQdc)

He pushed himself away from the table, and grabbed his jacket. Maybe a walk would clear his mind.

The village's streets had long been abandoned, his footsteps the only sound that could be heard apart from the buzzing of the streetlamps that illuminated his way. He walked aimlessly, lazily dragging his eyes around, but they never felt any heavier.

He sighed. At this rate, he would be unable to function from the lack of sleep. Thank goodness he wouldn't be leaving the village anytime soon, or he might have been killed.

Naruto stopped. Although his eyes were downcast, he felt he was somewhere familiar. He raised his head, and a soft smile formed on his lips.

He had somehow ended up at the hospital.

Leaping up to the rooftop, he made his way to the other side of the building. There was a large oak tree in the courtyard, where other various medicinal herbs and plants were grown. He jumped to one of the larger branches, which just so happened to be right outside of the window of a certain sleeping Hyūga.

Hinata lay peacefully in her bed, as ribbons of moonlight cascaded across the room, forming delicate shadows that moved as the leaves in the tree drifted gently in the breeze. She was smiling, and seemed to be holding something close to her chest. Naruto squinted his eyes, trying to make it out.

'_Is that…the note I gave her?' _he wondered, barely able to discern a small white envelope underneath her arm. From the large wrinkles, it seemed she had handled it quite often.

Naruto was confused. After all, the note was simply letting her know that he would report to Tsunade, and to stay in bed and rest. He had given one to all of his team. Still, it made Naruto happy to see her so happy about it.

He blushed slightly as he realized he was staring at the kunoichi. The light from the moon softly reflected off of her flawless skin, and Naruto desperately wished she was awake. For some reason, he wanted to see the way her eyes looked in the moonlight.

Hinata's eyes were different from the rest of the Hyūga clan's, at least to Naruto. The others like Neji's felt cold and hard, their gaze piercing right through you. To be honest, it gave him the heebie-jeebies. But Hinata's felt different. They felt soft and comforting; like a warm bed of lavender silk that you could cuddle into and feel free from the worries of the world.

Naruto blushed again at the comparison, but didn't try to deny it. He stared for a few more moments at Hinata, watching her sleep. His eyes suddenly felt heavy, and Naruto was glad his feet had taken him here. He headed home, now certain he would be able to get some sleep.

Throwing his jacket on the floor, Naruto didn't bother pulling back the covers, and instead just lay on top of them. He closed his eyes, and within a matter of minutes, Naruto was fast asleep, not a nightmare in sight to disturb him.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I know what some of you might be thinking. Originally the note that Hinata had _was_ going to be written by Naruto, but it was better for the story if it turned out Kiba did it. So I'm really sorry to take away that 'Dawww' moment from you. I didn't want to do it either.

Just a head's up, the next few chapters or so will most likely be nothing but fluffy goodness and humor. I need a bit of a break from all the woe and sad stuff. So huzzah for that!

Also, if you guys want to start sending me suggestions for new music or sounds to use, that would be great! I prefer a soundtrack similar to Naruto's, but feel free to suggest anything. If I use, I'll be sure to credit you as giving me the idea!

Please Review is you have the time. It's my life-force. Thanks for reading!


	8. What Kind of a Date is This? (Part 1)

**Author's Note:** Hey lookie here, another update already! First thing's first, we need to get something settled.

I had someone graciously accuse in a private message of me of being an "asshole who thinks he's better than the other writers on here" solely based on the fact that I don't have a single favorite story or author on my profile. There's a reason for that. You see, I've actually been visiting the site for several years now, but it was only last month that I made a profile. So sue me. I've read thousands of these fics, and have enjoyed many of them. Just because I'm too lazy to publicize it doesn't mean I don't enjoy other's writing on here, as lot of them are wayyy better than mine. In fact, here are some stories that I'm currently enthralled with:

This Time as a Namikaze - by TwiceMarked

Better Left Unsaid - by Kenchi618

Rising From the Ashes - Kari-Kateora (Not a romance, but focuses on Naruto and Minato)

and Naruto's True Nindo - by Kyuubi123 (through the kind suggestion of FlygonN)

All of these stories are awesome, and I highly encourage you to check them out and leave them a review, as their work highly deserves it!

There are countless other stories that I could tell you about, but I would just be wasting your time, so just get out there and find the hidden gems yourself.

_Anyhoo_, this chapter is only Part 1, so expect more fun times! Remember, when you see (.com/stuff), copy/paste the link into Google, and let the music it loads play while you read. Enjoy Chapter 8!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: What Kind of a Date is This? (Part 1)<strong>

(.com/watch?v=wbBYkdTR8LY)

It was a bright, beautiful morning. Large, fluffy clouds of fantastical shapes bellowed across the sky as a warm morning breeze filled the streets of Konoha with sound. Birds sang their songs with such gusto that many of the village's denizens couldn't help but sing happily along, incapable of fighting the urge off. Every man, woman, and child couldn't help but feel alive during such a morning.

Hinata Hyūga would most certainly be among them, if she wasn't still curled up in her bed, sound asleep. Since the past three days had left her confined to a hospital bed, the moment she was allowed to be released, her father had insisted she train longer than usual, leaving her immensely exhausted. When the time came for sleep, Hinata attacked her bed with more vigor than her muscles would have led her to believe. She had been asleep in moments, and had thankfully stayed that way for the duration of the night.

A single songbird chose to perch on a branch right outside her window, chirping melodically. The young woman hibernating underneath the sheets began to stir, and this only egged the bird on. He sang louder and louder, tweeting as hard as his tiny lungs could. Upon seeing the human sit up in her bed, wiping her eyes, the bird ceased his song. Seemingly satisfied with his work, the bird leapt off the branch, and flew off to join his brothers and sisters in the sky.

Hinata groggily cocked her head towards the side, trying to make sense of her surroundings as the Sandman slowly lost his hold over her. She stretched her arms as far as they would let her, and let out a yawn that would even make Shikamaru proud.

She swung her legs over to one side of the bed, slipping her delicate feet into a pair of slippers. A small note lay crumpled on her bedside table, and Hinata smiled warmly upon noticing it. She must have read the message Naruto had left her several hundred times by now, as it often released her from the shackles of boredom during her stay at the Konoha hospital. As she read over the words over and over, elaborate fantasies of her and her love formed themselves within her imagination, keeping her company when no one was around to visit. It was for the best that she didn't have it out in the open when others came to check in on her, as her imagination was…vivid to say the least.

But that isn't to say that people didn't visit. Hinata usually had someone checking up on her, if only stopping by for a few minutes. Kurenai would come and visit every day, and the two women who enjoy some tea while they idly chatted about this and that. Shino would visit on occasion, and though he didn't say much, Hinata was grateful for his company. She would ask how his investigation was going, and even though he couldn't give out many details, he answered as best as he could. Even Kiba and Sakura snuck into her room when their nurses were busy, not having endured the level of physical damage that the Hyūga had during their mission in the Land of Rivers, and so were able to move about a little more freely. They would usually just sit around and share stories until a nurse discovered they were out of their own beds and usher them away. Though she couldn't place her finger on it, they seemed to be having a secret conversation between the two of them, sharing unspoken words that made Hinata intensely curious. They denied it though, and Hinata couldn't get anything more out of them.

And then there was Naruto.

Sadly, it was him that had the least amount of free time to see how she was doing. It couldn't be helped; he had a duty to help rebuild the village as did the other shinobi, and as such could only visit her during the evening, which he thankfully did whenever he remembered. He was afraid he would bore her with the details of how the construction was coming along, but Hinata insisted she didn't mind, just being happy to have him in the same room. She hid the note from his view whenever he was there, embarrassed of what he might say should he figure out just how many times she had read it, and what she used it for.

Hinata gazed at the small envelope for a few more seconds, before pushing herself fully off of the bed. She shuffled into her bathroom, grabbing a brush to tame the mess that was her hair. She had always enjoyed this part of her morning routine; it felt like a sort of meditation as she took long strokes with the brush, untangling her hair and letting it gently fall down her back. She took a look into the mirror, admiring her work, before she returned to the bedroom. Her stomach growled, and she reached for her robe, and headed to the kitchen for some breakfast, uncharacteristically scratching her butt as an annoying itch flared up.

She appeared in the doorway, giving the others present a small wave of acknowledgement. Hiashi was sitting at the table, sipping at some tea while a maid cleaned up after his dishes. Hinata made her way over to the sink, giving her a warm smile before helping her with what dishes remained.

The maid bowed to Hinata. "Good morning, my lady," she said, grateful for the help. "Is there anything I can make for you?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, I'll make my own breakfast, but thank you for offering. Why don't you see if Neji-niisan and Hanabi-chan are ready?"

The maid nodded happily, and stepped outside, where the two were currently embroiled in their morning spar.

"I hope you slept well, Hinata?" Hiashi asked, though it seemed to be more out of obligation than concern. Hinata appreciated the thought nonetheless as she approached the table.

"Yes, Otō-san. It feels good to be home." Hinata took a deep breath, taking in the smell of the beautiful morning.

"I am glad to hear it, daughter. Please make yourself something to eat, and then you and I will begin our training for the morning."

Hinata rose from her seat, and walked over to the counter. She would have preferred to sit and talk for a while, but with Hiashi she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up.

Despite all the maids in the household, Hinata deeply enjoyed cooking. It was something she could take pride in, with even her father praising her meals now and again. She had learned from watching the maids when she was younger and now insisted on cooking for herself whenever she could, much to the maids' protests.

Hinata opened the cabinet underneath the sink, pulling out a package of fresh dough. Cinnamon rolls were her absolute favorite, and she tried to make them whenever she could, despite her father's protests that she should be eating healthier foods for breakfast.

Inner Hinata scoffed at the idea. _'Like I need to watch what I eat at every meal. I have a great figure already.'_

Hinata shook away the unrestricted thoughts, and grabbed for an apple that lay in a bowl nearby. She chomped into it as she separated the dough into about 5 rolls. She reached up to the cabinet above her, and pulled out a small container of cinnamon. She sprinkled ample amounts into each ball, making sure they each got an even covering. Happy with the result, she placed the pan into the oven, and continued munching on her apple while they cooked to a golden brown. A small 'ding' and she knew they were finished. She pulled them out of the oven, inhaling the enticing scent deeply. She spread a light amount of cream on top of them, and carried them back to her spot at the table. Hiashi eyed her choice, but said nothing as she hungrily dove into them much like her beloved would do with his ramen.

A few minutes later, and even the few crumbs that had survived had disappeared from the plate. Hiashi immediately rose, heading for the sparring area.

"Please leave your dishes for one of the maids, Hinata. We need to get started to make up for your time in the hospital." Without another word, he had exited the room.

Hinata huffed at his impatience, but rose from her seat anyway. She headed over to the sink, and while she didn't clean the dishes as thoroughly as she would have liked, she gave them a good rinse to make it as easy on the maids as possible. Discarding her morning robe on a small hook that was nailed just outside the door, she replaced it with another one, more suited for their twice-daily spar.

Her father stood in the middle of the sparring area, already poised for battle. Neji and Hanabi had just finished their own match, and headed inside to take their own meal. Hinata made her way across the small yard to stand opposite to her father.

She too positioned herself in the stance of the Gentle Fist, and the two Hyūga dashed towards one another, their Byakugan activated.

* * *

><p>"Your abilities have waned since our last battle, Hinata." She could hear the disappointment in her father's voice, and the seeming lack of any fatigue on his part only made her feel more ashamed.<p>

Hinata's chest heaved, a thin sheen of sweat covering her body as she tried to catch her breath. She couldn't meet her father's gaze, his eyes piercing through her.

"Your recent mission is no excuse for your skills to weaken, daughter. Were I an enemy, you would have surely perished."

"Y-yes, Otō-san, I understand that. B-but our battle with-" Hiashi raised his hand, interrupting her daughter.

"I am well aware of what happened in the Land of Rivers, Hinata. But was it not you who managed to break the genjutsu, where your teammates could not? That should mean you should have progressed _forward_, instead of what I am seeing here."

To be honest, her father _didn't_ know the full details of her mission. Only Kurenai was aware of what Hinata endured from within the illusion, and so by extension her father knew nothing of her promise to Naruto to be there more for him.

Hiashi eyed his daughter carefully.

"I understand Uzumaki-san was with you during your mission. Can I trust in you that your feelings did not get in the way of the mission's success?"

Hinata's head snapped up sharply, her eyes wide. Did her father just insinuate that it was her care for Naruto that caused them to fail the mission? Her eyes narrowed.

"No Otō-san, they did not." Her tone had dropped the respect that usually accompanied her addressing of her father. "If you are truly aware of what happened, then you surely know that Ushiwaka committed suicide through Naruto-kun's attack."

Hiashi returned her gaze. He didn't seem ready to drop the issue, but nodded anyway.

"Of course, my daughter. I apologize. I only say that out of concern for your well-being. Your skills as a kunoichi must be at their peak if we are to defend our way of life from the Akatsuki."

"Naruto-kun has done nothing but help me become stronger, Otō-san. I assure you if any of my missions are failures, they are no fault of his."

"Very well. We are done for the day, Hinata. We will begin our evening spar after dinner."

Hinata nodded curtly without saying another word, promptly turning around and heading back inside. She angrily reached for the bucket of warm water that a maid had set aside for her, almost knocking it over as she began to wipe the grime and dirt off her skin.

She thought on her father's words carefully as she cleaned herself off. Did he really think Naruto was the reason her skills had lessened since their last spar. Her father was well aware of her feelings towards the young man, but couldn't he see that he was the source of her strength?

She shook her head, dismissing the troubling thoughts. _'He was just concerned for my safety,' _she assured herself, _'Otō-san doesn't think that way about Naruto-kun.'_

Hinata stood, and began briskly making her way through the corridors. She arrived back at her room, and slid open the door that led to the massive garden in the backyard. It was a beautiful area, and it was where Hinata would go when she needed privacy or just wanted to enjoy the weather. Over the years, it had grown larger and larger, and was now a sizeable yard, filled with flowers and plans of all kinds. Her favorite spot was towards the back, however, where a large lilac tree stood. The tree had grown larger than its species usually did, and became something of a centerpiece for the entire garden, its flowers a light lavender admired for their beauty by the entire family.

Behind the tree, hidden from view, sat a small stone bench. And a few feet in front of it, a single grave lay among the flowers, the headstone immaculate and neatly polished.

Hinata approached the grave with a quiet dignity. Even the birds seemed to quell their singing as Hinata drew near the solemn place. As she took her seat on the bench, the carving into the stone became visible.

_Hanako Hyūga_

_Caring Mother, Loyal Wife_

_Dearly Missed_

"Hello… Kāchan." Hinata said softly, a soft smile forming on her lips.

"The flowers are blooming beautifully, Kāchan. You would love them…"

She took a deep breath, raising her head to look towards the morning sky. The sun shined brightly, bathing Hinata and the spot where her mother lay in a warm glow.

"I am afraid, Kāchan…afraid that Otō-san doesn't fully believe I will ever live up to his expectations. I too wonder this sometimes…"

She returned her gaze to the tombstone.

"I wonder if I can ever become the shinobi Otō-sanwants me to be. I know he wants what is best for me, but there are times where I wish he could go about it in a different way. Much like the way you were. I miss your guidance, Kāchan. I miss your patience, your love…"

She fought back a few tears that had attempted to form, wiping her sleeve across her eyes.

"I miss you."

* * *

><p><em>~Flashback~<em>

(.com/watch?v=HUaRvaZV_nY)

_Hinata needed some comfort._

_Despite her age, her father had again pushed her too far with their training, leaving him disappointed and her ashamed. She was far too young for what his expectations held for her, but he never let up. This particular day had left her with a sizeable bruise on her arm, and Hinata went searching for her mother, positive she would make it feel better._

_Hinata searched the house up and down, not finding a trace of her mother. She began to grow worried, and she started to run through the house, despite the numerous warnings of the maids to be careful. On her third trip past her bedroom, she heard a faint humming, and Hinata felt drawn to the angelic qualities of the voice._

_The master bedroom was completely immaculate, and were a stranger be invited into the house, he would not believe it if he were told someone was currently living there. While the furniture was nice, it was sparse, and decoration was something unheard of within the compound._

_The pleasant humming grew louder and sweeter as Hinata entered the room. She tried hopping up and down to see the source over the bed, but found her height lacking, so she simply ran over around to the other side, and a wide grin split at the side._

_Hanako Hyūga sat comfortably on the porch that lay between their bedroom and the garden in the yard. She continued humming, doing something with her hands that Hinata could not yet see. She rushed up to her mother, and pulled on her sleeve._

"_Kāchan, what you doin'?" she asked, carefully examining the book her mother held, as well as the small bouquet of assorted flowers that lay next to her._

"_I am pressing some flowers, my dear daughter," she replied, her voice soft and sweet._

"_What's that?" Hinata asked, her curiosity peaked._

_Hanako motioned for her daughter to sit in her lap, as she continued her work._

"_I take these flowers…" She held up a beautiful yellow colored one. "And I press them into this book."_

"_Why?"_

"_To preserve them." Hanako replied._

"_Why?"_

"_Because it is something I enjoy doing."_

"_Why?"_

_Hanako smiled at her daughter's persistence._

"_Hinata, what do you know about flowers?" she asked. Hinata rubbed her tiny chin thoughtfully._

"_They're pretty," she finally replied._

"_And what else?" her mother asked._

"_There are lots of different kinds."_

"_Very good, darling. Do you know anything else?"_

_Hinata gave it some more thought, squinting her eyes as if the answer was written into her mother's face._

"_They go bye-bye in the winter?" she said, unsure if it was a worthy answer._

_Hanako smiled warmly. "Yes, Hinata. In the winter, many flowers die. That is why I enjoy what I do. By pressing these flowers into the book, I preserve their beauty forever, and can admire them throughout the entire year."_

_Hinata took a closer look at the book her mother was holding. Among the various flowers that decorated its pages, small photos of her and the family were seen. Hinata could see pictures of her mother and father together, the three of them, and plenty of pictures of just Hinata._

_She looked back up at her mother, who was looking off into the garden. Hinata followed her mother's eyes and found they were drawn to the tree growing at the back of the yard._

"_Kāchan, why are you looking at the tree?"_

_Hanako looked down into her daughters eyes, and smiled._

"_Hinata…have I ever told you the story about that tree?"_

_Hinata shook her head vigorously._

"_Which you like to hear it?" she asked._

_This time she nodded vigorously._

_Hanako set the book down, before standing with Hinata in her arms. She glided through the garden, humming the same tune Hinata had heard when she was looking for her._

"_When I first married your father, this garden was completely bare." Hinata gazed up into its branches, reaching for a small birds' nest nestled in its boughs while her mother continued speaking._

"_There wasn't a flower or plant in sight. Your father is such a stickler for tradition, but he graciously allowed me to plant whatever I wanted out here. This could be my sanctuary."_

_She set her daughter down, who immediately began exploring. Birds were chirping, and Hinata skipped in between the blooming flowers._

"_But when I first tried, nothing I ever planted grew."_

_Hinata turned to face her mother. "Nothing at all, Kāchan?" she asked._

"_That's right. Nothing at all." Hinata seemed sad at the news, and her mother smiled._

"_But one day, I brought home the tree we're standing under right now, and planted it when it was just a seedling. I poured my heart into this tree, caring for it as a mother would her child. I was so happy that my garden had finally produced something so wonderful."_

" _After I planted that tree, everything else I planted from then on grew wonderfully. Now we have this beautiful garden, and it will continue to grow."_

_Hanako's soft features darkened somewhat. "But one night, a terrible storm blew through the village!" She picked her daughter up, and swung her to and fro, making noises of wind and rain, sending Hinata into a fit of giggles._

"_The next morning, I opened my window to see that everything in my beautiful garden was destroyed! Oh, it was horrible, Hinata!"_

_Hinata was now thoroughly enthralled in the story, leaning in closer._

"_Really, Kāchan? Everything?"_

_Hanako gave her daughter a silly grin. "Well….everything except for one plant. Can you guess what it was?"_

_Hinata's brow furrowed in deep concentration. Suddenly, a knowing look sparked in her eyes._

"_Kāchan…was it the tree?" she asked hesitantly, though starting giggling again when her mother planted several kissed on her face._

"_Right you are, my little one! This tree refused to yield to the storm's power, and continued to grow. As I walked outside, the remaining storm clouds hang overhead, but the sun managed to pierce through the clouds, just over the spot where the tree is now."_

_Hinata gave her mother a disbelieving look, the story starting to sound a little corner. Hanako chuckled softly._

"_Believe what you want, Hinata. But that is what happened. That tree lived on, to keep its place in the sun."_

_Hinata turned to look at the tree again, as it swayed gently in the breeze. The beautiful lilacs were beginning to bloom, making Hinata stare in wonder._

"_I want you to be just like this tree, Hinata."_

_She turned back around at her mother's words. Hanako was still smiling, though it was softer and filled with pride._

"_Kāchan?" Hinata said not quite understanding._

"_Just like when I was caring for this tree, you are precious and beautiful to me. And should your own storm ever darken the sky, you must fight it. You must fight for your own place in the sun."_

_Hinata nodded happily at her mother's words. A maid appeared on the other side of the garden, in the doorway of her parents' bedroom._

"_Hanako-sama. Hiashi-sama requests your presence!" she called out._

"_I'll be right there! Thank you for telling me." She began heading back inside, letting her daughter remain in the garden._

"_I'll be right back, my daughter. If you want, I'll show you more about pressing flowers."_

_Hinata's face lit up. "Really, Kāchan! Thank you! I love you!"_

"_I love you too, my precious Hinata." Hanako answered back. She was just about to disappear inside the house when her daughter called out to her again._

"_Kāchan?"_

"_Yes? What is it?"_

"_What was that song you were humming?"_

_Hanako smiled. "It's a very lovely song that my mother taught to me. And someday I will teach it to you. Would you like that?" Seeing her daughter nod filled her with joy._

"_I would like that too." And with that, she left her daughter alone in the garden with her thoughts._

_Hinata turned back to the tree, remembering her mother's words. What did she mean by 'your own storm'? Something previously unseen by her eyes appeared, higher up on the trunk than she could reach. Squinting her eyes, Hinata was barely able to make it out. It was a small wooden plaque, with something written on it._

_-Hinata-_

_She gasped quietly. Her mother had named her after the tree? A sudden feeling burst within Hinata's heart, and it grew and grew until it filled her entire body._

'_Kāchan…I promise I won't let you down. I will keep my place in the sun, for you!'_

_~End Flashback~_

* * *

><p>Hinata wiped a few tears that had managed to free themselves for her eyes. As she lowered her hand, she was smiling again.<p>

"I'm sorry for being so negative all the time, Kāchan. I hope you know I don't blame you for anything."

Her eyes trailed away, settling on the bright sun. Her thoughts turned a certain blonde ninja, and Hinata's cheeks began to heat up.

"He came to see me in the hospital, Kāchan. I'm so happy when he's there with me. He even wrote me a note, though I haven't been taking the best care of it."

She smiled, running a soft hand over the stone that held the name of her beloved mother.

" I made a promise to him, Kāchan. I promised I would be there for him. And I believe…he wants to be there more for me…"

Hinata blushed deeply, as the thought of Naruto returning her affection dominated her mind.

"I hope with all my heart that Naruto-kun will grow to care for me the way I do for him, Kāchan. And now, everything seems like it might come true soon! Isn't that wonderful?"

A soft breeze suddenly blew through the garden, shaking some of the flowers that nestled among the branches loose. A single lilac landed on the grave, and Hinata could have sworn she heard a voice among the wind.

She stood back up, dusting off her pants.

"Please watch over me, Kāchan. I love you."

Hinata lingered for a few more moments, enjoying the serenity of her mother's garden, before heading back inside. Since she had a day off, Hinata's thoughts wandered on what she could possibly do to spend the day. She wanted to plant a few roses that she had purchased from Ino a few days ago, and there were a few more chapters in a book that Hinata was dying to read. She was almost skipping as she made her way back to her room, content with either. However, before she made it back, a maid appeared.

"Hinata-sama, you have a guest waiting for you at the door."

Hinata bowed lightly in thanks, before rushing off to greet the mystery guest. Her face lit up in a warm smile when she saw Sakura standing in the entryway, patiently waiting for her. As she saw the Hyūga, her own face warmed up.

"Hinata! How are you feeling?" she asked, genuine care evident in her voice.

"I feel much better now, Sakura-san; thank you. What brings you here?"

Sakura smiled broadly. "I'm taking you out! You and I are going to meet up with Naruto and Kiba down at the pond for a picnic. How about it?"

Hinata's cheek's reddened. "N-Naruto-kun will be there?" she asked tenderly, prompting a sly grin from the medic-nin.

"Yes, Hinata. _Naruto-kun_ will be there. So do you wanna go or not?" She put her hands on her hips in mock impatience. Hinata nodded happily.

"That sounds wonderful, Sakura-san. I'll just change clothes, and rejoin you in a few moments." She briskly turned around and headed for her room, missing the sly grin that briefly appeared on Sakura's face.

She quickly hurried into her room, shutting the door for some privacy. Hinata tossed her robe onto her bed, and strode over to her closet. As she slid open the door, a look of pure horror appeared on her face.

'_No….it can't be! It just can't!'_

Every single one of her jackets was gone.

"There's got to be one somewhere…" she mumbled, tearing apart her closet as she desperately searched for her precious clothing. Piles upon piles of shirts and other tops she never were thrown across the room haphazardly, as she grew more and more upset in her search. Hearing someone outside her room, she quickly rushed over and swung the door wide open, almost knocking Neji off of his feet.

"Lady Hinata?" he asked, regaining his balance. "What are you-?"

"Neji-niisan!" she interrupted, her voice cracking from the panic attack she was having. "What happened to all my jackets? They're…they're all gone. _All _of them!"

Upon closer inspection, she noticed Neji too wasn't clad in his usual attire, instead sporting an off-white long-sleeved shirt, with a pair of black pants. Not too different from his robes, which is why Hinata hadn't noticed until now.

"Ahh, yes. I'm afraid the maids are currently ironing them right now, Lady Hinata. They will be unavailable for the day, so just wear something else." He made to continue on his way, but Hinata stopped him, her arm blocking his path.

"No no no…you don't understand Neji. Sakura-san invited me to join her as well as Kiba-kun and Naruto-kun for the day. I need a jacket to wear! If Naruto-kun saw me…" she trailed off, her mind beginning to wander what Naruto would think if he saw her in something else. Would he think she was ugly, or plain? It scared her just thinking about it.

Neji lightly smirked. "Hinata, you should not be ashamed of your body the way you are. I'm sure Naruto will not mind whatever you choose to wear."

"B-but b-but-"

Her cousin lifted the arm barring his way, and continued down the hallway, but stopped before he turned the corner.

"Besides, this might be a perfect opportunity for you to get Naruto's…attention."

The tone in his voice made Hinata blush deeply, though she didn't try to deny his words. Now that she thought about, if she truly wanted to grow closer to Naruto, shouldn't she start by being more comfortable around him?

She took a deep breath, and headed back into her room.

From around the corner, Neji was leaning against the wall, waiting for the sound of Hinata's door to shut. Upon hearing the click, he nodded in satisfaction.

'_I must admit…Sakura has certainly thought of everything.' _he thought to himself, smirking again as he continued on his way.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>You want me to do what with Lady Hinata's clothing?" Neji asked, his eyebrows raised.<strong>_

"_**Just get rid of it for a while! Hide it, give it to someone to wash, anything! Just make sure she can't hide underneath one of those bulky jackets of hers," Sakura replied.**_

_**Lee raised his hand. "Sakura-san, why would you ask Neji-kun to take Hinata-san's clothing away?"**_

_**Sakura gave him a flirty look. "Because, Lee…we need to make Naruto see what he's missing!"**_

_**Ino sighed wistfully. "You're so right, Sakura…Hinata's got the best figure I've ever seen. If she had anything out of my wardrobe, there's wouldn't be a guy in the village who could resist." She took an experimental poke at her own…features, before hanging her head in jealousy.**_

_**A vein in Neji's head began to pulse. "I refuse. Lady Hinata is a proud member of the Hyūga clan, not some brothel girl to be paraded around the village!"**_

_**A similar vein began to pop in Sakura's head. "Get off your high horse, Neji. I doubt Hinata even OWNS anything someone would call 'trashy'. She's got good taste, she just needs to see it for herself. And Naruto may have trained under the biggest pervert known on this earth, but I promise you he knows how to keep his hands to himself. He's actually kind of classy, really." Sakura spoke the truth. Even though she had constantly rejected the romantic implications of his dates, whenever she felt like getting a free meal, she allowed Naruto to treat her, and she was genuinely surprised (and grateful) for the amount of chivalry he showed during these rare occurrences.**_

_**Neji huffed, folding his arm. "See to it that he does. If I find out Uzumaki has done anything, I'll put him in the hospital for a month."**_

* * *

><p>Sakura leaned against the wall, patiently waiting for Hinata to return. She couldn't help but be curious as to what she would pick to wear since her jackets had been conveniently 'misplaced'. Sakura saw someone enter the room from the corner of her eye, and turned in their direction. What she saw made her jaw drop.<p>

Hinata stood before her, looking extremely uncomfortable, though in Sakura's opinion, she really shouldn't be. An absolutely gorgeous sundress of a very light purple color draped across her lower shoulders, leaving much more of the upper part of her body exposed than she would normally be comfortable with. It was perfect. Hinata looking stunning, and Sakura was positive Naruto would be thinking the same thing.

"Hinata…you look fantastic!" she squealed girlishly, running over to get a better look.

"S-stop it, Sakura…you're just saying that…" Hinata mumbled, not meeting her friend's eyes.

"You wish I was! Hinata, that dress is perfect. Why on earth have you been hiding that from everyone?"

Hinata blushed, brushing some hair behind her ear. "Y-you really think so? This belonged to my mother. I've wanted to wear it for a long time now since I could finally fit into it, but I j-just never got around to it."

Sakura continued to ogle the dress, openly jealous she didn't own anything like this. "Damn right it fits you now. Is it comfortable?"

Hinata nodded timidly. "Y-yes, it is. Though I have to admit…it's a little tight in the c-chest..."

Sakura couldn't help but giggle. "Ohhhh, Naruto's going to _love _that!"

The lewd tone made Hinata's cheeks turn as red as a tomato. She quickly hid her face, imagining her crush staring at her out in the open. Though she wouldn't dare admit it, Hinata almost liked the idea of Naruto seeing her wear such a thing. Maybe the maids cleaning all of her jackets today could turn out to be a good thing.

"You…r-really think so?" she whispered, biting her lower lip.

Sakura nodded. "You bet I do. Hinata, you have my word that I'll make sure Naruto sees what he's missing!"

"You sound so sure, Sakura-san. What, have you planned this out or something?" she giggled.

Hinata was only teasing, but Sakura was extremely grateful she had turned around to head towards the door, as sweat began to pour down her face.

'_Shit…there's no way she could know…is there?'_

"Sakura-san? Is everything alright?"

Hinata's voice snapped her out of her daze, and she spun around, putting her hands up.

"Yeah yeah, everything's fine! Hehe, don't you worry! Let's head out and meet up with the others!"

Hinata gave her a confused look for the slightest of seconds, before nodding happily. She was starting to look forward to this.

And with that, the two girls left for their day-off, chatting as they made their way through the busy streets of Konoha.

* * *

><p><span>(.comwatch?v=qAGvQDoL5s4)

"Alright, Akamaru. You know what to do, right?"

Kiba's faithful companion barked loudly in agreement, before planting his nose into the space outside Naruto's apartment. In less than a few seconds, He had found what he was looking for, gripping the item in his teeth before giving it to his master.

Kiba smiled with pride, scratching his dog behind the ears as a reward. He held the key up to the light, checking to see if it was a fake. Taking it as the real deal,. The Inuzuka shook his head.

"Man, for a ninja Naruto sure picked a crappy spot to hide a spare key. Alright boy, let's head inside and see if we can't wake that knucklehead up."

He popped the key in, and with a quick flick of the wrist, he and Akamaru headed inside Naruto's apartment. While it would be hardly noticeable to most other people (despite the fact that it was close to being his only food source) the smell of ramen was much stronger to Kiba and Akamaru, who immediately held their noses as they inched their war inside. Slowly they let their keen sense of smell used to the odor, and after a few minutes, they could breathe easy.

"Man, Naruto sure does live in a dump.." Kiba whistled, taking in his surroundings. Naruto had never been the tidiest of people, but Kiba instantly regretted his words once he remembered that the blonde didn't have any parents to teach the importance of keeping your house clean. Still, you think after the trash spilled onto the floor, Naruto would have had the common sense to replace the trash bag.

It was a very small apartment, and a slight pang of pity shot through Kiba as he thought of how lonely it must get here sometimes. With all the dogs like Akamaru the Inuzuka clan cared for, as well as his own sister and mother, being alone was an entirely alien concept to Kiba, and it only made his resolve to bring Naruto and Hinata together that much stronger.

He waded through the laundry and clutter, making a beeline for where he presumed Naruto's bedroom was. He tried opening the door, but it refused to yield. Something was blocking its path; that much Kiba could see through the small crack in the doorway. He motioned for Akamaru to come over and give him a push, and with the combined efforts, the two managed to shove the door open, another massive pile of dirty clothes revealed as the culprit of blocking the door.

Naruto had slept through the entire ordeal, his limbs splayed out across the mattress as he snored to his hearts' content. A trail of drool led from his mouth onto the pillow, forming a small puddle. Kiba shook his head amusingly at the sight.

"Sorry Naruto, but if Sakura's plan is going to work, I'm gonna need you to be awake. You know what to do, Akamaru!" His dog nodded silently, before trotting up to Naruto happily. Without warning, he let out as loud of a bark as he could, right next to the blonde's ear.

Naruto only snored louder.

Kiba scratched his head in amazement. _'Wow, the rumors are true…when this guy's out, he's OUT.'_

"Uhhh, okay Akamaru, I guess we'll have to go with Plan B." Akamaru barked joyfully, hopping up onto the bed next to Naruto's sleeping form. His own drool forming at the corners of his mouth, the ninja hound began to lick Naruto's face in greeting. His large tongue slobbered all over the jinchūriki, but still he remained fast asleep. His face grew to a lopsided grin, and Kiba couldn't help but chuckle at what he could be dreaming about.

"Okay, Naruto, have it your way. I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no other choice. Akamaru…Plan C."

Even Akamaru seemed to have an impish grin on his face, as he repositioned himself on the bed. Lifting his leg high in the air…

Akamaru unceremoniously whizzed right on Naruto's face. Naruto's smiled faded, and his features scrunched up in a ball as the powerful odor filled the room. He looked about ready to sit up…

But instead just rolled over, wiping the 'mess' into his pillow.

Kiba stared dumfounded. His guy slept harder than a rock! He motioned for Akamaru to get off the bed, as he scratched his head, lost on what to do next.

"Well boy, that was everything I had. You got any ideas on how to wake this idiot up?"

Akamaru whined, poking his nose towards the door. Peering through the small hallway, Kiba could see Naruto's kitchen, and the dozens of empty ramen cups strewn about the floor and kitchen table. Kiba's eyes widened as he realized what his friend was trying to tell him.

"Atta boy, Akamaru! If we cook up some ramen, that's sure to wake him up!"

The two made their way back into the kitchen. Kiba grabbed one of the packets of ramen from the counter, and placed a pot on the stove to boil the water. Akamaru curled up into a ball underneath the table, munching on some scraps he found.

After a few minutes, the water was piping hot, and Kiba dumped in the contents of the ramen, stirring it occasionally as it cooked. Satisfied, he switched the gas off, and dumped the flavoring in the pot.

Almost immediately, Kiba could hear sounds coming from Naruto's bedroom. He chuckled to himself, but the mirth quickly faded when Naruto actually appeared in the doorway, clad in nothing but a pair of boxers, and wielding a kunai.

"You scared the crap out of me!" Naruto muttered, tossing the blade back into the other room. "What the hell are you and Akamaru doing in my house!"

Kiba put his hands on his hips as if it was obvious, and combined with the stirring spoon in his hand, gave him a very motherly look. Naruto would have broken into fits of snickering if he still wasn't trying to figure out how the Inuzuka got into his house.

"A five-year-old could find your spare key, Naruto. I'm surprised you're a ninja with that pathetic excuse of a hiding spot."

Naruto glared at Kiba, rolling his eyes. "Why didn't you just get the one Sakura-chan has? She has another spare just in case I sleep in before missions."

Kiba slapped his face into his palm. Clearly she had forgotten to tell him some things.

Naruto took a slight whiff. "It smells funny in here. You smell that Kiba?"

The Inuzuka shrugged. "What, you mean the ramen? Well duh, I'm making you this because nothing else I tried woke you up."

"No no, not the ramen smell. This smells more like dog piss."

Kiba looked so incredibly guilty at that moment, that if Naruto wasn't such a dunce he would have surely realized what had happened. From underneath the table, Akamaru covered his eyes with his paws, hoping Naruto didn't catch on. When the blonde merely shrugged, Kiba let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Okay…" Naruto said, pulling up a chair for himself. "You're in my apartment, and you woke me up with some ramen. Now I want to know why."

Kiba carried the bowl over to the table, setting it down in front of the blonde, who eyed the confection hungrily. While he was preoccupied, Kiba winked at Akamaru, who silently nodded, and slunk off into Naruto's bedroom for some unknown reason.

"Well, Sakura wanted me to come get you, while she picked up Hinata."

Naruto looked up, curiosity in his eyes as he began demolishing the bowl in front of him.

"Shakura?" he asked, through a mouthful of ramen. "Why diff she make you comm get mee? And why ish she getting Heenata?"

"Well, she thought that even though we technically failed the mission, we should all get together and hang out! Think of it as a celebration for you and Hinata's success. After all, you did all the work…" Though he mumbled the last part barely above a whisper, Naruto still heard him. He slurped down his current bite, and set his fork down, his gaze serious.

"You okay, Kiba? Something looks like it bit you in the ass." It wasn't the most subtle of words to use, but Kiba genuinely felt happy that Naruto was concerned about him.

'_What the hell…if he's so curious, I might as well.'_

"I'm…ashamed of myself."

Naruto looked shocked. Kiba, someone who was never afraid to brag or show off, was…ashamed?

"Kiba…what are you talking about?"

The Inuzuka's fists curled up as he bit his lip.

"During our mission, I was the first one to be taken down. I was useless pretty much the entire fight…"

"Kiba, don't think like that! If you weren't there-"

"Don't try and make me feel better!" Kiba interrupted, raising his voice a little louder than intended. Naruto remained in his seat, staring back into the dog ninja's eyes.

"Back during the chūnin exams, I thought I was such hot shit…that you were the dead last. And now look at you! The hero of the village, and one of the strongest ninja in the entire Land of Fire!"

He buried his face in his hands, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"…so what does that make me? I'm just the dead-last who gets further and further behind…"

Naruto didn't say anything, or rather, he _couldn't. _Kiba had never been someone to show people what he was really thinking, and now he was sitting in his apartment feeling worthless. For several minutes, neither of them said anything, the clock on the wall the only sound to be heard.

Kiba raised his head slightly, but did not meet Naruto's eyes.

"…how do you do it?" he asked quietly, the anger absent from his voice.

Naruto looked a little confused. "How do I do what?"

"How did you get so strong, Naruto?"

The blonde was taken aback once again. Was Kiba Inuzuka asking him for advice? Normally, he would have taken the opportunity to gloat on his own abilities, but the look in Kiba's eyes discouraged those thoughts from Naruto's mind almost immediately.

He smiled bitterly. "I won't lie to you, Kiba. At first the only reason I wanted to get stronger was to prove everyone wrong. To show them what I could really do."

Kiba lifted his eyes, feral black meeting striking blue.

"And when Ero-sennin was killed, the only reason I chose to learn about Senjutsu…was for revenge. I wanted to kill Pain, to destroy him after what he did to the village and to Ero-sennin. And for a while, the power behind that need for revenge felt incredible."

The smile instantly faded. "But that's not what Ero-sennin would have wanted. If he had known I was thinking like that, he would have beaten me within an inch of my life. And you know what? He was right. Negative feelings like revenge and pride are no way to seek strength."

"Then what is? What did you do?" Kiba asked, getting slightly impatient. However, his curiosity overpowered his more impulsive side, so he remained silent.

"I found love." Naruto replied bluntly, leaning back in his chair.

Kiba chuckled. "Aww, come on. Don't give me that cheesy stuff, Naruto."

"I'm being serious."

The smile faded from Kiba's lips, and he noticed just how serious Naruto looked. The childish and brash look in his eyes had all but faded, instead holding a wisdom that seemed far beyond his own years.

"It became less and less about me proving myself to others, and more about keeping those people safe. When I think about them, about how happy they've made me, I feel this wonderful strength well up inside me. I feel like I can never lose when I have that feeling in my heart."

Naruto continued. "Everyone has the potential for that feeling, but…I think they have to let go of any other reason to get stronger. Anything that could be considered selfish will only get in the way. You have to be willing to put your life on the line for someone you care about no matter what, no matter how petty the reason. To tell the truth, I would give up my dream of becoming Hokage in a heartbeat, if it meant all my friends would be kept safe."

Kiba hadn't even noticed Naruto had made his way over to where he himself was sitting, he was listening so intently. Naruto reached out with his hand, and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Of course…training your ass off every day doesn't hurt."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, before erupting into raucous laughter.

"Naruto…you're such a dork," Kiba said, wiping a small tear from his eye as he calmed down.

"Call me what you will, but that's what I'll believe until the day I die." Naruto shot back. He reached over the where his bowl of ramen was sitting, and gulped down the rest of the contents in one last mouthful. He walked over to the sink, dumping it among the rest of the pile of dirty dishes.

Kiba watched him out of the corner of his eye, a competitive look in his eye.

"Well then, why don't I get started right now?"

Naruto craned his neck back around, a confused look in his eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked. Kiba pointed at him, a smirk appearing on his face.

"You and me, Naruto. One on one. I can't let you get too far ahead of me, now can I?"

"Are you sure Sakura-chan and Hinata would be okay with that? I thought we were gonna meet up with them later?"

"So that means you're joining us?" Kiba asked. Naruto gave him an odd look, before realizing he had never actually accepted Kiba's offer in the first place. His smiled as wide as he could, giving him a thumbs-up. It was rare that people came by and invited him out to things, and it made him feel wanted.

"You bet! I'm up for anything you guys have planned!" he said happily, missing the mischievous look Kiba was giving him.

'_Oh, we have some things planned alright,' _He thought to himself.

"But I won't be able to hang out _all_ day. The first shipment is coming in today, and Tsunade-baachan says I have to be there."

Kiba waved his hand. "Whatever, that should be fine. In fact, we can all help you unload everything if you want! But only if you promise to let me kick your ass when we spar today."

Naruto was surprised at his generosity. Kiba was really going out of his way to help him out, something that made Naruto very, _very _happy. Ever since his victory over Pain, while he enjoyed the attention he had been receiving from everyone, it felt more like respect than anything else. They treated him like some kind of lord or king, and that didn't suit the blonde at all. He instead would have preferred if people would just come and hang out with him more often. After all, his apartment got very lonely sometimes.

"Kiba…I don't know what to say…"

"Don't get all lovey-dovey on me, you weirdo. Now hurry up, we need to meet Sakura and Hinata soon."

Naruto smiled broadly. "Right! Let me just go change." He stood up from the table, and disappeared through the doorway to make his way into his bedroom.

Kiba smirked.

_3._

_2._

_1._

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

'_Bingo.'_ Snickering to himself, Kiba followed the horrified sound. As he pushed aside the door, the sight in front of him sent him into another fit of laughter.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Kiba, I want you to do the same thing to Naruto that Neji is doing with Hinata. Find a way to get him into some different clothes so Hinata won't feel as bad about not having her jacket with her."<strong>_

_**Kiba gave Sakura a doubtful look. "How am I supposed to do that? He doesn't exactly have dozens of servants waiting on his hand and foot."**_

_**The medic-nin folded her arms. "Well, I'm just saying this in assuming he even has any clean clothes. I swear that horrid tracksuit of his is the only thing he washes regularly."**_

_**Tenten gave Sakura a sly look, her lips pursed in seductive smile. "Are you sure YOU don't just want to see Naruto show off a little more skin, Sakura?" Her comment made Sakura turn several shades of red, causing everyone else to snicker.**_

"_**N-no! I don't see Naruto like that at all! This is for Hinata!" She brushed a few stray hairs away from her eyes, trying to hide her embarrassment.**_

_**Kiba leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed in deep thought.**_

"_**Alright, I'm sure I can think of something…A-ha!" He snapped his fingers together as a brilliant idea struck him.**_

"_**What did you come up with?" Chōji asked, leaning forward in curiosity.**_

_**Kiba scratched Akamaru's head lovingly. "Ohh, it's gonna be awesome. I can tell you that…"**_

* * *

><p>What Kiba was currently looking at was his brilliant idea. While he distracted Naruto, Akamaru snuck into his room, and left Naruto a little…'gift' on his favorite tracksuit, as well as tear into it with his large teeth. He sat next to his handiwork, his tail wagging happily. Naruto clutched at his favorite garment, tears streaming down his face as he mourned.<p>

"Whoops. I guess Akamaru had to go worse than I thought!" Kiba said, stifling his snickering. Naruto glared at the Inuzuka.

"I should have that mutt neutered for this! Look what he did to my precious tracksuit!" He lifted it up slightly for effect, shaking the ruined article in front of Akamaru, who didn't seem to be remorseful in the slightest. Instead, he simply trotted up, and licked Naruto on the face, who sighed dejectedly.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto. I'll get you another one of those, and you can get back to scaring off every girl in town in a few days."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Tch… as if. That tracksuit made me a babe-magnet! How am I supposed to woo them off their feet now?"

This time it was Kiba's turn to roll his eyes. "Oh brother. Look, just grab something else and let's go. We're gonna be late."

Naruto shot Akamaru one last dirty look, before rising from his knees, and lumbering over to his closet. He began to dig through the piles of clothing that lay on the floor.

"And don't pick something dirty if you can help it. Me and Akamaru have to deal with your ramen stink enough as it is."

Naruto emerged from his closet clutching a random shirt, quickly slipping it on.

'_Oh that's perfect.' _Kiba thought to himself. _'Hinata's going to LOVE this when she sees it.'_

"Happy now?" Naruto asked, turning around as if he was trying to show his mother.

"It'll have to do. Alright, let's go."

The two headed out of Naruto's apartment, making their way to meet up with Sakura and Hinata. Unbeknownst to Naruto and Hinata, however, was that everything was going exactly according to plan.

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><p>Hinata and Sakura were patiently waiting for the other two members of their party. The weather was absolutely perfect, and they sat underneath a tree close to the pond's edge, chatting with one another about different things in the village. Sakura's job at the hospital provided some excellent opportunities for gossip, while Hinata was simply enjoying the conversation. They dipped their feet in the cool water as they talked, cooling them off from the warm weather.<p>

A voice from behind them called out. "Hey, you two! Sorry we're late!"

The two young women turned around to greet the new arrivals, and Hinata felt her breath hitch in her throat.

Naruto wasn't wearing his infamous orange and black jumpsuit. Instead, he on a simple pair of long brown shorts, and a green t-shirt. A T-shirt that fit quite snugly across his toned muscles. Hinata blushed deeply as she could easily make out the lines of his biceps and abdominals through the cotton. She lowered her head in an attempt to hide her redness. Even Sakura couldn't help but take a quick peek now and again

Meanwhile, Naruto was busy picking his jaw up off of the ground. Hinata had never looked so…beautiful. Instead of her usual bulky jacket, which Naruto didn't mind in the first place, she was instead wearing a soft lavender dress that effortlessly draped across her petite form. Well, there was _one_ part of her that was anything but petite, and Naruto couldn't help but steal a glance whenever he could, his cheeks as read as Hinata's.

'_Dammit Ero-sennin…this is your fault,' _he thought to himself, wiping a small amount of drool that had collected at the corner of his mouth. Thank goodness Sakura-chan hadn't seen that, or she would have beaten him senseless for sure!

A cough from Kiba stirred the two out of their daze, and as they both realized they had been caught staring, immediately began sputtering excuses.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "What happened to that awful tracksuit of yours, Naruto?" she asked, even though she knew exactly why he didn't.

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Kiba, holding back a light sob.

"His stupid mutt ruined it! I had to grab this at the last minute. But it's a shirt I use to sleep in from like 2 years ago. It barely even fits me anymore!"

Sakura gave Hinata a slight jab in her side. "That's okay, I'm sure Hinata doesn't mind. Isn't that right, Hinata?"

The poor girl looked ready to faint on the spot. She stood there trying desperately trying to force out a response, but only succeeded in squeaking. Naruto gave her a sly look. Maybe he _didn't _need his awesome jumpsuit to sweep the ladies off their feet after all.

He sauntered closer towards her, a husky look in his eyes.

"Something the matter, Hinata? You look a little red…"

Hinata could smell him at this point. The intoxicating (at least to her) smell of ramen, combined with the very handsome boy in front of her was just too much to handle. Her vision began to grow black, and she teetered off balance on a direct course with the ground. Naruto reached out and caught her before she fell, and couldn't stop the fuzzy feeling in his stomach when his hands came into contact with her bare skin. It felt electrifying, and Naruto wouldn't have minded if he had to stay there all day.

Sakura was livid. This was something she _hadn't _expected. How was she and Kiba supposed to get them together if she was unconscious the entire time? She snuck a pleading look at Kiba, who didn't seem worried at all.

"Way to go, Naruto. Just put her over there, and you and I can get started." Naruto nodded, and gently draped Hinata underneath the tree where she and Sakura had been sitting. The way the leaves' shadows danced across her face made Naruto linger for a few seconds, before he trotted back over to where Kiba and Sakura.

"Get started? What are you two talking about?" Sakura asked, giving the two rivals a puzzled look.

Naruto smirked. "Dogbreath over here challenged me to a spar when he came to pick me up. And you know me; I'm never one to back down on a challenge!" He gave her a thumbs-up, his teeth glinting much like Lee's did.

Now Sakura understood why Kiba hadn't looked worried when Hinata had fainted. If he and Naruto use up some time just messing around, they can get back on track with their plan.

The two stood on opposite sides of the clearing, their posture poised for battle.

"You know I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're the village hero, right Naruto?" Kiba taunted, as Akamaru transformed into a duplicate of his master. Naruto merely smirked back. (.com/watch?v=rQmCYgHF1-M)

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Without warning he shot off towards Kiba, barely giving him enough time to dodge the kick he had aimed at his side. Akamaru attempted to strike from behind, but Naruto was quicker. He ducked under the attack, and swept Akamaru off of his feet, before retreating a small distance.

"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Several hundred Naruto's filled the entire clearing, cracking their knuckles menacingly. Kiba snorted.

"Bring it on!" He charged towards the small army of Narutos, his faithful dog right behind him. They began spinning rapidly, combining into one whirlwind of countless ferocious attacks.

"GATSŪGA!" He shouted, barreling towards the Naruto clones. Realizing those within the range of the attack might not have enough time to get out of the way, the clones next to them grabbed a hold of their arms, and flung them out of the way. Only a few were too late, and they disappeared within a pop of smoke.

Once Kiba regained his sense of balance after the dizzying assault, his eyes widened in horror. The Naruto clones who had thrown the others out of the way of his attack had merely thrown them to _other _clones, who proceeded to toss them all right back towards Kiba, a Rasengan in several of their hands. He tried jumping out of the way, but the explosion all the spiraling masses of chakra made when they smashed into another decimated the earth beneath him, sending him flying across the pond.

"Had enough yet!" he called out happily, as the Inuzuka shook himself dry.

"As if…" he whispered, smirking. All of a sudden, both Kiba and Akamaru disappeared.

'_What!'_ thought a shocked Naruto as he began to search the area for the two. Suddenly, he heard a rumbling beneath him, and rolled out of the way as Kiba erupted from underground. The whirlwind from Kiba's attack caught him in midair, and Naruto shot across the area, heading straight into Akamaru, who was waiting for him claws outstretched.

Naruto quickly summoned a single clone, who grabbed him in midair, and was able to reposition the original into a counterattack position He slammed into Akamaru, delivering a swift kick into his stomach. Kiba appeared behind his companion, keeping him from smashing into the tree behind them.

The two opponents stared each other down, breathing harder.

"You're pretty good, Naruto. Guess I should have expected that from the guy who defeated Pain." Kiba called out, wiping some dirt off of his cheek. Naruto chuckled.

"You're not bad yourself. You almost managed to hit me there!" he taunted, making the dog ninja growl.

"Well try dodging this one! Gabōshiga! (Roughly: Fang Swirling Fang)." He began to spin in place, turning faster and faster until his entire body was a blur, his arms flaring wildly at his sides. He shot off in Naruto's direction, much faster than Naruto was expecting. He still managed to sidestep it, and Kiba went straight into a tree at the edge of the clearing.

However, instead of demolishing it like usual, he bounced off of it like a top, and didn't lose any momentum as quickly closed the distance between them. Once again Naruto was faster, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Akamaru spinning the exact same way, heading straight for him. And this time, there wasn't enough room to get out of the way.

'_Shit.' _Naruto thought, as Akamaru collided into him, hundreds of slashing attacks digging into him.

From the sidelines, Sakura grew a little worried. They were just sparring at the beginning, but Kiba seemed to be going a little further than needed.

She breathed a sigh of relief as 'Naruto' poofed away, revealing a wooden log in his place, which was immediately cut into thousands of pieces from the onslaught.

Kiba smirked. "What do you think of me and Akamaru's new technique?" He called out to no one in particular. From the shadows, Naruto emerged from his hiding spot, looking impressed.

"That's a pretty kick-ass attack you have there, Kiba! Too bad it didn't work on me." He joked, brushing himself off.

"You just got lucky is all! Next time I'll have you right where I want you…!" Kiba scoffed, but stopped immediately when he felt a kunai pressed against the back of his neck.

"You sure about that?" Naruto whispered, digging in the blade ever so slightly. "Remember what I said. Just trying to prove yourself won't get you anywhere."

At first Kiba looked ready to try and attack Naruto anyway, despite the obvious advantage the blonde had over him. But Naruto's words pushed through his impulsive side, and Kiba raised his hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright…you got me. But don't think I won't let you off the hook so easy next time around."

Naruto backed away from Kiba, placing his kunai back in his pouch, before clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He started to head back to where Sakura and Hinata were.

"Naruto…"

The blonde turned back around. Kiba was smiling at him again, but the competitive look in his eyes was gone.

"Thank you."

Naruto grinned broadly, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with his hand as Kiba caught up with him. As they made their back over to Sakura, she was shaking her head.

"Men…I'll never understand them."

From behind them, they could hear Hinata starting to wake up. Sakura quickly shot Kiba a hurried look, who in turn patted Akamaru. The dog barked three times in quick succession, and to anyone else, that's all they would have thought it was.

Lee and Kakashi stirred from the hiding spot, having watched the entire ordeal. When they heard Akamaru give the signal, Lee was on the move.

"There's the signal. Kakashi-sensei, good luck!" the taijutsu master called out. He quickly appeared in front of the group, looking as professional as he could.

"Oh, Lee! What brings you here?" Kiba asked in his most convincing tone. Lee gave them a quick salute.

"Sakura-san, Kiba-san! Tsunade-sama has requested your presence in her office right away!"

The two quickly shot each other a knowing glance. Lee had done his part, and everything was going smoothly.

Sakura nodded. "Right! Sorry Naruto, looks like we have to leave you and Hinata here! We'll be back if we can!" Before Naruto could protest, the two shot off into the trees, making it seem as if they were heading back into the village, when in actuality they were just rejoining Kakashi in their little hiding spot.

Naruto folded his arms in a huff, as he sat there fuming. This was one of the first times his friends had called him out just to hang out, and now they had to leave!

'_Someone up there must have it in for me…' _Naruto grumbled to himself, shaking his fist towards the sky in mock anger. He sighed, and looked behind him.

'_Well…at least Hinata's still here! Even though she's still unconscious…'_

From their perch, Sakura felt it was time to enact the next step in their plan.

"Are you going to tell me why you involved me in this now, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, thumbing through his book in boredom.

"You bet, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura replied. "You're the only one who can help us out here."

Kakashi closed his book, placing it into his pouch.

"Okay then. What do you need me to do?"

"We need it to rain."

Kakashi stared at her in silence for a few seconds.

"That's…it? Why do you need me to do that?"

Sakura gave him a cheeky look. "You'll just have to see, now won't you? You're the only one out of us who can perform Water techniques, so I'm sure you have something in that big brain of yours that can help us out."

Lee looked confused. "Kakashi-sensei, would they really have such a technique that performs such a small feat?"

Kakashi turned his one eye towards the question. "You'd be surprised at how useful something like that could be. This kind of jutsu is perfect for strengthening water style attacks without having to expend much chakra. Since you're creating a water source for you to use, you no longer have to meld the chakra into water yourself."

He placed his hands into the Bird hand seal before whispering.

"Suiton: Gōu…" (Water Release: Heavy Rain). A small cloud of mist appeared in front of Kakashi's mouth, before drifting off higher and higher into the atmosphere. Nothing happened for several seconds, and the others were wondering if Kakashi was just screwing with them, when all of a sudden a large boom of thunder erupted from the sky, scaring the crap out of Naruto.

"What the hell!" he shouted, his heart skipping a beat. "Rain? But the weather was perfect just seconds ago!"

Sure enough, off in the distance, ominous clouds were barreling their war towards the clearing. Naruto began to scramble, desperate to find somewhere to avoid getting soaked to the bone. The tree where Hinata was still sitting was the only option, and Naruto was able to dive underneath the leaves just as a massive downpour started.

Naruto was not in a good mood. His friends had to leave, Hinata was still unconscious, and now it was raining. Not a good start to the day. He sighed heavily, now positive some vengeful god had made it his duty to ruin his day. And to a degree, he was right. But instead of a wrathful god, it was just a _very_ clever Sakura Haruno.

.

.

.

"Godammit."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Lol. I had a lot of fun writing this one, and I hope you got a lot of fun reading it. There will be much more humor to come, so stay tuned. Remember, I love me some reviews, so drop one off if you have the time! Thank you to **Tally3703 **and **FlygonN** for your first reviews, and to **RoseTiger**, **jayley**, and **johnnythecageking **for reviewing Chapter 7! It means a lot to me! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the next one should come soon.


	9. What Kind of a Date is This? (Part 2)

**Author's Note: **Part 2 is now up and ready to read! I had a lot of fun writing this one, and I hope you will have a lot of fun reading it.

Not really a lot to say in here for today, but I do need to thank some people for their kind reviews: **RoseTiger**, **jayley**, **Jeffery-Lebowski**, **johnnythecageking**, **Chinkypinai**, **SnowbnnyE**, and **TheKosherNostra**! The reviews are often what make me excited for the next chapters, so keep them coming everyone! If you haven't dropped one off yet, please do so if you like what you see!

For those who have noticed (as I did it _after_ I uploaded the chapter) the summary is redone. I feel this one is just more well-written, and will help it stand out more. If you haven't yet, let me know if you like it if (hopefully when) you review!

And don't forget, copy/paste the .com links into google and let the music it loads play while you read. Also, for the duration of when you think it's raining in the story, I highly suggest going to , as it will help set the mood. I myself use it all the time when writing. Enjoy Chapter 9!

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><p><strong>What Kind of a Date is This? (Part 2)<strong>

( watch?v=O5yo8NEUMdg)

"Success!" whispered Sakura excitedly, fist pumping in the air. Kakashi's water style technique worked like a charm, and everything was going smoothly, almost more so than she originally imagined. Kiba, however, didn't look too happy.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" he barked, trying to keep his voice down so Naruto wouldn't hear him. "Look at him! How is this gonna work if he's all pissed off?"

Sakura dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about it. That idiot can't stay mad at something like the weather for too long. He'll be back to his normal self in just a bit, and then everything will work out just like I said."

"Pardon me for interrupting, Sakura," interjected Kakashi, "but I wasn't there when you told everyone about all this. Why exactly did I have to make a rainstorm on what _was _such a sunny day?"

Noticing he didn't have a clear view at what Sakura was looking at, she leaned out of the way to reveal Naruto scrambling to get under a tree for cover, becoming within very close contact with a currently unconscious Hinata Hyūga. A knowing look sparked in his visible eye.

"Ahhh, I understand now. By using the weather, you can force those two into closer quarters without making it seem suspicious. Very clever, Sakura."

She beamed with pride at Kakashi's praise of her scheme. "Exactly! And because of Neji and Kiba's help, they're wearing something a little more flirtatious, so to speak. Plus, we can stop it or make it harder whenever we want, effectively giving us control of how touchy-touchy those two lovebirds get." She clasped her hands together with that last statement for effect, and a light smile appeared underneath Kakashi's mask at her enthusiasm.

"Well, it seems like you have everything under control here. I'll be taking my leave, so good luck with whatever else you have planned, and let me know if you need me for anything else, okay?"

"How come you don't wanna stay?" Kiba asked. "I guarantee it's gonna be quite a show."

Kakashi shook his head. "Sorry, but me stalking a few teenagers at my age, definitely wouldn't be good for my reputation." Without another word, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Sakura fuming at his comment.

"It isn't stalking! It's more like 'enthusiastic observing'…" And although she was protesting, the tone in her voice suggested she didn't really believe her own excuse.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "It's stalking and you know it. At least Kakashi-sensei had the decency to admit it, which is weird considering how much of a pervert he is…"

Sakura interrupted his monologue with a slight slap on the shoulder. "Shhhh!" she hissed. "Hinata's waking up!"

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><p>Naruto leaned back into the trunk of the tree he was cowering under, running a hand through his spiky blond hair. This wasn't exactly how he pictured spending his day with his friends; huddled under a tree with only one of his friends remaining, and her being unconscious and all. He sighed. He would certainly have a few words to say to Tsunade the next time he got the chance for dragging off Sakura and Kiba off to who knows where. Couldn't she have given them one day off? At least Hinata was still here, even if she wasn't even moving.<p>

He cocked his head towards her, taking in her overall appearance, and the peaceful expression on her face. He felt a little creepy, to be honest, as this must have been the third or fourth time he's watched her sleep. But it's not like it was his fault; she was the one who always happened to pass out in front of him, for whatever reason. Still, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

She really did look beautiful in that dress, and Naruto was determined to tell her so once she woke up. His stomach let out a small gurgle, and he silently hoped that she woke up soon; he was starving.

Hinata started to stir next to him, and it was only then he realized just how close they really were. If it rained any harder, they would be forced to practically lie on top of one another, something Naruto wasn't sure Hinata would be able to handle.

A small gasp interrupted his thoughts, and his gaze was met with a very sheepish Hinata staring at him.

"Finally, you're awake!" Naruto exclaimed. "I was afraid our lunch would get cold before you could eat anything. How are you feeling?"

Hinata tried to say something, _anything_, but the words were caught in her throat as she noticed how close she and Naruto were sitting to each other. And he was wearing that tight shirt, and she was wearing this dress…

'_Steady, Hinata…' _she thought to herself, trying to calm down before she fainted again. _'It's j-just Naruto-kun…wearing that sexy shirt that shows off his-'_

The instant those kind of thoughts entered Hinata's mind, she blushed a deep crimson, bringing her hands up to her cheeks in an attempt to hid her embarrassment. Naruto looked at her, worry evident in his bright eyes.

"You feeling okay, Hinata? You look a little red…" He tried putting a hand on her forehead to check her temperature, but she swatted it away.

"Just a little dizzy, that's all. Naruto-kun, when did it start raining?" she asked, trying to distract herself.

He scratched his chin. "Ya know, it's the weirdest thing. Just a few minutes ago it was a perfect day, then all of a sudden these massive rainclouds come out of nowhere, and next thing you know, it's pouring. You were already under this tree unconscious before it started, so I just ran over here to keep from getting soaked myself."

She noticed that he was indeed still a little wet, clumps of golden hair sticking to his forehead. Hinata blushed again as their shoulders nearly brushed against one another.

Naruto squinted his eyes, peering at her closely. "You sure you're alright, Hinata?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "Because I can take you home if you need me too. A little rain won't stop me!" ( watch?v=iDxcir3RX1I)

"I-I'm okay Naruto-kun, really. Just a little light-headed, that's all…"

Naruto smiled warmly at her. "Well...okay then, if you say so. You think you'll be okay to eat? I mean, Sakura-chan's no wonder chef, but at least it's better than nothing!"

She nodded shyly, and Naruto began to unpack the lunch that Sakura had made for them. Hinata began looking around for the others, and when he noticed the worried expression on her face, he shrugged.

"Yeah, Kiba and Sakura-chan apparently got called off to Tsunade-baachan's office for something. I swear, every time I get a day off, she finds a way to interfere! At least you're still here, right Hinata?"

Realizing that they were in fact alone, she quickly covered her shoulders with her hands, and scooted away from him a little, afraid he might not have been comfortable with how close they had been. Naruto actually looked a little disheartened when she did, and Hinata instantly regretted it, but remained where she sat anyway out of embarrassment.

"I meant what I said, Hinata…" Naruto said quietly, placing the last of their food out on the blanket Sakura had brought. Hinata seemed confused at his words, the cogs in her brain trying to understand what he meant. She didn't have to wait long, as he spoke again.

"Do you remember that night, Hinata? When I found you at that small pool of water in the Land of Rivers? It was during our stay at Shizukana Village."

Hinata remembered it all too well. She had discarded her jacket in favor if just keeping on her black top, and Naruto had appeared. They had talked for a while, and when she had tried to find her jacket of embarrassment of her body, Naruto had called her pretty! Was…was that what he was doing now?

Naruto smirked at it dawned on the girl next to him.

"I meant what I said. You look really pretty, Hinata. You shouldn't have to feel like you have to cover yourself up all the time."

"Do you r-really think I look pretty?" she asked tenderly, still trying to make sure this wasn't just a dream.

"I think you look beautiful!" He beamed as wide as he could, and Hinata felt like she was on top of the world. She returned the smile, and inwardly jumped for joy when Naruto blushed slightly as she did.

'_She should smile more…' _he thought to himself. _'She looks really cute when she does that!'_

Having their meal spread out in front of them, the two friends couldn't help but drool a little. Hinata hadn't eaten since her spar with Hiashi, and Naruto was…well he was Naruto.

"Itadakimasu!" they both called out in unison, snapping their utensils apart to begin eating. Naruto could have sworn he heard what sounded like snickering from the trees, but dismissed it as enticing smells filled his nostrils.

"Are you s-sure Kiba-kun and Sakura-san will be okay with us eating without them?" Hinata asked after her first mouthful. Naruto wasn't as polite as she was, and didn't even bother swallowing as he talked.

"Shure, they'd be fine wiff et!" Realizing he was spraying food everywhere, he swallowed what was left and gave her an awkward smile in apology.

"Anyway…" he continued, "If they get mad or something, just tell them I ate all of it. It wouldn't be that hard for them to believe it!" He chuckled at his last statement, and Hinata had to keep herself from giggling as well.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to g-get in trouble.."

Naruto looked amused. "Hinata…I'm _always_ in trouble with Sakura-chan. You don't need to worry about a thing."

Hinata nodded silently, grateful for Naruto's generosity.

"I hope it stops raining soon." He said absentmindedly as he struggled with keeping one of his Onigiri from falling apart in his hands.

"Yeah, me too…" Hinata replied.

The awkward exchange led the two into eating silently, though the tension eased after a few minutes, and they were able to relax somewhat. Unbeknownst to Naruto, Hinata would take a quick peek every now and then when he wasn't looking, completely unaware that he was doing the exact same thing.

'_You know, I'm actually glad it's just the two of us.' _Naruto thought as he took a small sip of his drink. He once again remembered the events of that night in Shizukana Village, specifically what he had told Hinata what he thought of her.

"_You deserve to be treated better. To not be treated like part of the background. You're important to me Hinata, and I haven't been showing you that very well, have I?"_

Those were the words he had said to her, and Naruto had every intention of rectifying that. He scooted a little closer to her, and when she said nothing, concluded that she must be okay with it. But it didn't feel like enough. He wanted to really show her that he considered her a dear friend of his.

His expression hardened. He had given it some thought, and he had in fact come up with a way to do so, but wasn't very keen on it.

He breathed deeply. _'You know what? To hell what I think! This isn't about me, it's about Hinata!'_

Naruto set his food down, and scooted even closer to Hinata. She noticed it this time, and looked up to meet his gaze.

"N-Naruto-kun?" she squeaked, sensing the intensity of his stare. She felt a little uncomfortable with it, worried as to what brought about this change of mood.

"Hinata…" he said quietly, almost gently. "There's something we need to talk about."

Hinata's heart plummeted. This was it. He was going to tell her that he didn't think of her as anything more than a friend, and that he never would. She felt horrible. This must be why he never talked to her about what she had said defending him from Pain. He didn't want to break her heart, but no matter how long he waited or how he worded it, Hinata wasn't sure she would be able to take it.

'_Please, Naruto-kun…don't do this to me…'_

Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Let's see, how should I put this…"

'_No no no…please let this be a dream!'_

"Hinata, it's about what you did during Pain's invasion."

By now she was on the verge of tears, certain her worst fear was coming true. Naruto would never love her, and it was taking everything she had not to collapse at the thought.

'_Here it comes…'_

"I can't remember it."

'_Wait…what?'_ Hinata snapped her head up, her eyes wide with surprise. Did he really just say he had forgotten about what she had told him? How she had poured her heart out, and nearly died for him. For the first time ever, Hinata was actually angry with him. I mean, she knew he wasn't the smartest, but how could he forget the most important thing she's ever said to him. She felt like she wanted to slap him, but it was only out of etiquette she stayed her hand, deciding to at least let him try and explain himself.

"Well, at least not all of it," Naruto continued. "You see, when I…_change_, anything that happened to me before or during that time is completely wiped from my memory. I would need someone to explain what had happened afterwards, since my mind would draw a complete blank."

As he was speaking, Hinat felt the biggest wave of relief wash over her, as well as deep regret for her anger towards him. It wasn't his fault! She wanted to stop him right there and apologize for her behavior (even though he wasn't aware of it), but she was curious as to what he had meant when he said 'not _all_ of it'.

"But for the first time, I've actually been able to remember bits and pieces of it. The more time I spend with you, the more I remember!"

His eyes fell. "But that doesn't stop me from feeling terrible about it…"

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata questioned gingerly. She wanted to place her hand on his shoulder, but with the way he was tensed up, decided against it. All of a sudden, his head snapped up, the look in his eyes almost angry.

"Hinata, you almost died for me! I can remember when you had told me how much I had changed you, and I remember watching Pain…" he had to stop for a moment, and Hinata couldn't tell if his face was wet with the rain or something else. "…when I thought he…killed you."

He clenched his teeth. "There's something else, isn't there! What kind of friend am I if I forget something that important!" He sighed heavily. "…What kind of friend does that?"

"Naruto, please don't talk like that!"

The urgency in Hinata's voice snapped him out of his shame, and his eyes rose to meet hers. He felt himself calming down as those white eyes with just that hint of lavender bore into his.

"You mustn't blame something like that on yourself, Naruto-kun," she said, softer this time. "It's something you have absolutely no control over. Besides, there are those who should have told you what happened by now…" Now it was her turn to feel depressed. Naruto was so torn up over his amnesia regarding her confession, and she could have absolved that pain if she hadn't been such a coward and avoided bringing it up. Even with something so horrible, something that has given him huge amounts of grief his entire life, he still cared more about others than himself.

Naruto saw how down she looked, and decided to cheer her up.

"Don't be thinking you're going to tell me what it is you said. I don't want you to."

Now Hinata was thoroughly confused. First he was ashamed he had forgotten, and now he didn't want to know?

He chuckled lightly at her confusion. "Don't you remember what I said? The more time I spend with you, the more I've been able to remember! I don't want you to tell me because…"

He closed the gap between the them, and was now sitting side by side with her, their shoulders lightly brushing against one another. Hinata's cheeks heated up, even more so when she saw he had the same look of embarrassment on his own face.

"Because…I _want _to spend more time with you. I don't know if I'll ever remember the last of what you said, or if there's even _more_ stuff I forgot about, but I'm willing to wait if you are."

That was good enough for Hinata. Even if he never remembers what she said to him that day, at least it means she can be with him longer. He still might not return those feelings if the time comes, but Hinata was just glad that that particular conversation had been postponed for another time.

She nodded happily, which made Naruto grin all the wider.

"Of course, Naruto-kun. I'll wait as long as it takes."

Naruto tried to give her a thumbs-up, but in his enthusiasm forgot that there was still food on the blanket laid out underneath them. He knocked over another few Onigiri, sending them scattered into the grass.

Hinata couldn't stop herself this time, and was sent into a fit of giggles as Naruto attempted to scrape the grass off of them.

Meanwhile, Naruto was in awe. _'And I thought it was cute when she SMILED…I need to make her laugh more often!' _He sat back against the trunk of tree, and would have forgotten entirely about the downpour of rain, had a large drop not plop itself right on the bridge of his nose, tickling him.

"Man, I hope this rain stops soon!" he said, wiping his face. "If it doesn't let up in a couple of hours, I'm gonna have to get soaked if I want to complete my mission."

Hinata gave him a quizzical look. Naruto had a mission within the village? Her curiosity was peaked.

"What mission are you talking about, Naruto-kun?" she asked.

"Oh well, remember how I went on that two month mission to barter for supplies in other countries?"

Hinata nodded. That wasn't her favorite of periods in her life, since Naruto had been gone for so long.

"Well, a lot of those supplies will arrive in the next few weeks, so Baachan told me I have to act as official liaison for those supplies. I have to accept them at the front gate, check them off, and then help them unload wherever they may need to go. It's kind of annoying, but hey, a mission is a mission!"

An idea suddenly lit up in Hinata's mind.

"Naruto-kun, what if I were to help you?"

He seemed taken aback by her selflessness, but that expression quickly shifted to being thrilled.

"Really! Are you sure? Thanks Hinata! Kiba and Sakura-chan told me they were gonna help, but since they're gone to who knows where, I was afraid I would have to do that all by myself! Thank you so much!"

As Naruto continued to lavish her with gratitude, Hinata suddenly felt her eyes grow incredibly heavy, and although she tried to fight it, she couldn't stop the yawn that forced its way out of her mouth.

Naruto snickered when she did that, but his merriment was cut short, when in an extreme show of confidence (at least for Hinata), she snuggled up beside him, and promptly fell asleep within a matter of seconds. He sat there speechless for few seconds, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

'_So that's what they're always talking about.' _Naruto thought to himself, not used to seeing his bad habit from somebody else. But he didn't mind. In fact, this was kind of nice. The soft sound of rain pattering in his ears, a beautiful girl next to him…

Naruto's eyelids began to bounce up and down randomly, as he desperately fought to stay awake. What if he fell asleep and missed his mission! Tsunade would have his head for that, but even those thoughts couldn't stop the sudden overwhelming need for sleep. His head plopped on top of Hinata's, who had found her way to resting upon Naruto's shoulder, and soon the sound of rain was accompanied by the soft breathing of one Hinata Hyūga and one Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

><p>"Now what're we supposed to do!" said an exasperated Kiba, throwing his hands up in the air for effect. "With those two asleep, how are we gonna continue with the plan?" He noticed Sakura snickering out of the corner of his eyes, and sent a glare her way.<p>

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"I made some last minute _additions_ to their meal." Sakura replied, a mischievous look twinkling in her eyes. Kiba pointed an accusing finger at her.

"What, you drugged them again! Why'd you go and do that?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "This was all part of the plan, idiot. When you went to go take a leak that night, this is what we talked about."

Now Kiba remembered. 4 glasses of water and a soda will do that to you. He sat back in his perch, peering down at the two now sleeping ninja.

"Okay, so what _is _the plan from here?"

"You and I will head back to Ichiraku's and make sure they have everything set up like we asked. Then, we find out where Naruto sent the supplies, and help him out just like you suggested."

The Inuzuka still looked lost. "But won't Naruto just sleep through everything. Speaking from experience, that sleeping stuff is pretty powerful."

"I lightened the dose. He'll wake up just in time, and he and Hinata will go and get started, and we'll show up just a few minutes behind them. You understand, right? Because I am _not _explaining that again."

"Yeah yeah yeah, I got it. Let's just get going, alright?"

The two 'stalkers' leapt from their perch, and headed back to the village to complete preparations for their scheme. Naruto and Hinata slept on, though the twitching on Naruto's part hinted that not everything was well within the confines of his mind..

* * *

><p>Naruto awoke with a start, jolting as he regained his senses. He took a look at his surroundings, and his heart stopped at the sight in front of him. Numerous coffins lay before him, the bodies of his friends and family filling them. Naruto had to fight back tears as he heard the angry whispers of the families around him; it was his fault. He had killed the only people he cared about…<p>

Something snapped. The tears stopped coming, and Naruto angrily rose from his seat. Something had finally dawned on him, and he was thoroughly pissed off.

"Okay, that's enough of this shit! Show yourself!" he demanded, knocking over a table of flowers in his rage.

"Sit down, Naruto!" someone hissed at him. "You're insulting their memory by-"

"Yeah yeah, I'm insulting their memory and all that crap, but I don't buy it! Where are you!" he continued to call out to some unknown presence, and the other present at the funeral attempted to throw him out.

"Who the hell are you talking to? There's no one else here!" Someone else tried to say, grasping Naruto's arm to lead him out of the building. But Naruto shoved them back, knocking them to the floor.

"Nice try, but you're not fooling me anymore!"

Several other people attempted the same thing, but Naruto batted them away just like the others. Then they began to outright attack him, throwing punches and kicks too advanced for any civilian to know.

Naruto smirked. _'Got you.'_ Pulling out a kunai, he began carving through the crowds of people. Blood splashed against his face, and the sounds of their screaming in pain echoed through his ears, but Naruto didn't stop. Just a few minutes more and…

The people began to fade away, their bodies blurring into the background as if they were melting. Soon after the room Naruto was standing in also began to fade away, growing darker and darker with each passing second. Soon, Naruto couldn't even see directly in front of him, it was so black. ( watch?v=QG0r6O9-WbU)

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

Naruto's feet grew wet, and the sound of leaky pipes confirmed his suspicions. Before him stood an absolutely gargantuan cage, and behind it's bars, stood the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, an evil grin on its lips.

"I knew it was you!" shouted Naruto as he pointed angrily towards the massive figure on the other side of the cage.

"**I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHELP." **The Kyūbi jeered, peering down at his container with gigantic blood-red eyes.

The jinchūriki wasn't convinced, "Don't play dumb with me! You're the one who's been giving me nightmares, haven't you!"

He heard what sounded like clapping, and Naruto knew the beast was mocking him.

"**IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU FIGURED THAT OUT. NOT EVEN I THOUGHT YOU WERE THAT STUPID. I GUESS YOU PROVED ME WRONG."**

Naruto ignored the insults. "Yeah, I know I'm dumb or whatever. Why are you trying so hard to make me forget about my friends, huh? Why are you so dead seat on telling me they're gonna die!"

"**HAVE YOU ALREADY FORGOTTEN? I HAVE ONLY SHOWN YOU THE TRUTH; OF WHAT WILL BE, NOT WHAT CAN BE. YOU ARE A WEAK, PATHETIC CHILD, AND IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE I AM RELEASED AND CAN TAKE MY REVENGE."**

"Revenge? Against what?" Naruto asked, more confused than angry.

The Kyūbi lowered himself to eye level with Naruto, and he could hear the utter contempt in his voice.

"**I WAS SO CLOSE TO MY FULL, GLORIOUS POWER... AND THEN THAT ACCURSED YONDAIME HOKAGE RESTORED THE SEAL! JUST BEFORE I COULD DEMOLISH THAT DAMNED VILLAGE. HE MAY BE DEAD AND GONE, BUT I CAN STILL MAKE YOU SUFFER. I WILL EMERGE ONCE MORE EVENTUALLY, AND I WILL PERSONALLY SLAUGHTER YOUR DISGUSTING FRIENDS AND MAKE YOU WATCH!"**

Naruto clenched his fists in anger. He didn't want to admit it, but the Kyūbi sounded so sure of himself, Naruto couldn't help but fear that he was right.

"You're wrong…" Naruto whispered. "YOU'RE WRONG! I'LL DIE MYSELF BEFORE I LET YOU HURT THEM!"

A low grumble started from behind the cage, and it grew louder and louder. Naruto realized that the Kyūbi was laughing, _laughing_ at him defending his friends. The sound was so foul and evil, Naruto had to hold himself up against the wall, as a cold shiver ran through his entire body.

The demon reached a massive arm through the cage, placing one of his claws underneath Naruto's neck. As much as he wanted to slice the child's throat, for the sake of his own life he stayed his hand.

"**YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT, DON'T YOU? THAT YOU ALONE HAVE THE STRENGTH TO CONTAIN MY POWER. IF NOT FOR THAT BLASTED HYŪGA GIRL, I WOULD HAVE SUCCEEDED MONTHS AGO."**

That comment made Naruto's blood run cold. What did Hinata have to with stopping Kurama during Pain's Invasion? Wasn't that all his father's doing?

"What do you know about Hinata?" he asked, his voice growing quiet.

The Kyūbi smirked, black lips curling across razor-sharp teeth.

"**WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD?" **he growled, feigning ignorance.

Naruto was not amused. "You're going to tell me right now what you know about Hinata!"

"**MAKE ME. OF COURSE, I'D BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU IF YOU JUST LET ME SLICE THAT WHORE'S TH-URHG!"**

The demon couldn't finish his sentence, as Naruto had leapt up directly to the cage and was pulling on the Kyūbi's ear. Hard. He was surprised by the boy's strength, and slightly disturbed at the killer intent radiating off of him, but he let neither show.

"If you so much as even _look _at Hinata, or any of my friends, you _will_ regret it."

The tone in Naruto's voice left the Kyūbi without a response. When Naruto released his hold on the beast, he merely glared at the child for a few seconds before stalking off into the darkness of his cave.

Once again Naruto's surroundings began to fade away, and he could feel the pull of reality waking him up. Before he left, however, he heard the Kyūbi's voice one final time.

"**WE SHALL SEE, NARUTO. WE SHALL SEE."**

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes lazily opened. His heartbeat was pounding in his chest, but it calmed as he heard the sound of soft breathing once again. Hinata still lay slumped against him, nuzzled into his shoulder. He smiled brightly, but the smile faded suddenly. He took a quick glance at the sun, and yelped in surprise.<p>

"SHIT! I'm gonna be late for my mission!" he shouted, completely forgetting about everything else around him. In his surprise, he leapt to his feet, and when Hinata lost the one thing holding her up, she fell.

Straight into the water.

"Crap! Hinata, I'm so sorry!" he yelped, pulling the now shivering girl from the water.

"N-N-Naruto-kun? W-what's g-g-going on?" she asked, her teeth clattering together.

"I'm gonna be late for my mission! I knew I shouldn't have fallen asleep! But I can't just leave you here! Oh man!" Naruto was dancing on his feet, fretting over what to do. Had she not been soaking wet, Hinata would have found the sight extremely funny.

"N-Naruto-kun, d-don't worry a-about me. Just g-get to your m-mission, and I'll f-figure something out."

He had already begun sprinting before she had finished.

"I'm sorry, Hinata! I promise I'll make it up to you! Thanks again for listening!" he called out, disappearing in the forest in a mad dash to make it back to the village.

Hinata watched him leave, a soft smile gracing her lips. She decided she would run home and change, and rejoin him to help just like she promised. After how honest he had been with her, she owed it to him.

'_Besides…' _she thought to herself cheekily, _'At least I get to see more of Naruto-kun in that tight shirt.'_

And despite the water soaking her to the bone, Hinata felt a pleasant warmness in her chest as she made her way home.

* * *

><p>"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…"<p>

As villagers made their way through the streets, going about their business, many could swear they saw what looked like an orange blur, as well as those words, shooting past them at a speed many didn't even know existed.

But when punishment by Tsunade is at stake, it wasn't really that big of a surprise.

'_Oh man….Please tell me they aren't here yet!' _Naruto thought to himself as leapt to the rooftops to cut out some travel time _'If they show up, and I'm not here, Baachan is gonna kill me!'_

The village gate came into view, and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see anyone coming in the distance. He wasn't too late.

He jumped down to greet Izumo and Kotetsu, who were waiting for him behind their desks at the kiosk directly by the gate.

"It's about time you showed up!" said Izumo, in a tone of mock disapproval. "If the first caravan arrived, and you weren't here, Tsunade-sama would have-"

"Yeah yeah yeah, I know what she would have done…but I'm here, and they aren't, right?"

Kotetsu shrugged. "I guess so. But it looks like you cut it closer than you thought." He was pointing off towards the road, and when Naruto turned around, he breathed another sigh of relief. He really _had_ cut it close.

Off in the distance, a large caravan was approaching. There must have been dozens of carts carrying large amounts of raw materials, and Naruto couldn't help but beam with pride, as it had been a great deal of his influence that had let them receive so much help from the other countries. Two figures were at the head of the caravan, chatting idly as the village grew closer and closer, and Naruto recognized them both immediately, though one of them surprised him.

"Yurinojō! Haruna! What's up!" he called out happily, as the daimyo of the Land of Vegetables and her bodyguard reached the gate.

"Shhh! Not so loud Naruto-san!" Yurinojō hissed, but Naruto must not have heard him, as his voice didn't get any quieter.

"Hey Haruna! Why are you dressed as a guy again?" he asked, noticing the daimyo was in fact dressed as 'Shun', once again.

Haruna rolled her eyes at the blonde's lack of common sense. "Isn't it obvious, Naruto? I can't be running around as myself with a war about to happen, so I travel as Shun so I can cross borders undetected."

Naruto still didn't seem to understand. "Then why didn't you just stay home? If it's so dangerous, I mean."

The look the daimyo gave him sent a chill down his spine, making him uncomfortable.

"Because, silly…" she said, slowly making her way towards him. "I missed you, and wanted to see you!" Before Naruto could react, he was enveloped in a massive hug, with arm strength he wasn't aware Haruna even had.

"Okay, okay, you see me! Now let go, you're bruising me!" he called out, squirming to escape the death grip. She sheepishly let go, allowing Naruto to breathe once more.

"I apologize for Haruna-sama's behavior, Naruto-san," Yurinojō cut in. "Despite my insistence she remain home for her own safety, she simply would not listen."

Haruna folded her arms in a huff. "I can't stay cooped up in that cramped castle my whole life! I need to get out every now and then and strut my stuff!" Again she glanced at Naruto with a half-lidded look. "…If you know what I mean."

Naruto's cheeks turned a slight red at how forward the girl was being, thought mainly it was embarrassment since she was still dressed as a man, making the situation seem extremely odd should anyone else happen to pass by.

Satisfied with her teasing, Haruna marched over to Kotetsu and Izumo, who had up until then been completely ignored.

"I am Haruna, Daimyo of the Land of Vegetables. I am here to deliver supplies requested by Hokage-sama, and will need to know where to have these sent." She gestured to the rows of carts behind her.

Flustered with the sudden formality, the two chūnin struggled to find the correct paperwork, as Haruna tapped her foot impatiently. Finally, they found the correct form underneath the mountains of papers.

"Ahh, here it is!" Kotetsu exclaimed, waving the form for everyone to see. "Alright then…the supplies of the Land of Vegetables are to go to…construction site 18!" He turned to Naruto. "You know where that is right?"

Naruto nodded. "You bet! You ready to go Haruna?"

"Of course." She responded, signaling for the massive caravan to begin moving once again.

* * *

><p>'<em>There's got to be something else I can wear…'<em>

Hinata, having discarded the soaked dress, was currently raiding her closet once again to find something similar. She never thought she would see the day but she actually felt like keeping her jacket off! It just happened to help that they were still nowhere to be found.

She plopped down onto her bed, disappointment evident in her eyes. Nothing else just seemed to 'pop' like that first dress, and Hinata didn't want to lose all the attention Naruto had been giving her. But sadly it was looking like she would just have to pick something else…

_Knock knock._

Before Hinata could even say anything, Hanabi came barging into the room, clutching something in her hand. Since she was clad only in her underwear, Hinata immediately covered herself with a sheet, giving her younger sister a scolding look.

"Imōto, you're supposed to _wait_ until I say you can come in, not just do it anyway!"

Hanabi didn't seem to mind her lack of manners, or simply didn't care. She marched straight up to her older sister, and threw what she was holding right into Hinata's face. She pulled the fabric off of her, and was about to give her another round of scolding, until she noticed what Hanabi had actually given her.

It was the dress, dry and clean, looking like new.

"Imōto, how did you…" she said, almost unable to believe what she was looking at.

"While you were tearing your own closet apart, I just went ahead and washed it. I don't understand why you just didn't have the common sense to do it yourself. I mean really, _me_ washing _your_ clothes?" Hanabi replied bluntly, placing her hands on her hips. Before she could react, Hinata had wrapped up her sister in a big hug, squeezing the life out of the younger Hyūga.

"Oh thank you, thank you, Hanabi-chan! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"I told you not to call me that!" Hanabi cried out, her voice muffled as Hinata squeezed her even tighter. Realizing she needed to breathe, Hinata finally let her sister go. She was curious about something.

"Hanabi-ch…I mean, Imōto…why _did _you wash that dress for me?"

A devious grin split across Hanabi's face, and Hinata was beginning to regret asking her in the first place.

"Because, _Nee-san_…" she said in a sing-song voice, "I wanted to make sure your date with Naruto-kun went perfectly!"

"D-date!" Hinata blushed deeply. This wasn't a date! After all, if Tsunade-sama hadn't called Sakura and Kiba off, it would have been the four of them. No, this was just her and Naruto spending time together as friends…right?

"Imōto, I don't really think this is a date…" Hinata was back to herself, twiddling her fingers together nervously. Hanabi only grinned even wider.

"Say what you will. I don't really understand why you don't just tell him how you feel. All this beating around the bush you two do is starting to make even me exhausted."

This time it was Hinata's turn to smile. She had remembered Naruto's words from earlier, and was fully intending to do as he asked.

"_Don't be thinking you're going to tell me what it is you said. I don't want you to."_

"_Because…I want to spend more time with you. I don't know if I'll ever remember the last of what you said, or if there's even more stuff I forgot about, but I'm willing to wait if you are."_

"I would, Hanabi-chan…but Naruto-kun doesn't want me to!"

Hanabi ignored the fact that her sister used her pet name, her attention instead entirely devoted to what Hinata had said afterward.

"Doesn't want you to? What on earth is that supposed to-" Before she could finish her sentence, Hinata was pushing her out of the door.

"Sorry, but I need to be changing so I can leave again! Thanks again for your help!" Hinata's muffled voice called out through the door, as Hanabi stood fuming on the other side.

She started to bang on the door, determined to get a straight answer from her older sister. "Hey, that's not fair! What did Naruto tell you! Nee-san! HEY, NEE-SAN!"

Her pleas went unheard, as Hinata had quickly slipped on the dress, and exited the compound through her window, racing back to meet up with Naruto.

* * *

><p>"Here we are!" Naruto said happily, having finally arrived at the correct spot to drop off the materials. Now that she was safely within the confines of the village, Haruna had discarded her costume, and was clad in simple travel robes, instead of the flashy daimyo attire she wore in her own country.<p>

"Wonderful! Now, the others here will help you unload the supplies," said Haruna, displaying the large workforce Naruto would have at his disposal with a wave of her hand. Naruto, however, seemed annoyed.

"Hold on a second! Where do you think you're going?" he questioned, jabbing her in the shoulder with his finger.

"I need to go visit Hokage-sama. I am to discuss with her the trading of materials and labor during the war for your village, should the need arise. You aren't trying to stop me from fulfilling my duty, are you Naruto?" she teased.

"Oh alright, fine…" Naruto grumbled. His face heated up considerably as Haruna leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"It was nice seeing you, Naruto," she said softly before taking her leave, her attendant trotting after her. Naruto watched her go for a few seconds, before turning back to his workforce.

"Okay team! Let's get started on un-"

His jaw dropped as he saw the entire work force walking away, discussing what they would have for dinner after their long journey.

"Hey, get back here! You can't expect me to handle all of this by myself!" He continued to call out, but they ignored him until they were out of sight. Naruto began to sob as he looked at the massive amounts of supplies that needed to be organized and put away.

"Why me…" he moaned, banging his head against one of the crates.

Little did he know, Hinata had been there for quite some time, and had not liked what she had seen. She saw a woman she thought she recognized with Naruto, and didn't really know what to think about the whole situation, but that all changed when the mystery woman _kissed_ Naruto... _HER_ Naruto. She couldn't explain it, but she felt this bubbling anger in her stomach.

"Ooooo, someone's jealous.." someone whispered behind her, causing her to jump in fright. She spun around to see who was behind her, but calmed down as it was only Sakura and Kiba.

"Kiba-kun, don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack," she said in between Kiba's fits of snickering. "What are you to two d-doing here? I thought Tsunade-sama needed you…"

"She let us off early," Sakura replied bluntly. "We came back because we promised to help Naruto with his work. Imagine our surprise when we see quiet little Hinata looking so jealous!"

Hinata blushed. "I-I'm not jealous!" she tried to protest, but it was obvious Kiba and Sakura didn't believe her.

'_Is it really that obvious?' _she thought to herself. _'I wish I h-had that kind of confidence around Naruto-kun…'_

Kiba clapped her on the back, snapping her out of her mopey daze.

"Don't worry about it, Hinata. That knucklehead didn't seem interested. I don't know why not, though, because that girl had the nicest ass I've ever-"

_Slap!_

In all honesty, Hinata had considered hitting Kiba herself, but thankfully Sakura had beaten her to it, and now the dog ninja had a nicely-sized lump on his cheek. She hadn't planned on him saying that, and wasn't too happy about it.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>So who is the first shipment? And what does this have to do with Hinata and Naruto getting together?" Chōji asked. "Now that I think about it, how did you even KNOW that Naruto would be doing this kind of stuff over the next few weeks?"<strong>_

_**Sakura smirked. "Shizune-san told me. Now, the first set of materials set to arrive from the Land of Vegetables. Chōji, you remember Haruna, right?"**_

_**The Akimichi only nodded, remembering his manners this time as he currently had his mouth full.**_

"_**Well, according to some stories Naruto told me a long time ago, she may have developed a soft spot for that idiot. We're going to use that to our advantage!"**_

"_**Hold on a second," Kiba interjected. "Are you TRYING to make Hinata jealous?"**_

_**Sakura grinned. "Bingo. Hinata won't outright start anything, but seeing someone else get all sweet on her man might just give her the push to be a little…let's just say bolder."**_

"_**I dunno, Sakura…" Ino piped in. "It's always the quiet ones who go cuckoo. Are you SURE this is a good idea?"**_

"_**Of course it is! Look, I promise you Hinata won't pull anything. The only thing that's going to happen is exactly what we want to, so let's just drop it, okay?"**_

* * *

><p>"Hinata! What're you doing here?"<p>

The three friends turned around to discover that the blonde has uncovered their hiding spot, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." Hinata said softly, taken by surprise for the second time in just a few minutes.

Naruto noticed that she was still in the same dress she had been in earlier, but that she was dry.

"How'd that happen?" he asked plainly, referring to Hinata's non-soaking state.

"My sister washed it for me…" she replied, fiddling with the material.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Again, sorry about what happened earlier!"

"Please, don't worry about it, Naruto-kun. It's alright." She gave him a soft smile, and Naruto practically beamed at her.

"What are those two talking about?" Kiba whispered to Sakura, the two of them having been absent during Hinata's little tumble into the water.

"I have no idea, but whatever happened, it's a good thing," she shot back. Before she could continue, Naruto had forced his way in between them, an accusing tone in her voice.

"And just what are _you_ two doing back here? I thought Baachan needed you for something. What was all that about anyway!"

Sakura pushed him away, brushing herself off. "It's classified, you moron. You'll just have to deal with not knowing." To tell the truth, she and Kiba never actually came up with a reason, as Naruto would lose interest as long as they refused to tell him.

"Whatever," Naruto scoffed. "At least you didn't get caught in that massive rainstorm!"

'_Though I have to admit…that turned out to be kind of nice.'_

Kiba folded his arms. "What? That's how you greet people who are willing to help you with _your_ job?"

Not wanting to be left with all the work himself once again, Naruto started waving his hands in front of him in a panic.

"No no no, I didn't mean that at all! Thanks for coming, really!" He chuckled nervously, hoping his half-assed apology would be enough. He breathed a sigh of relief when the other shrugged, and started picking up boxes.

"Just tell us where these need to go, Naruto. We'll have this done as soon as possible!"

Naruto smiled warmly at his three friends. "Right!"

* * *

><p>Kiba had chosen his words carefully. If he had simply blurted out that they would be done in no time, he would have been dead wrong. The hundreds upon hundreds of crates of raw materials never seemed to stop, not to mention the lumber and other supplies that couldn't be crated with the others. It had been mid-to-late afternoon when they had started, and the sun was now setting.<p>

Naruto was handling his impromptu management position as best as he could, though without much experience with leading others he often made the mistake of sending one of his friends to the wrong place, forcing them to lug their heavy packages elsewhere once he got his bearings straight. Because they putting him in a bad mood would be detrimental to their plan, Sakura and Kiba displayed remarkable patience with him. After all, it would keep _them_ there longer too if he wasn't thinking straight, and despite numerous suggestions by Kiba, they decided to stay and help him until he was 100% finished.

Besides, they did have a sort of entertainment as they worked.

Ever since Hinata saw Haruna plant a big wet one on Naruto's cheek, the girl had been acting _very_ strange around him, something that sent the two schemers into a fit of giggles every time they saw it. She always seemed to insist on picking up the box next to him, no matter how heavy it was, and would follow closely to him as best as she could without making him suspicious. It was kind of cute really, like a puppy following around its newest friend. Either Naruto didn't notice what was going on (which is more likely), or he simply didn't mind. In any case, Sakura was just glad her plan was working so well. Hinata was now fully aware that there were in fact other girls out there interested in Naruto's physical attributes, and that if she sat around too long, she could miss out on the opportunity of being with him, which was most likely one of the few things she feared in this world.

The pile was beginning to thin at last, and everyone's work ethic improved as the end approached nearer and nearer. Picking up on this, Kiba chose another box right next to Sakura to ask her something.

"Psst! Hey, Sakura!" he whispered, "We're heading to Ichiraku after this, right?"

The medic nin took a quick glance in Naruto's direction, to make sure he wasn't listening. "Yes, we are. But remember, we have to make sure it seems like Naruto's idea. Say _anything_ about ramen, and that knucklehead will hear it no matter how quiet you are. If that happens, he'll get way too suspicious when we tell him why we can't go."

Kiba nodded in agreement. Once they were finished, if they knew Naruto well enough (which they certainly did), he would invite everyone to join him at his favorite restaurant, Ichiraku ramen. He and Sakura were going to give some bogus excuses as to why they couldn't join him, once again leaving him alone with Hinata.

About 30 minutes later, they seemingly endless supply of raw materials finally ended, their movers stretching their aching muscles as the sun continued its descent to the horizon. Naruto came bounding over, happy as could be.

"Looks like we're finally done, guys! Thanks again for all your help!"

The three smiled at him, offering their own 'you're welcome'. Though to be honest, if the next few shipments were going to be of similar size, all three of them might just conveniently have things to do should he ask again. Sakura in particular was going to find where their supposed 'help' had run off to, and when she got the chance, pulverize them.

"Hey, I just thought of the greatest idea of how to celebrate!" Naruto exclaimed brightly, his grin growing even wider.

Kiba and Sakura shared a knowing glance. This was the part where he suggests they go out to…

"Ichiraku Ramen!"

The two shared another glance.

"I wish I could, Naruto. But my mom has been badgering me to stop staying out so late, claiming she needs help taking care of the other dogs." Said Kiba, scratching his head. "Not to copy Shikamaru, but even though it'll be troublesome, there's not much I can do when my mom gets angry." He shuddered at the thought of his mother Tsume going into one of her 'moods'. Even if the reason was a fib, the memory of his mom's temper gave him the willies.

Naruto's face fell slightly, and he turned pleadingly to his teammate, giving her his best attempt at puppy-dog eyes. For a split second, Sakura wanted to take him up on the offer, but she quickly remembered her plan, and shook her head sadly.

"Sorry Naruto, but I've got things to do. Tsunade-sama needs me at the hospital for tonight, and since this took longer than expected, I'll being working late tonight." In actuality, she wasn't lying about having to work late, though that was because she simply had the night shift this time, not because the Hokage was demanding some extra work.

With two of his invitees now guaranteed to be no-shows, Naruto desperately turned to Hinata, giving it his all. His lip was quivering, some forced tears sitting in the corners of his eyes. With how adorable he looked, Hinata would have gone with him even if the ramen was poisoned. She nodded shyly, and Naruto leaped into the air with joy.

"AWESOME! I knew I could count on you, Hinata-chan!" he shouted, completely missing the fact that he had added the –chan for the second time. The others were more perceptive, and while Kiba and Sakura were smirking at one another, Hinata was trying to hide the blush decorating her pale cheeks.

He turned to his other 'loyal workers'. Surprising the two of them, he gave them an elaborate bow, before raising his head with a goofy grin.

"This humble Uzumaki thanks you for assisting him with his task. I bid you good evening." He said jokingly, drawling out the words much like a butler would. Sakura couldn't help but giggle this time, while Kiba just rolled his eyes, masking a small grin on his own face.

And with that, Naruto offered his hand out to Hinata. At first she didn't really seem to know what to do with it, but after a quick jab in the side from Sakura, she tenderly accepted it. In retrospect, she would regret this decision, as instead of the loving stroll she was hoping for, Naruto instead shot off like a rocket, dragging a sputtering Hyūga behind him. Once they were out of sight, Kiba and Sakura could no longer hold it in, and burst into laughter.

"So…" Kiba said, having calmed down. "Tell me again where you got the idea for this thing at Ichiraku."

"It's from the movie I saw once. Ohh, it was so romantic, I just had to copy it. If Ino was here, we might be discovered."

"Why's that?" Kiba asked.

Sakura looked at him as if it was obvious. "She wouldn't be able to keep quiet if she saw that. That pig would probably squeal loud enough for the whole village to hear."

Kiba started snickering all of a sudden, confusing Sakura as to what was so funny about what she said.

"Hee-heehee…Ino's a squealer!" he burst, rolling in the dirt laughing. This merriment soon turned to pain, when Sakura started planting her foot into his stomach.

"That's disgusting! You're such a pervert!" she shrieked, trying to stomp his face 3 feet underground. Kiba scurried out of the way, and still laughing, headed off to Ichiraku to see the show. Sakura followed in pursuit, still intent on dishing out some whoop-ass.

* * *

><p>"Hey! Old man Teuchi! Ayame! Your favorite customer is here!"<p>

Ayame appeared in the kitchen to greet their new customer, and smirked at what she saw. While Naruto was beaming, little bits of drool collecting in his mouth as the intoxicating smells wafted by, poor Hinata was bent over a stool, gasping for breath.

"N-not…so fast…Naruto-kun.." she managed to choke out, her arm hanging limp at her side from her overly enthusiastic companion's grip. He bent over to help her up into one of the seats, apologizing over and over about getting carried away once again.

"Good evening, you two!" Ayame said happily, washing her hands. She turned back around to face them with a mischievous smile. "How is your date going?"

The two customers immediately began to protest, blushing heavily as they tried to convince her otherwise, but Ayame merely waved them off.

"Fine, call it what you will. I was only kidding after all." She pulled out a pen and notepad. "What can I get you?"

"Extra-large Miso with a pork fillet, please!" Naruto boomed, having taken his own seat. "What do you want, Hinata?"

"I d-don't really know…I haven't had ramen in a long time," she answered softly. Due to her father's strict regime, foods that aren't exactly healthy like ramen were most of the time off limits. But here she was with Naruto, alone once again, so to hell with her father.

"She'll have what I'm having!" Naruto decided loudly. Ayame noticed the look on Hinata's face and smiled.

"She'll have a medium bowl, Naruto. Now everyone has 5 stomachs when it comes to ramen like you do."

Naruto pouted at her teasing, but didn't deny it. Ayame began poking through the cupboards to find two bowls to use. After a few minutes of fruitless efforts, Naruto got a little restless.

"Hey, what's the holdup?" he asked rather bluntly.

"I can't find any of the bowls anywhere.." she muttered, tossing other utensils out of the way in her search.

"Hey Dad!" she called into the back. A few seconds later, the owner and Ayame's father Teuchi appeared.

"Yes? Is there something wrong?" he asked. Noticing Naruto out of the corner of his eye, he turned to his friend with a wide smile.

"Naruto! It's great to see you!" he said.

The blonde smiled back. "Hey Old Man!" He pointed at Ayame with his chopsticks in mock anger. "You're daughter over here can't seem to find any bowls, and I'm on the edge of starvation!"

For a moment, Teuchi almost just reached under the counter to pull of the dishes that were obviously right there, but just before he did so, he remembered he was supposed to do something else. Yes, even Teuchi and his daughter were in on Sakura's little scheme now. Many a time had Naruto slurped down his bowls, moping about girl troubles, so Teuchi was happy to help cheer his friend up. He readily accepted Sakura's proposal, and was now struggling to remember what she had told him to tell Naruto.

"Hmmm…let me see…" he said, buying himself some time. He snapped his fingers as his memory finally came through. "Now I remember! We loaned out all of our dishes to this wonderful family who needed the extra dinnerware to celebrate the finished construction of their house!"

Naruto was devastated. "D-does that mean….I WON'T GET MY RAMEN!" he shouted, dropping his utensils dramatically.

Teuchi put his arms up. "Now now, don't get your headband in a bunch. Ayame, what did they order?"

His daughter whipped out her notepad. "Two Miso with Pork fillets," she read off, snapping her book closed.

"Okay Naruto, how about a compromise? I have an extra-extra-large bowl in the back for when people need a large takeout order. Since you and your girlfriend are ordering the same thing, how about I just make a batch big enough for you two to share?"

Naruto pondered over the idea, rubbing his chopsticks against his forehead. While he had completely missed Teuchi calling Hinata his girlfriend, the poor girl hadn't. She quickly dropped her gaze, an awkward smile gracing her lips as she wished it were true.

"Alright…that sounds fine with me!" he finally said. "Hinata, is that okay with you?"

She nodded calmly, though Inner Hinata was currently drooling over the idea of sharing food with her Naruto-kun.

Teuchi and his daughter immediately set to preparing the veritable feast, while Naruto and Hinata chatted happily in the background, enjoying each other's company.

* * *

><p><span>( watch?v=KRFtqiae-lY)<span>

"Man, that was close!" Kiba whispered as he peered down at the scene below. "I was sure for a second there that the old man was gonna forget what you told him to say!"

"Yeah, that would have been a disaster." Sakura replied, wiping the sweat from her brow. There was little room for error in her grand master plan, so she was relieved when Teuchi had remembered his lines.

"I'll say!"

The two whipped around to find the source of the mystery voice, and their jaws dropped at what they saw. Behind them stood the rest of the entire Konoha 11, making the rooftop Sakura and Kiba were spying from very, _very _cramped.

"What the hell are all of you doing here!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

"Like we were gonna miss this!" Ino snapped back. "Though to be honest, I would have forgotten about it if Shikamaru hadn't come and gotten me."

Everyone looked at him, amazed that he had was actually showing some interest in something.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he groaned, leaning against the chimney. "I only went and got Ino because I didn't want to be home when Lee demolished it again….troublesome…"

Tenten looked around. "Speaking of Lee, where is he? He wouldn't shut up about this earlier today."

The taijutsu master was in fact absent from their group, and everyone dismissed it. After all, he was probably just training with Gai. They returned their attention to scene below them. Naruto was currently embroiled with another one of his crazy stories of his trip with Jiraiya (albeit somewhat exaggerated), while Hinata listened intently. In fact, she was trying so hard to pay attention to Naruto that her table manners dropped considerably, slurping her noodles loudly. She must have noticed what she was doing, as she snapped her head up with an embarrassed look on her face. Unfortunately , the sudden jerk caused a particularly large mouthful to slap her in the face, coating her with the sauce. Without missing a beat, Naruto licked his thumb, reached over, and gently wiped the sauce off of her cheek, before putting it back into his own mouth. Even from where they were sitting, everyone could see the steam practically shooting out of Hinata's ears.

"Awwww, don't they just look adorable!" Ino swooned, clasping her hands together as she sighed dreamily.

"It is true, Naruto and Hinata do make an attractive couple. Why? Because they're personalities complement one another."

The sudden, and very unlike-him comment from Shino slightly creeped out the others, though they couldn't help but agree with him. The two just looked so natural together…

"DEAR FRIENDS! I HOPE I HAVE NOT MISSED ANYTHING!"

To everyone's horror, Lee was barreling towards the group at a speed not even he would be able to stop completely. They all tried to make him slow down, violently gesturing with their hands, but Lee only took it as a sign to speed up. Braced for impact, Lee slammed into the entire group, sending them spiraling of the rooftop, and right into a large dumpster nearby.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto questioned, stopping his meal long enough to turn around. He stared suspiciously at a dumpster in the alleyway nearby, but when nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, he shrugged and went back to his food.

Unbeknownst to him, however, was that when he had turned around, he had grasped another mouthful of his favorite food in between his chopsticks.

Another mouthful that Hinata was currently munching at the other end of.

You see, this was Sakura's plan all along, albeit part of it that relied on luck. She had hoped that if the two shared a bowl, something exactly like what was about to happen, would happen.

He started wolfing down his latest bite, as the noodles were sucked out of the bowl. When the two slurped at the exact same time, the middle rose out of the bowl, and hung in the air between them. Had it been a few centimeters shorter, Naruto and Hinata would have been mouth-to-mouth.

They simply stared at one another, their faces so close they could feel each other's breath, and smell each other's scent. Deep blue eyes stared back into a pair of soft lavender ones, and for a while, it seemed like nothing would happen.

But something did.

Naruto and Hinata both screamed at the same time, shooting apart in surprise. Naruto quickly lost his balance, and tumbled off of his seat into the dirt below. Hinata meanwhile, had flailed her arms, knocking the bowl into the air. Teuchi watched in slow motion as the still very hot food flew through the air, before splashing right on top of him.

"Hot…hot… hot hot HOT HOT HOT!" he shrieked, running into the back of the restaurant to find something cold he could dump on himself to soothe his burns. His daughter, who had gone through the ordeal unscathed, was in tears she was laughing so hard.

Sakura sadly missed the entire thing, having been the first to fall into the trash, and as such was the last to crawl out of it. The only thing she saw was Ayame laughing her head off, and an extremely embarrassed looking Hinata, who was helping up an equally nervous Naruto back into his seat.

She heard another dreamy sigh, and cocked her head to find Ino looking so lost in romantic thoughts, that she didn't even notice the garbage covering her head-to-toe.

After Ayame replaced part of their meal with two bowls that she 'conveniently' happened to find, the rest of their meal was eaten in dead silence. Neither of the two acknowledged what had happened, and kept their eyes on their own food. They both finished, and Naruto quickly paid for the meal. Hinata saw the scared look on his face, and was afraid he would avoid her because of what had happened.

"Thank you f-for the m-meal, Naruto-kun." She muttered softly, quickly turning on her heels to head home before it could get any more awkward. Something latched onto her wrist to keep her from moving, which revealed itself to be Naruto's hand, who had a caring but firm grip.

"Hinata…is it...okay if I walk you home?" he asked quietly, not looking her in the eye. Taking that as a good sign, Hinata nodded silently.

The two said nothing to one another as they made their way through the thinning streets. With every step, Hinata grew more and more restless, desperate to say something. But surprisingly out of the blue, Naruto beat her to it.

"Listen, Hinata…about what happened back there…" he began.

"I won't tell anyone if you won't."

Naruto's spirits dropped a little at Hinata's words. Was she repulsed by what happened? Embarrassed? He hung his head in shame, only to bring it up again at the sound of Hinata giggling.

"After all…" she continued, a cheeky smile splitting across her face. "You _did _look pretty silly!"

Naruto beamed, laughing at her words. "As if! You should have seen the look on your face as your arms were waving like a maniac!" he joked back, mimicking Hinata's arm-flailing much to her amusement. The tension eased, the two enjoyed trying to make each other embarrassed about what happened for the rest of trip. They were have such a good time they were somewhat disappointed when they saw the Hyūga compound in the distance.

The two stopped in front of her door, both smiling widely.

"Thanks for being with me this whole day, Hinata!" Naruto said happily. "I had a lot of fun today!"

"Me too, Naruto-kun!" Hinata replied. Before he could walk away, she remembered that she needed to be bolder around him if she was going to become closer.

"W-we should d-do this again sometime…" she squeaked nervously, twiddling her fingers. "Maybe…sometime soon?"

Naruto was surprised by the sudden show of confidence in her, but was overjoyed at her request anyway.

"You bet! That sounds great!" he replied, giving her a thumbs-up. The two exchanged a soft goodbye, and Hinata disappeared inside. As Naruto started his journey home, he was in such a good mood that he completely missed the 12 people sitting in the tree nearby, high-fiving one another.

* * *

><p>Hinata leaned against the back of the door after she had closed it behind her, trying to make sense of what had just happened. It really felt like her and Naruto had just been on a date, and even if it wasn't, Hinata thought it couldn't have gone better. She was almost skipping to her room she was in such giddy mood, until the bumped into Hiashi in the hallway.<p>

"Good evening, Hinata. Are you ready for your training?" he asked bluntly.

She thought about it. She still hadn't forgiven him for the comment he had made about Naruto earlier, and still feeling confident, decided she was in no mood to fight.

"Actually Otō-san, I'm feeling very tired. I think I'll just read for a while before I go to bed. I'll train tomorrow morning."

Hiashi was so surprised by his daughter's words he was speechless. He finally regained his senses just as she was about to turn the corner.

"Hinata…who were you with today?" he asked, his voice low.

She turned back around to face her father, and he could practically feel the defiance radiating off of her.

"Naruto." Without another word, she spun around, and left Hiashi standing in the middle of the hall, dumbfounded. He didn't know what had just happened, but he didn't like it.

Hinata arrived at her room, and went straight through it, making a beeline for the garden. The weather was gorgeous right now, and despite being unusually late in the year, several fireflies flitted about in between the flowers. She kneeled gently in the grass by her mother's resting place, smiling widely. ( watch?v=NSgv8eWqqL8)

"Kāchan…I just had the most amazing day! Sakura-san invited me to lunch with her, Kiba-kun, and Naruto-kun, and we…"

She retold the entire day's events to her mother, the smile not once fading from her lips.

"And then I told him we should do something like it again sometime! Oh Kāchan, I don't think I've ever been so brave!"

She brought a hand up to her heart, the bright happy smile fading into a more serene and content one. She watched the sun dip just below the wall, bathing the garden in an orange glow. A very familiar orange.

"I don't know what's happening, Kāchan…but I'm so excited! Naruto-kun and I have been spending so much time together recently, he just might…" She trailed off, too happy for words. Dusting herself off, she stood back up, resting a hand upon her mother's grave.

"You would love him, Kāchan. Please keep watching over me in the next few weeks. I love you."

Completely alone, Hinata could no longer contain her joy. She whipped her head back, and laughed, her soft voice ringing like a beautiful bell as it rang out into the evening. She skipped back into her room, intending to read a few chapters of that book she had been putting off, right after a nice shower.

The sound of Hinata's laughter hung in the air outside for a few more second, before a soft breeze carried the sound upon its shoulders, sharing it with the rest of the world.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>The fluff! So much fluff! Well I hoped you enjoyed this week's chapter. Be sure to tune in next week, and it will probably be very soon that I put in a little mini-chapter omake style, with another character (if I have a good idea, that is).

Please Review if you have the time. I'm not even kidding, they're the only e-mails I get besides debit card statements, and they make me feel all fuzzy inside when I know you've enjoyed it.

Until next time!


	10. A Night of Men and Women

**Author's Note: **And here it is folks. The big Chapter 10. Over 11,000 hits, over 100,000 words, over 60 favorite story lists, over 60 alerts, and almost 50 reviews! It's truly humbling to know how many people are enjoying this, and I have to thank all of you for offering your praise and attention to my humble little story. I can only offer my sincere thanks, and my promise that I won't abandon the story! You deserve a damn good one for those who have stuck with me since the beginning. Expect much, much more in the future, and I hope you enjoy it as much as you have the other chapters!

Remember to copy/paste the links into Google, and let the music play while you read.

Enjoy the Chapter, and send me a review if you enjoyed what you read!

* * *

><p><strong>A Night of Men and Women (But Not Together!)<strong>

"Sakura-san, why exactly do we have to wear these?" Sai asked his teammate. (.com/watch?v=6udCV_bOk8Y)

"Because if Naruto were to see us, he would want to know where we're going. We have to avoid that at all costs," she replied.

What Sakura was referring to were the outrageous disguises the two were wearing as they made their way through the streets of the village. Even though no one recognized them through all the wigs and fake mustaches, they were still getting looks from several people for just how outlandish they looked.

"But then…why didn't we pick something more covert?" Sai continued to question, fiddling with his false beard, which had been itching at his face for more than 30 minutes now.

His companion took a quick glance around them to make sure they weren't being followed. "Naruto may not be the smartest person out there, but he's pretty perceptive when it comes to people he thinks he recognizes. He'd stop us in the middle of the street and try to figure out who we were if we wore anything less than this," she answered, gesturing to her own costume, which surprisingly resembled the outfit Shino wore. However, since Shino was the one person Naruto hadn't recognized when he returned from his training with Jiraiya, it had made perfect sense to wear something similar. Though the bright orange mustache may have been a little…excessive.

And so Sakura and Sai shuffled their way through the crowds, dressed in such a way that the only person to not question their appearance would be a certain blonde ninja of the Leaf.

The weather had been a little bleak for the past 2 days, clouds obscuring the sun for the majority of the day. The villagers had welcomed it, though, as it provided them with some much needed shade as they continued to work on rebuilding. It had the extra benefit of keeping the temperature down, as Sakura and Sai would be burning up right now if the sun were out. How Shino and Hinata managed to be comfortable underneath all that clothing was beyond them.

Several minutes of silence passed between the two teammates, who took a quick survey of their surroundings every now and then to make sure they weren't being followed. After a while, however, it seems Sai could no longer keep to himself.

"Sakura-san…" he asked. "Is what we're doing…right?"

She slowed her steps as she considered the question. First Kakashi brings this up, and now Sai was feeling the same way?

"Of course we are," she answered without turning around. "Naruto and Hinata were meant to be together, and they need our help for that!"

Sai didn't seem persuaded. "But this seems more like we are manipulating Naruto-kun. Wouldn't he be angry if he found out you were doing that to him again, and that all of us are helping?"

He meant well, but Sakura still couldn't help but feel a little angry at his words. Of course she was guilty about what she had 'confessed' to him in the Land of Iron, but that was only because she cared about him as a friend. What she was doing now was no different in her eyes, and while she might have liked to go about it in another way, she didn't because she saw no other option.

"I know what you're trying to say, Sai," she said softly, slowing down so he could catch up to her. "But it's for the best. Naruto deserves to be happy."

Sakura turned her head slightly, her eyes meeting his.

"Where exactly did this come from all of a sudden?" she asked.

Sai pulled another of his books from his pouch, holding it up for Sakura to see. The title read 'Everything You Need to Know about Love'.

"I borrowed this from the library several days ago," Sai explained. "And in it, it says that love should be spontaneous, and shouldn't try to be controlled. If we are trying to make Naruto-kun fall in love with Hinata-san, aren't we doing exactly what the book says _not _to?"

Sakura was getting tired of the conversation, and picked up the pace. "You can't believe everything you read, Sai. Naruto is just too dim-witted, and Hinata is just too shy. If we hadn't gotten involved, I doubt those two would say more than three words to each other."

As it turns out, the two were so wrapped up in their conversation that they hadn't even noticed that they had passed Naruto in the street, he and a clone carrying a large beam in between them. He was whistling a happy tune as he went, and it was obvious that he hadn't noticed his teammates at all, Sakura's claim proving right.

"Besides…" Sakura continued. "If there's one person I can think of who represents fighting against fate for the better, it's Naruto." She smiled warmly at the many memories of her friend defiantly rejecting any outcome but the happy one, refusing to yield until he was successful.

"He tries so hard to make everyone else happy, and there were lots of times he gave up his own happiness to accomplish that…" her tone had fell, and Sai could feel the guilt emanating from her. But then she quickly whipped around, a broad grin plastered on her face.

"But ever since we started this, I've seen him happier than he's ever been! Part of me is being selfish, because I'm willing to interfere if it makes him that happy. _I _want him to be happy, and he and Hinata deserve each other."

Despite how happy she looked, Sai did not seem to share her sentiment. In fact, he seemed confused about something. When Sakura implored what was on his mind, she was shocked at what he asked.

"Was Naruto-kun's life…really that hard on him?" he asked gingerly, not sure if he even wanted to hear then answer.

Sakura wasn't expecting that. She took several deep breaths, calming herself down before she brought up such a terrible subject.

"Sai, it was more than you can possibly imagine. Do you remember that boy in ROOT you told us about? Your brother?"

He nodded grimly.

"Naruto didn't have that. He had absolutely no one for the majority of his life. The only interaction he had with the villagers was when they insulted or threw things at him."

Even Sai looked horrified, his normally blank expression twisted into an expression of disgust.

"Some of his classmates treated him even worse. Iruka never asked him where the bruises came from, because he was too damn proud to admit what happened. The rest of us? We didn't even care." Her muscles tensed up, her hands clenching into fists.

"I was one of the worst, if not _the_ worst. I called him useless, a loser. I told him the one thing I hated in this world was him…" She had stopped moving again, and Sai could see the ground dampening at her feet from where unchecked tears poured down her cheeks. Unsure of what he was supposed to do in this situation, he settled for placing a hand on her shoulder. It seemed to calm her down a bit, and she was able to speak again.

"Any sane person would have lost the will to live. They would have just given up…"

And despite her sadness, Sakura couldn't help but smile. "But as you know…Naruto isn't exactly sane."

Before Sai could react, she had turned to face him, and he saw every shred of guilt and sadness leaving her eyes, replaced by a look of fierce determination.

"That idiot never backed down on what life threw at him. Like I said before we first started this, Naruto is the single person in the village who most deserves to be happy. I'm not going to give up until I achieve that! HELL YEAH!" she shouted defiantly, temporarily forgoing their need for anonymity.

Sai couldn't help but genuinely smile at her determination. As she spoke, he was reminded of Naruto's determination to bring Sasuke home, back when he had just been added to Team Kakashi. At first it had confused him how someone could be so willing to fight for what others wouldn't understand, but as he looked at his teammate…no, his _friend_…he understood.

If you know it's _right_, you'll always find a way.

"If you believe so strongly in this, Sakura-san…For Naruto-kun's sake, I must believe in it strongly as well."

She smiled brightly at his words, playfully jabbing him with her fist.

"Now that's what I wanted to hear! Come on, we're almost there." Falling back into sneaky mode, the two friends made their way behind one of the buildings, before finally (and thankfully) discarding their costumes. Making sure they were alone, they leapt up to the upper floor of the building they were at, which just so happened to be the jōnin standby station. Kakashi had allowed them to use it so they could plan without having to worry about Naruto and Hinata wondering where everyone was, and it had been surprisingly helpful.

Sakura rapped on the door two times in quick succession. Taking a momentary pause, she knocked three more times, with the last knock being considerably louder. There were a few (namely, Shikamaru) who had said that coming up with a secret knock was just a little too over the top (or as he put it, troublesome), but the others felt that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Upon the correct knock, Sakura heard a click on the other side of the door, letting her know it had been unlocked. They walked in to find the rest of their group waiting for them, lounging in the cushioned benches that lined the windows. Several of them were laughing as they walked in, clutching at their sides for some unknown reason.

"What's so funny?" Sakura asked as she shut the door behind her and reset the lock. Kiba grinned broadly, eager to tell the story.

"Okay, so get this…me and Shino were on our way here right? Well, I forgot mine and Shino's disguises, so he had his bugs keeping an eye out for Hinata or Naruto. So we're about halfway there, when Shino tells me that Naruto's headed this way, and fast."

"What did you do?" Sakura asked, getting curious.

"I just leap into the bushes to hide until he was gone, but Shino's just standing there, and I'm like freaking out, trying to get him out of the street. But he just stays put, waiting for Naruto to show up!"

Sakura was getting worried. What if Shino's stoniness ruined their whole plot? She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what happened next, but was still curious as to why it was so funny.

Meanwhile, Kiba was now in another fit of laughter, finishing his little tale in between breaths. "So Naruto comes around the corner, and before he can see Shino…"

He grinned.

"The guy takes off his sunglasses and puts his hood down! Naruto just walked right past him!" He couldn't hold it any longer, and rolled around on the floor, gripping his teammate's ankle to try and contain himself. Shino remained stolid, though the others could swear he look amused if you got close enough.

"Does that mean you saw what Shino looked like?" Ino asked, though the question had been on everyone's mind.

He shook his head, looking thoroughly disappointed. "I was already behind him when Naruto showed up. By the time I caught up, he had put them back on. And I really wanted to see that, too…" he grumbled.

While everyone wanted to pester Shino until he was willing to do it again, Sakura knew they didn't have time to waste. While Kakashi had given them use of the room, if another jōnin walked in that wasn't aware of what they were doing, they would be asked to leave. Even if most of the ninja in the village were actively working, one mishap could ruin their entire plan.

"Okay guys, quit bugging Shino." The insect user raised an eyebrow at her word choice, but was still grateful that she had the others stop bothering him.

"Now, we've been making good progress so far. I want whoever's had an opportunity with Naruto and Hinata to explain what they did and how they reacted, just like usual."

Ever since their little meetings had become a regular thing, Sakura decided it would be best to discuss what they had done, so as to keep them from getting their stories mixed up. This time around, Kiba, Ino, and Tenten all had something to say, as well as Sakura, who was busier than all of them combined when it came to her devious plot.

Kiba was the first to relay his tale. He had invited Hinata and Naruto out to a movie he knew was gonna be scary. Purposely sitting towards the end of the row, he had planned to force Naruto to sit next to Hinata, where she would cling to him during the scariest parts. But apparently, according to a now-snickering Kiba, it was actually Naruto who would grab onto her during the scary parts, yelping in terror. Hinata had sat through the whole thing with him practically holding her hand, and needless to say she was a little loopy when the movie finished.

Ino had taken advantage of when Akamaru had ruined Naruto's jumpsuit, and had invited Hinata shopping at the same exact store where Kiba was buying Naruto a new one as he promised. With some cooperation between the two, Ino had been able to make sure that Naruto was walking byy when Hinata opened the changing room door, as well as vice versa. A little more scandalous in Sakura's opinion, but if the blushing Naruto and Hinata were doing the entire time was any indicator, it was effective nonetheless.

Tenten's story wasn't actually something she had planned, but more so just a lucky coincidence. Her and Hinata had been training for the better part of the morning a few days ago, and she had suggested they go to the hot springs to relax. What they didn't know, was that Naruto had had this idea as well. At the sound of his voice on the other side of the bath, the image of Naruto without clothes had shut Hinata up for the entire time they were there, despite Tenten's numerous playful suggestions that they take peek through the dividing wall.

"And what have you been up to, Sakura?" Ino asked, curious.

Sakura couldn't help but grin at her own intelligence.

"Well Ino, I'll tell you. Being Tsunade's apprentice and all has its perks." She bragged, earning a snort from her rival, which she ignored.

"And so a few days ago, I was in her office helping her with some filing while Shizune-neesan was out. Tsunade had to leave for a moment, leaving me alone in her office."

Shikamaru grunted. "You didn't do anything _illegal_, right Sakura. Because that would be way too troublesome to deal with."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "No, nothing like that. But I saw the construction assignments for the next few weeks sitting on her desk, and I may have let my hand slip and place Hinata with every assignment Naruto has for the rest of the rebuilding project."

Everyone nodded appreciatively. Her bragging was well-placed; that was indeed a good idea, as Naruto would never question Tsunade's orders. Okay, so maybe he would question the hell out of them every now and then, but he always carried through with them.

"We've been making some great progress during this time," Sakura said proudly, addressing everyone present for their contributions to their 'cause', "but I believe it's time we step it up again."

"Oh this sounds like fun…" Shikamaru grumbled, idly scratching at his arm.

Sakura ignored him and continued speaking. "We need to enact another one of our scenarios. In particular, I think it's the perfect time for Scenario E."

Chōji scratched his head. "Which one was Scenario E again?" he asked as he popped open a brand new bag of chips.

"Lee, tell Chōji what Scenario E is, please." Sakura requested. Upon seeing Lee's blank expression, she threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Does _anyone_ remember what Scenario E is about?"

No one made a sound, except for Shikamaru snoring.

"Honestly, why do I even bother!" Sakura moped, gently massaging her temples to ward away the headache that was starting to flare up. "Scenario E… AKA Operation Guys/Girls Night Out?"

"Oh yeah, that's the one!" Kiba said excitedly. "…What does it involve again?"

Sakura sighed deeply. And she used to think that only Naruto could be this dense.

"We have the guys get together, and the girls get together. When we have Naruto and Hinata separated, we spend that time reinforcing what they think about the other."

"How do we go about that?" Tenten asked.

"For the girls it'll be easier, since it's not that unusual for us to talk about guys. Which we do _often_." Sakura said with a grin, making the males in the room involuntarily start sweating. "The guys will be a little tougher, but you just need to find a way to start talking about us without making Naruto suspicious."

They nodded, already coming up with ways to try and steer the conversation. Kiba in particular had a lecherous grin, and the girls present were worried about what he might have in mind.

"We need to compliment the other in front of them, make them think about them romantically. For Hinata that will be a piece of cake, but Naruto will be a little bit of trouble."

"Yeah, didn't he used to have the biggest crush on you?" Ino asked teasingly.

"I don't even know if he still does." Sakura replied, her brow furrowed. "He hasn't asked me on nearly as many dates, and he just seems different when I'm around him now."

"And are you okay with that?" Ino continued to prod.

Sakura put her hands on her hips. "It helps make it easier for him to think about Hinata that way, so at least there's that."

Ino looked confused. "But that doesn't really answer my-"

"We don't have time to nitpick over the details!" Sakura snapped, slightly irritated. Ino didn't raise any more questions, but several of the others were a bit confused at Sakura's cryptic answer. She didn't give them any more time to mull it over, though, as she continued right on speaking.

"Now, as we talked about, Chōji will invite the guys out to barbeque for the special buffet they're having tonight. _That's believable enough…_" she mumbled the last part, but he wouldn't have heard her even if she had screamed it, his mind drifting off to the vast amounts of delicious foods he would scarf down that evening.

Sakura rolled her eyes and turned to Ino. "Do you think it could be possible for us girls to spend the night at your place? Getting Hinata cornered in a girly setting like that will be perfect."

Ino squealed with delight, completely missing Kiba's snickering, and the resulting bruise from Sakura. "Ooohhh, that sounds like so much fun! It's been too long since us girls have been able to just chat and do girl things. We're gonna have such a great time!" Kiba made a disgusted face, much to the amusement of the other males present, which earned him yet another bruise, this time from Ino.

"Now that we've got that squared away, let's get started on-" Sakura was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

_Knock Knock._

"Uhhh…occupied?" Sakura tried weakly. If they got kicked out now, they'd have to find another place to work, which would put them at risk for being found out. The door swung open anyway, and revealed none other than the fifth Hokage, who looked very confused at what she was seeing.

"…what are all you doing in the jōnin standby station?" She said suddenly, eyeing all of them suspiciously. "Neji is the only one out of you that is allowed in here."

Sakura rushed up to her master, trying to divert her attention.

"T-Tsunade-sama! Can I help you with anything?"

The Godaime pushed past her apprentice, making her way to the center of the room. "I was looking for Kakashi. Needed to discuss something with him….okay, just what's going on in here?" she demanded, folding her arms in disapproval.

"Uhhh, what ever are you talking about?" Sakura squeaked meekly, shriveling under the piercing bronze eyes of her master.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Sakura. You've been acting strange for quite some time now, and I _will_ be told what is happening. Unless you need some…_persuasion_." She cracked her knuckles menacingly, and everyone in the room winced at the sound. They knew better than to cross Tsunade, and started to give Sakura pleading looks, anything to save them from Tsunade's wrath.

For a few seconds, Sakura looked as if she would defy her master. She carefully returned her stare, eyeing her up and down. Finally, she hung her head in defeat, and relented.

"Kakashi lent us the room for our meetings…" she mumbled, not looking Tsunade in the eye.

"Meetings? What kind of meetings?" Tsunade questioned. The others avoided her gaze when she turned to them, trying to avoid being addressed.

"We've been holding meetings to…well, you see we're…" Sakura stumbled over her words, unsure of how to say it. A vein in Tsunade's forehead began to pulsate, her patience wearing thin.

"Spit it out, Sakura, or I'll have you changing bedpans at the hospital for the next 8 months!" she shouted.

"We''am." Sakura replied in one quick breath. She told her of their intentions, of how they were trying to make Naruto and Hinata hook up romantically, and that they needed the standby station to discuss details in private.

Tsunade remained silent throughout, keeping eye contact with Sakura as she spoke, her expression impossible to read.

At the end of Sakura's explanation, she suddenly stood.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves! Really, grown shinobi acting this way?"

Everyone hung their head in shame. Of course getting chewed out was inevitable, but it didn't make it any less unpleasant.

"I mean, not only are you concentrating more on this little scheme of yours than the well-being of our village, but worst of all-"

Sakura winced, not wanting to hear what she had to say next.

"You didn't invite me!"

Her eyes shot back open, revealing a very smug-looking Tsunade. Did she just say what everybody thought she had said?

"…Ma'am?" she asked meekly, as if trying to confirm the truth.

"You heard what I said, Sakura." Tsunade replied idly, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "You go and plan all this, and you don't even get me in on this action?"

She had her hands on her hips, giving everyone in the room a mock scolding look. The others couldn't help but just stare dumbfounded. The Hokage, one of the most powerful ninja alive today, wanted to help them hook up two teenagers? It was almost too bizarre for them to believe, but as it was happening right in front of them, they had little other choice.

Tsunade plopped down in the open seat next to her, whipping out a bottle of Sake from who-knows-where. Taking a quick swig, she chuckled at everyone's reaction.

"What, is it so strange that the Hokage wants to spend time with the people she swore to protect?" Her expression softened as her thoughts shifted to the young man she considered a younger brother. "Listen….Naruto is special to me, and the way Hinata treats him is just too cute. I want him to be happy, so if you need me to pull any strings, as the fifth Hokage there's no one better suited to help you."

She took another quick swig of her drink, gesturing wide with her arms.

"So…are you gonna get me caught up or not? Don't skimp on the details now!"

* * *

><p>"Hey Old man! Another bowl please!"<p>

Teuchi smiled at Naruto. "Sure thing, Naruto! Another large miso comin' up! How about you, little lady? Care for another helping?"

Hinata shook her head shyly. "No t-thank you, Teuchi-san. I couldn't eat another bite. But thank you; it was delicious."

"My my, what manners! Naruto, why can't you be as polite as your girlfriend here?" he teased, much to his favorite customer's annoyance.

"I told you she's not my girlfriend!" he shouted. "Besides, with how much business I bring you guys, you should be treating me like royalty!"

Ayame rolled her eyes. "As if you would _ever_ be considered royalty. You have the table manners of a five-year-old."

Naruto gave Ayame an indignant look, unaware that he had ramen sauce spilling all over his chin, much to the others' amusement. "I do not! It's just that it's so delicious, I can't help myself!"

"Well thank you for the compliment!" Ayame replied brightly, before turning around to help her father prepare his next helping.

Naruto and Hinata, without even really thinking about it, had made lunch at Ichiraku a regular thing. Oddly enough, they were continually assigned to the same construction sites during the day, giving them loads more time to spend with one another, which they both enjoyed greatly. Just as Naruto promised, he wanted to spend more time with her so he could regain the rest of his memory, and was overjoyed to discover that Hinata was a wonderful person to be with once you got past the shy exterior. While he still didn't understand all the blushing and the occasional stuttering, he found her to be a patient, caring, serene individual. It was someone who balanced his more exuberant personality, and he couldn't help but appreciate that.

Hinata meanwhile, was happier than she had been in a long time. If someone were to tell her that she would be having daily lunch meetings with Naruto, chatting about whatever popped into their head, she wouldn't have believed them. But here she was, listening to another one of Naruto's silly stories, and she couldn't stop the goofy grin that was plastered all over her face.

He was currently embroiled in his grand tale about his daring rescue of the Princess Gale, aka Koyuki Kazahana, in the Land of Snow.

"You know, Naruto-kun…" she said softly, not really wanting to interrupt him, "that sounds a lot alike our m-mission in the Land of Vegetables with Haruna-san."

"Really? How so?" he asked simply, slurping another mouthful of ramen.

"Well, they have both had their fathers, the daimyo, killed when they were very young. They both became sad and lonely as they grew up, and they were both rather rude to you when you first met them." She couldn't help but hide the slight hint of disproval in her voice, not understanding why anyone would want be unpleasant with Naruto.

Naruto looked surprised. Now that this was pointed out, the two situations really did have a lot in common. "Wow, you're right! But you don't need to get all worked up about how they were at the beginning! I didn't really like them when I first met them either!" he joked.

"But I am happy that they treat you so much better now. Especially Haruna-san…" she mumbled the last part, but it did not escape Naruto's ears.

He poked her teasingly. "Are you still going on about that, Hinata? It didn't mean anything; it was just her being friendly!"

What Naruto was referring to was the kiss on the cheek Haruna had given Naruto upon her arrival to the village, something Hinata had stumbled upon. Naruto knew she wasn't happy about it, but couldn't even fathom the true reasons as to why.

He grinned cheekily. "What's the matter? You jealous?" he teased, unaware that that was the very reason it had made her so upset.

Hinata blushed deeply, averting his eyes as he laughed. If only he knew it was true, he might understand just how it made her feel. But he had asked her not to tell him anything about what she had said to him, and so by extension Hinata didn't want to hint at the way she truly felt. So she came up with a different reason, one that also wasn't entirely false.

"I'm just saying, Naruto-kun…you must be a little wary of people who change so quickly."

He took his attention off of his food for a moment, looking Hinata in the eye again. The way his eyes were piercing through hers made her uncomfortable. Whatever she said, must have annoyed him, and Hinata regretted it the moment it came out of her mouth. It just didn't sound like her at all.

"But Hinata…isn't that what happened with Neji? He used to be so cold and cruel, but after our fight…"

This made Hinata feel even worse. How could she have forgotten about her own cousin, who before his bout with Naruto, might have killed her if he got the chance? He had changed so much, and Hinata was ashamed that she had forgotten that it was all because of Naruto. He was the reason Haruna was now the way she was too, now that Hinata considered it.

"Of course, Naruto-kun. I was foolish and juvenile to think like that. Please forgive me…" she lowered her head in shame, unable to meet his eyes.

Naruto realized he had made her upset, and turned away from his meal entirely. It was just food after all, and here was someone he now considered a very close friend feeling guilty because of him.

"Hinata, I didn't mean it like that. I don't think you're the jealous type, and you're right. You really are," he insisted, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"B-but you're still right, Naruto-kun. I should have more trust in people, like you do!" She was telling the truth, as the faith he was able to place in complete strangers was one of the things about him that amazed her most.

Naruto's smile faded. "In fact, there's something you should know about me. I… actually don't really trust that many people fully. I just can't." (.com/watch?v=OLJyeJPu0M8)

Hinata was shocked. She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to find some words of comfort, _any_ words, but her breath remained hitched in her throat. Naruto saw how surprised she was, and laughed bitterly.

"Heh. Surprising, isn't it?" he turned away, staring blankly at his food. "Growing up like…well, like I did, trust is something you learn not to give out so easily. I had that beaten into me more than anything else." His word choice made Hinata cringe, but he didn't stop. It actually felt somewhat liberating to talk about it.

"I would tell myself that it would be different with this person, that they would treat me like they said they would. I guess the bruises I had afterward showed me how wrong I was. And back with Mizuki…" he trailed off, his body involuntarily shuddering.

Hinata couldn't hide her confusion. "Naruto-kun…are you talking about Mizuki-sensei? The man who was sent to prison? What does that have to do with you?" She had only heard that the former chūnin had stolen something from the Hokage, and was sent to prison because of it.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Well, originally he told _me_ to steal that scroll. That if I succeeded and learned a technique from it, I could graduate. I was so desperate, I didn't even consider what I really did."

She was horrified at his words. This man had used Naruto for his own gain, to steal something that was punishable by death if caught with it? She gingerly leaned into his shoulder as he continued.

"But then he tried to take it back. He called me worthless, he called me a freak." His hand drifted towards his stomach, and Hinata's heart dropped. "…he was the one who told me about _this_." A light sob hitched in his throat, and Hinata wrapped both of her arms around him at this point, hugging him tightly.

"He tried to kill me, Hinata. I thought that since he was a teacher, I could trust him. If Iruka-sensei hadn't come when he did, I…" He sighed heavily. "He was only one of three people I trusted back then. And it had taken me years to even manage that. After what he did, it's been so hard to let people in. I don't think I'll ever be able to trust anyone quite the same because of that."

'_Naruto-kun only had three people he could trust back then?'_ Hinata thought to herself, hugging him tighter. It was the best she could do to comfort him, not wanting to interrupt him. She knew he needed to say this, to get it out in the open.

"That doesn't mean I don't _like_ everybody," he continued, "but I'm just being polite, and even then I don't exactly have the best manners." He didn't sound happy, but he had at least calmed down somewhat.

"Even now, I can count the people I trust completely on one hand. There used to be others, but they're not around anymore…"

He felt Hinata's eyes on him, and could see the determination in them.

"I hope you can feel that way about me someday, Naruto-kun. I'll do whatever it takes to be there for you."

Naruto smiled. "And who's to say you already aren't?"

He laughed happily at the look on Hinata's face, his mood improved. It was another thing he liked about her; no matter how sad he could be, she could always manage to cheer him up. Teuchi had just finished Naruto's third bowl, and brought it over.

"Let's just let you have this one on me, Naruto," he said with a soft smile, briefly clapping Naruto on the shoulder, who cheered loudly.

"YAHOO! Thanks, Old man!" And with that, he dove into his newest helping, completely back to his old self. Hinata watched him eat, grinning as broadly as he was. He had been so honest, so open with her, it felt wonderful to be there for him, and she hoped it could be like this forever.

* * *

><p>"And that's just about everything we've done so far." Sakura finished, exhausted. She slumped into the bench behind her, trying to catch her breath.<p>

Tsunade eyed her with amusement. "You've really gone all-out on this, haven't you Sakura?" she said, tossing the now-empty bottle of sake into the now-empty seat next to her. Since it was all information the others had already heard, they had snuck out one-by-one, leaving Sakura alone to deal with the now very tipsy Tsunade.

The Godaime wrapped a loving arm around her student, hiccupping slightly. "So you never told me why you wanted to do this all of a sudden."

Sakura smiled. "The same reason as you, really. I want Naruto to be happy, and Hinata treats him better than anyone else I can think of. When we came back from our mission, I saw the way Naruto looked at her, the way he had the few weeks before we had even left. And Hinata…well, she's looked at Naruto that way ever since I can remember. She deserves him more than anything else…" Her face fell slightly, and even through the alcohol Tsunade could see something was making her upset.

"You shouldn't feel guilty, Sakura. We all have things we did in the past we regret, even though we shouldn't. You should be happy you want to help your friend. Naruto cares for you in a way he never will for anyone else. You're his closest friend, and he will be no matter what." She stood up, and raised Sakura's chin with her own hand, giving her a motherly smile.

"Now just let me know if you need me to help with anything in your little scheme. And if you don't include me at some point in this fun, I _will_ start doing things on my own." Sakura knew she was only teasing, but the tone in Tsunade's voice made her shudder anyway.

Tsunade wandered out of the standby station, singing happily, as she somehow managed to pull another bottle of sake out of nowhere, leaving Sakura by herself.

'_I feel bad for Shizune-neesan, having to put up with THAT all the time.'_ She thought amusingly to herself, before heading out the door to find Chōji and Ino so they could start the net big step in her plan.

* * *

><p>"Okay, there they are." Sakura whispered to her two companions, as they lay hidden among the construction materials. Just in front of them, Naruto and Hinata were happily at work helping a family rebuild their home, completely unaware of their presence.<p>

Ino stood to go invite Hinata to her house, just like she was supposed to do, but Sakura's arm shot out in front of her, nearly decapitating her.

"What the hell are you doing!" she hissed. "If Naruto sees you, he'll get curious, and will be even more so when Chōji invites him out to dinner with all the guys. You need to find an opportunity when Hinata's by herself!"

Ino sheepishly retook her hiding place, just before Hinata turned around to investigate a noise. She shrugged when nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

'_That was close…' _she thought to herself, wiping the sweat away from her brow. Making sure they wouldn't be seen, Sakura got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Ino asked.

"I'm going to go see when Naruto and Hinata are finished for the day. That manifest over there should tell us what we need to know." Sakura replied. As quiet as a mouse, she snuck out of their hiding place and began making her way across the construction site, trying not to attract the attention of anyone there. Slinking behind the stacks of lumber, she quickly reached the other side unnoticed. Stealth wasn't her strongest skills, but Sakura was proud of her skills nonetheless.

'_Okay let's see here…' _she thought as she quickly thumbed through the papers. _'Here we go, 5:30! That gives us about three or so hours to get ready.' _

She shut the ledger, and prepared to sneak back across the clearing to tell Chōji and Ino, but was stopped by a sudden voice crying out.

"GAH! I am so stupid!"

Sakura recognized the voice as belonging to Naruto and instantly froze. If she was caught here, she could just explain that Tsunade had wanted her to check on this particular schedule, but the other workers wouldn't believe such a weak story. She was supposed to have copies of them anyway, and Naruto would get highly suspicious. She say there motionless, hoping he wasn't about to rush over and discover her.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" she heard Hinata ask him.

"I just realized I've been working for over a week now, and I haven't used a single shadow clone! That would have made our jobs so much easier!"

Sakura head dozens of pops from behind her hiding place, and took a quick peek over it to see just how many clones he had made.

There must have been almost a hundred, and Sakura's breath hitched. How the hell was she supposed to make it back across _now_? It would be a miracle if she didn't run into one of the many Narutos now hurrying about, vastly increasing the productivity of the work. Suddenly, an idea hit her.

She concentrated a vast amount of chakra into her fist, as much as she could muster, before slamming it towards the ground. However, she pulled back at the last possible second, and the resulting shockwave brought up a massive cloud of dust that quickly filled the entire area.

"What the hell!" she heard Naruto say in surprise, followed by a round of coughing from everyone present. Sakura saw her chance, and began making a mad dash through the impromptu smokescreen.

"Hey, is someone there?" Naruto called out, barely able to make out a figure through the dust sprinting across the site. The mystery person didn't stop however, and soon they had disappeared from sight as everyone continued to hack the dirt out of their lungs.

"Okay, I've had enough of this crap. Rasengan!" Naruto called out, he and his clones concentrating chakra in their hands. The rapidly spinning wind chakra dissipated the smoke far faster than Sakura had anticipated, and had barely returned to Chōji and Ino when the smoke had fully cleared.

"That was too close…" Sakura said breathless, as she heard the Narutos and everyone else try to figure out what had just happened. Ino and Chōji nodded wordlessly, having viewed the entire thing from their perch.

"Okay, according to the ledger, Naruto and Hinata get off at around 5:30, so we'll need to keep a close eye on them and make sure they're completely alone when we ask them out. You guys got that?"

Again the two nodded silently. Sensing they would be there for a while, Chōji popped open another bag of chips. Ino shrugged, and dove her own hand into the bag. Her diet could take this.

* * *

><p>With the help of Naruto's clones, they had finished up their work at that particular site in record time. They could have had the rest of the day off, but Naruto and Hinata were enjoying each other's company so much that they simply moved on to another site they weren't scheduled for, and started helping them, much to their delight. Although their shift was almost up, the two of them were still working diligently, surprising considering how Hinata was keeping up with the one ninja world famous for his boundless energy.<p>

Meanwhile the troupe of Sakura, Ino, and Chōji were fast asleep against another pile of lumber. Little had happened the rest of the day, and they had been lulled into sleep by the pleasant weather. Several bags of chips lay scattered around them, evidence of just how bored they actually were.

Naruto and two of his clones were right in the middle of lifting another beam when a chūnin leaped down to greet him.

"Good-evening, Naruto-san. I am here to inform you that your shift is officially over. You and Hinata-san have earned some rest with all your hard work."

Naruto flashed the man a toothy grin, giving him a thumbs up. "No problem! If I'm gonna be Hokage, I need to help my village however possible!"

The man smiled at Naruto's enthusiasm, and with a quick bow to Hinata, leapt off to inform other shinobi workers that their shifts were done. Hinata stretched gratefully, eager to spend the rest of her evening relaxing. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Naruto twiddling with his fingers, much like she did, and determined he must be nervous about something. Her own stomach grew light with imaginative possibilities of what it might be.

"Hey, Hinata…I was wondering something…" he started nervously.

"Hmmm?" she grunted idly back. Inwardly she was holding her breath. Could he be asking her on a date? To be his girlfriend? Oh, her mind leaped at the possibilities.

"It's okay if you don't want to…" he said even quieter. By now Hinata was desperate to know.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" she questioned innocently, trying to look as cute as possible.

"Would you want to go eat ramen again? I know we had it for lunch, but I've just got that hankering!"

Hinata smiled lightly to mask her slight disappointment. Well, it wasn't a date, but it _was_ more time with Naruto. But to be honest, she was a little afraid he might just be being polite, and in reality was growing tired of her presence. Whether or not that was the case, Hinata didn't want him to know what she was thinking, and quickly thought of an excuse.

"I would love to Naruto-kun, but Otō-san wants me back at the house for an early sparring session," she replied plainly. That was true enough.

Ever since that day when Hinata came under the assumption that her father had blamed Naruto for the failure of their mission, Hinata had grown much less conscious about putting more effort into their training, now well-willing to give him a bruise or two if it taught him a lesson. Hiashi had merely accepted this as her taking things more seriously, and had taken a greater interest in her progress as a result. Hinata still didn't like what her father had said, but she saw no reason to hold a grudge, and had forgiven him. To be honest, it had actually improved relations between them, something she couldn't help but be grateful for.

Naruto nodded sadly, and Hinata wanted to drop everything and join him anyway, but she felt she needed to get used to the idea that they couldn't spend every waking moment together. If they became a couple (which she hoped for every day) this feeling would get all the more stronger, so Hinata decided it was best to go ahead and start preparing herself for it.

The two shared an amicable farewell, before going their separate ways. Naruto's mood soon improved as he made his way towards Ichiraku, it being impossible for him to stay upset when the thought of his favorite meal was on his mind. He was only about halfway there, when a hand suddenly stretched out from an alleyway, before yanking him into the shadows.

At first Naruto struggled against the large, and somewhat greasy hands holding onto him, but relaxed when he saw it was only Chōji, chuckling at him.

"You know, a 'hello' would have been fine!" Naruto grumbled, dusting himself off.

Chōji shrugged. "Hey, if I hadn't done that, I don't think anything else could have stopped you from reaching your precious ramen." He said jovially, scratching at his sizeable belly.

"Damn straight it's my precious ramen! I'm starving over here, so what is this all about?" Naruto asked, folding his arms impatiently. If he had to wait much longer for his meal, Chōji would be right. No one would be able to stop him from satisfying his need for ramen.

Chōji bowed low, enjoying himself as he made a grand display out of his simple invitation. "I, Chōji Akimichi, hereby invite you out to Barbeque with me and the rest of the guys. Kiba, Lee, Neji, Shino, and Shikamaru, the whole gang's going!" He spread his arms wide as he finished his sales pitch.

Naruto eyed his friend suspiciously. "What about Ino, and Hinata? Or Tenten and Sakura? Why wouldn't you invite them?"

"It's a Guys Night Out type of thing," Chōji replied. "Bros before Hoes, understand?" He held out his fist for Naruto to return.

Naruto laughed. He had certainly never heard that one before, and started giving the idea some thought. Even though he really wanted his ramen, he had kind of wanted to enjoy it with Hinata, but that was now out of the question. In fact, now that he thought about it, it had been all Hinata all the time for a while now. A night out with the guys might be just what he needed.

"That actually sound like a good time. Count me in!" he replied happily, accepting Chōji's fist with his own.

The Akimichi grinned broadly. "Awesome! We're meeting up at Yakiniku Q at around 7ish, so we'll see you then." He patted his friend on the shoulder, and headed his own way down the streets of the village.

Naruto smiled to himself, glad he actually had plans again. Look at him, having a thriving social life! He began heading back home get ready, completely oblivious as to what the true purpose was.

Meanwhile, Hinata was about halfway home when she found herself in a very similar situation to the one Naruto just escaped from; dragged into an alleyway by some unknown assailant. She tried screaming, but whoever was grabbing on to her had the smarts to cover her mouth. Hinata wasn't as dense as Naruto however, and promptly smashed her foot into her assailants instead. Ino howled in pain, and Hinata immediately regretted it.

"Ino-san! I…I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you!" she cried, holding the other woman as she hopped on one foot.

"No no, it was kind of my fault…" Ino grunted as she tiptoed out of the alleyway still hanging on the Hyūga. "I probably could have handled that better. I just wanted to catch you before you got home."

"Is there something you need?" Hinata asked as they started wandering aimlessly around the village until Ino could walk on her own again.

"No, nothing like that. Listen, you're coming over to my house, and there's no getting out of this. Tenten and Sakura are coming too, so it'll be fun. Just a night for us girls!"

Hinata gave her friend a sad smile. "I wish I could, Ino-san. But my father and I need to-"

"Ahhh, forget about your stuffy old man!" Ino interrupted, finally regaining the sense in her foot. "I just said I'm not taking no for an answer, so you better be there at 7ish!"

"Okay…okay, how about a compromise?" Hinata said throwing her hands up to get back her personal space. "I'm going to train with my father, but I can s-show up afterwards if you're okay with that."

Ino put her hands on her hips, looking Hinata up and down. Finally, she threw up her hands in defeat.

"Oh, alright fine! But at least take a shower before you come over. I don't want you all sweaty when we start talking about boys!" She giggled at the thought of what awaited Hinata that evening, and wasn't sure the poor girl's cheeks would be able to take all the blushing she would be doing.

Which Hinata was doing just now, her face a light red.

"Of course Ino-san. I'll show up when I can."

Ino hugged her friend briefly, squealing with delight. "Oh, thank you thank you! You are going to have _so _much fun tonight! I'll see you then!" Ino gave her a few more details, and then raced off to go get ready, leaving Hinata shaking her head in the middle of the road. She turned around and started to head back the compound. Truth be told, she was actually looking forward to tonight. It had been far too long since she had just hung out and done girl things.

Little did she know, Hinata was going to have a night she certainly wouldn't forget for a long, long time.

* * *

><p>Naruto stared at the contents of his closet, unable to decide. I mean, you're supposed to wear nicer clothes when you get invited out to dinner, right? But at the same time, isn't that for only when you're going with a girl? There wouldn't be any of the girls there so Naruto was thoroughly confused as to what was appropriate. Shrugging it off after several minutes, he grabbed a long-sleeved pullover that was a dark green, with a spiral design embroidered into the shoulder.<p>

'_Heh. Never thought I'd be glad Akamaru crapped all over my tracksuit!' _Naruto thought happily to himself. It was true, ever since Kiba's dog had soiled his favorite outfit, Naruto had allowed himself to wear more varied things. After all, if he wasn't leaving the village, there wasn't any need to get dressed in his usual outfit, right? Besides, he liked the looks he got now that he wore clothing that other people would consider normal, especially from the ladies.

'_I wonder what Hinata would think of this…' _A light blush decorated his cheeks as he realized he had thought of the Hyūga girl for practically the third time that evening.

He was looking forward to spending the night out with just the guys, but a small part of him that he couldn't pin down wished the girls would be joining them for the sole reason that he could see Hinata again. The feelings he encountered whenever he spent time with her had gotten very confusing, but he enjoyed their time together nonetheless.

He sighed. There was no reason to get worked up over it anymore. Giving his hair one last run through in the mirror to make sure it looked nice and messy, he headed out the door to meet up with everyone.

The evening air felt a little cool, and Naruto was glad he had chosen to wear a long-sleeve. Several villagers greeted him as he walked through the streets, waving at him happily or simply nodding as he passed. He couldn't say he knew most of them, but the gesture was appreciated anyway, so he always greeted them back, wishing them a good evening or something similar. It was strange, it had been quite some time since Tobi had declared his war on the Shinobi world, and yet nothing had happened since. Intelligence gathering from all five of the great countries had been barely successful, with them unable to track down the Akatsuki's whereabouts. Many people had started to forget that a war was even being planned, the very air in the village denying it. And so they went about their business, no longer afraid as they once were, and it made Naruto glad to see all the people of his precious home so happy.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at Yakiniku Q, which seemed much busier than usual. He saw a sign hanging outside, and moved closer to investigate.

_Special Deal Tonight!_

_All-You-Can-Eat Buffet_

_Come on In!_

Naruto smiled. They were going to regret giving Chōji such an opportunity to eat them out of their own building. His own stomach growled, and he was glad he had had a light lunch; it left him more room to stuff himself silly.

As he slid open the door and walked inside, a man behind the counter hurried over to greet him

"Naruto-sama! What an honor it is to have you in my restaurant! You are here with Chōji-sama's group, correct?" he said busily, almost swooning over the blonde.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Aww shucks, you don't have to say that! And yeah I am with Chōji. How did you know?" he asked.

The man smiled broadly. "When we have an Akimichi in our midst, you _have_ to know."

Naruto laughed loudly at the man's joke, surprising several of the other customers. Naruto guiltily apologized for scaring them, and turned back to the man.

"Chōji-sama has rented out one the private rooms for you and your friends to share. If you would just follow me, I will lead you there."

Naruto nodded gladly, and followed him across the restaurant floor. He rapped on the door several times before sliding it open, revealing the others waiting for Naruto.

"Hey guys!" Naruto exclaimed, taking a seat between Kiba and Shino, who scooted over to give him some more room.

"I'll be back in just a moment with a drink, Naruto-sama," the man said, bowing himself out.

Kiba gave Naruto a look of mock surprise. "Ohhh, we're sama now, are we? When did the village's greatest knucklehead start commanding so much respect?"

Naruto chuckled nervously. "I'm sure he's just being polite. That's just what he's supposed to say. Isn't it?"

Chōji shook his head. "Nah, this place is more informal than other restaurants. The only other people he calls –sama are me and my family, so you should consider yourself honored." He held up his glass to the Uzumaki, which only made him more embarrassed.

"Why does he call you that?" he asked, though he had a sneaking suspicion as to why the Akimichi clan was so popular around here.

Chōji gave him a look as if it was obvious (which it was). "Because my clan brings more money to this place then the rest of the village combined!"

Everyone laughed at Chōji's joke, though Shikamaru only chuckled slightly. Even Shino nodded, and that was about the biggest sign of merriment you were going to get with him.

I propose a toast!" he said, raising his glass. "To a night of fun with just us guys! May we eat until our bellies burst!"

Everyone answered his toast except for Naruto and Shino, who had not received their drinks yet. Instead, the blonde awkwardly raised his hand, earning him a round of teasing from Kiba.

"So what has everyone else been up to?" Naruto asked, taking a sip of his drink which had just arrived. "I know I've been working construction for the most part, but I haven't seen you guys around much."

"I've been working with my clan to help distribute our food stores to the village most effectively," Chōji replied. "We see how much we have, how much we're getting donated to us from other villages, and we ration it as best we can."

Naruto nodded. It was a good idea to put the Akimichi clan in control of food; they would certainly make sure none was wasted. "What about you, Bushy-Brows?"

Lee looked up from telling Shikamaru another wonderful story of training with Gai-sensei (Even though Shikamaru was hardly paying attention), and flashed him his nice guy look.

"I have been working with construction the same as you, Naruto-kun, though I have been mainly delegated to stonework. My weight training with Gai-sensei has helped me greatly, so I must attribute their reasons to that. It fills me with honor to serve my village with my youthful strength, as it is-"

"Okay okay, I get it Lee!" Naruto interrupted. "You don't have to tell me your whole life story!"

Lee smiled in apology as Naruto turned to Shino, who was patiently waiting for the waiter to bring his drink, now the only one without one.

"Okay Shino, you're up next! What have you and your bugs been up to?"

Truth be told, The Aburame was glad someone was curious about his work. But his mission's success was delicate, and so he couldn't divulge many details. He informed everyone about that the most recent group of bandits had been mysteriously removed from the village by people unknown, and had been found murdered outside the village's walls. It had been set for his clan to discover as much as they could as to the reasons behind it, as well as who was responsible.

"Man, that pisses me off that those guys got pulled away from us right from under our noses. If we had stayed there just a few minutes longer, I bet we would have been able to stop them, right Shino?" Kiba called out in annoyance.

"That remains impossible to divulge," Shino replied, pushing his sunglasses up his nose. "Until we are able to gather enough information so as to assess the enemy's strength, it is best to assume they would have fooled us as well."

Kiba snorted in his own response. "Tch. As if they could fool _me_!" He turned to Naruto. "Also, if you were wondering, that's what I've been mainly up to. Tsunade-sama wanted to lessen the number of ninja she had on guard duty to focus more on construction so we could finish in time for the festival. It's been pretty much same old same old. I catch stupid bandits, we beat 'em up, send them to jail."

Naruto nodded, and did a quick head count. Neji and Shikamaru still needed to tell him what's what; his curiosity _must_ be sated.

"Alright pretty boy, you're up!" he said happily, motioning for Neji to speak.

The Hyūga set down his drink, and gave his friend a slight glare. "I can only assume you're talking to me," he said icily. Suddenly, his expression suddenly lightened. "After all, I'm the most attractive one here."

"Where the hell did that come from?" Naruto whispered to Kiba, his eyes wide with surprise.

"I may or may not have slipped a little something something into his drink." Kiba replied devilishly, briefly flashing an unmarked bottle to Naruto, who snickered at the thought of Neji drunk.

The others had turned their heads in the Hyūga's direction, staring daggers at Neji, who only chuckled softly at his own joke.

"If you must know, Hiashi-sama has requested I train other members of the clan in the art of the Gentle Fist."

Naruto smiled happily. "Good for you, Neji! I'm glad he finally knows how talented you are!"

Neji was taken aback at the sudden genuine praise, and returned the gesture with a genuine smile. "Thank you, Naruto. I appreciate that."

The blonde grinned wickedly. "But I am a little worried. Are you telling the others about the Hyūga clan's secret weakness?" he asked.

Neji looked confused. "Secret weakness? What are you talking about?" It was no common knowledge of the Byakugan's blind spot, and Neji was slightly worried about this information being leaked from somewhere. It was most likely Hinata, he guessed. Her attraction to Naruto would make her susceptible to…

Naruto interrupted his thoughts with an even wider grin. "Why, your glass jaw of course!"

The entire table erupted into laughter. What Naruto was referring to was their match during the finals of the chūnin exams. Despite him barely making a scratch on the Hyūga genius, one solid punch to the jaw was all it had taken to knock him out of the fight. Neji still got lip for it from some of the elders every now and again, and it was one of his most embarrassing memories.

Neji looked away, flustered. "That was a lucky blow, Uzumaki! Perhaps a rematch would show you just how far I've come?" he challenged, smirking at his friend.

"I look forward to the challenge." Naruto answered confidently. The two stared at each other for a moment longer, before chuckling and settling down.

"Hey, Lazy-ass! It's finally your turn!" Naruto shouted across the table, snapping Shikamaru out of his daze.

"Do you mind? I was listening to something else," he said, slightly annoyed. Naruto waved his complaint off.

"I'm sure you'll get over it. You gotta tell me what you've been doing these past days!"

Shikamaru yawned. " I don't know why you would want to know, it's really more troublesome than anything else. Tsunade-sama has me coming up with strategies with my dad for the various squads. How to utilize their strengths and weaknesses effectively. It's so annoying…"

Naruto had been agreement with the boring part, and had actually stopped listening halfway through it. Instead, he had thought of something much more interesting to talk about.

"What about you and Gaara's sister? You ask her out yet?"

All conversation stopped, and everyone turned to look at Shikamaru, who was now widely awake. The thing is, he wasn't surprised that someone brought it up. That was how Sakura decided they were going to bring up the girls in the conversation, but what was amazing was that Naruto did it himself. He couldn't help but smile to himself; Naruto was almost doing this for them.

Before he could answer, the door slid open once more, and their waiter appeared.

"Your food will be arriving shortly. I hope you're hungry!"

Chōji rubbed his belly expectantly. "Oh, you have no idea! I'm gonna go for a new record!"

The waiter chuckled, and shut the door behind them. Naruto turned back around to Shikamaru, giving him a cheeky grin.

"So…you were saying, Shikamaru?"

* * *

><p>Hinata was a little nervous. This was the first time she had done something like this, and wasn't exactly sure as how to proceed. Sure, she had certainly spent time with Ino and the others, but never had spent the night at someone else's house before. Her father had been vehemently against it, but after their evening spar, and after acquired several new bruises, he reluctantly permitted her to go. Hinata couldn't help but feel proud of herself. While her father was still technically winning their matches, she had been able to land more and more hits on him over the past few days. It was only a matter of time until she was an even match for him, and Hinata relished the thought of being able to defeat her father. She imagined it would feel liberating, as if all those years of his harshness and coldness to her would just melt away.<p>

She sighed. Hopefully that day would come soon, but there were other things to worry about. Ino had insisted she leave her jacket at home, and despite her protests, Hinata had finally given in. She was currently wearing a dark blue t-shirt and a pair of white pants. She stood outside of Ino's door, unsure of what to do next. Is she supposed to just walk in? Or should she knock? Thankfully, her fretting didn't last much longer, as Ino suddenly opened the door for her. She herself was dressed in a dark yellow tank top, with a pair of very short pants. Hinata blushed at the boldness of Ino's outfit, especially since she was practically showing anyone who wanted to take a peek what she was wearing. However, she didn't seem to mind, and squealed in greeting.

"Oh Hinata, you look adorable!" she said, hugging her lightly. Hinata smiled in gratitude, feeling better about her clothing choice. Ino gestured for her to come inside, and Hinata found herself in the living room, Sakura and Tenten lazing around on the couch. She waved shyly in greeting as they rushed over to say hello.

"That looks so cute on you, Hinata!"

"See, I knew Ino was right in telling you to leave those jackets at home!"

Hinata blushed underneath all the praise. From just a few short minutes she had been extremely self-conscious about what she was wearing, to feeling like the prettiest girl in the village. It was a strange feeling, but Hinata couldn't deny that he liked all the attention.

"T-thank you…" she peeped, taking a seat on the sofa. Ino soon rejoined them, bringing in some snacks from the kitchen.

"My dad made this for us. You'll love it!" she exclaimed, setting the food down in front of them. Hinata giggled at the thought of Ino's father in a frilly apron, whipping up dinner every night. Ino's mother was currently out, working on deciding the flower arrangements for the festival, so it was just the girls and Inoichi at home.

"So Hinata, what have you been up to recently?" Ino asked idly.

"Well…I have m-mainly been working on helping rebuilding the village," she replied.

Sakura grinned. "You've been working a lot with Naruto, right?"

Hinata froze, her cheeks heating up already, and she had only been here for 5 minutes!

"y-ye-yes…I h-have.." she barely managed to stutter out, much to the other girls' amusement.

"You should stop being so embarrassed, Hinata!" Sakura told her. "I mean, you like spending all this time with him, don't you?"

Hinata couldn't help but smile. "Y-yes…I've really gotten to know Naruto-kun a lot better over the past few weeks." Her expression furrowed somewhat. "B-but, I am a little confused. Naruto-kun and I have been always assigned to the same construction sites, something that is very peculiar."

The others shared a knowing look, but shrugged so as not to make her suspicious.

"Well, it certainly wouldn't bother me any, spending all the quality time with that hunk." Ino said coyly, causing Hinata to blush an even deeper red. It wasn't exactly a lie, either. Naruto unknowingly had the infatuation of many of the village's girls because of his looks; it was just his personality that they couldn't get past.

Sakura smirked. "What's the matter, Ino? Getting a little jealous?"

"Pssh. As if. I mean, sure that knucklehead is pretty cute now, but he's just not my type." She suddenly winked at Hinata. "Besides, I think he's interested in someone else!"

By now all of Hinata's blood must have rushed to her cheeks, she was so embarrassed. But Ino's words made her curious.

"W-what do y-you mean, Ino-san?" Hinata asked quietly.

"Oh, don't act like you don't know! Naruto is starting to like you!"

Hinata seemed confused. "Of course he would, Ino-san. Naruto-kun and I have become good friends recently."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Not that way, Hinata. I mean he's starting to like _like_ you!" The tone in her voce was suggestive, and Hinata unconsciously brought a hand up to her chest. Did she really think Naruto was starting to like her?

"Do you...r-really think so?" she asked gingerly, her hopes rising.

"We all do!" Sakura piped in. "Hinata, I know Naruto better than anyone else. I see the way he's been looking at you over the past few weeks, and I wouldn't be too surprised to see if he asked you out soon!"

Hinata's heart soared. Oh, if Naruto was to ask her out on a date, to be his girlfriend…it would be the happiest day of her life! She couldn't stop the blissful sigh that pushed through her lips, causing the other girls to giggle.

"Sounds like someone wants that to happen!" Tenten teased. "Hinata, Naruto would be lucky to have a girl like you, and I don't think that even _he_ is that stupid to continue and ignore what's right in front of him."

Ino giggled again. "I know, right! You have like, the best pair I've ever seen. Aside from Tsunade-sama's of course!" She motioned to her chest, and the others blushed deeply at her bold words.

"I-Ino! Don't say stuff like that about Tsunade-sama!" Sakura protested, not having planned Ino to say that.

"Oh come one, you know it's true! Right after her, Hinata has the best body in the entire village!" She turned to the Hyūga, giving her another wink. "If you'd like, we can go shopping sometime to help you show off those curves!"

To their surprise, Hinata actually nodded happily. "T-thank you, Ino-san. I w-would like that." If Naruto was starting to show interest in her like Ino had suggested, it wouldn't hurt to find some new clothes.

For the next half hour or so, the girls chatted with one another, swapping stories and enjoying each other's company. Sakura would tell everyone about what was going on in the hospital, and Ino would tease about how clumsy and old-fashioned her father was, despite his numerous protests from the kitchen. Suddenly, Ino shot out of her chair, and rushed out of the room. She came back in holding an empty bottle, and everyone eyed it suspiciously. What exactly was she planning to do with that.

"I just got the greatest idea for a game we can play!" Ino exclaimed, motioning for everyone to gather around while she placed the bottle in the middle of them.

"You…can't be serious, Ino." Sakura stated bluntly, her cheeks turning slightly red.

Ino smacker her across the head lightly. "No stupid, it's nothing like that!" We're just going to use the bottle to decide whose turn it is in…"

She spun the bottle, grinning widely.

"Truth. Or. Dare."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Oh ho ho, fun times are ahead for the Konoha Gang! Much hilarity will ensue next chapter, so you have that to look forward to. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. And if you liked what you read, a review is just the best way to make my day!

One thing you can do to help me out (only if you want) is to help spread the word around about the story. Tell a friend, send a message, let's get it out there! But only if you really like it, I don't to sound like I'm desperate or anything, because I'm doing this mainly because I enjoy it, not because my ego needs attention.

Though that does help lol.

Until next time! Can't wait to continue on this crazy ride with all of you joining me!


	11. A Night of Men and Women (Part 2)

**Author's Note: **And here you go, Chapter 11! Now, I would have had this one out sooner than usual, but I hit several road blocks during the writing process, and ended up speeding through it to get it out of the way. That extra time then went to cleaning up the grammar and overall poor writing. It's been vastly improved, but I still consider this one of the weaker chapters. Everything should be back to normal come Chapter 12 though, so do not fear!

I tried experimenting a little with the songs I used for you guys, so hopefully that goes over well. If not...well, just be sure to tell me.

Thank you so much for all the reviews! I'm pretty sure I got over 10 for that last chapter, which is a huge accomplishment to me! I may not list you guys out individually as much anymore, but you know who you are, and your contributions are the reason I continue! I am truly glad to know I'm entertaining this many people.

Last, but never least, don't forget to copy/paste the ( yakkowakkodot) links into Google, and letting the music it loads play while you read! Enjoy Chapter 11!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: A Night of Men and Women (But Not Together!) Part 2<strong>

"Truth…or Dare?" Hinata said dumbly.

"Oh come on, Hinata! Don't tell me you've never played Truth or Dare before?" Ino replied, giving the Hyūga a look of disbelief. When she insisted she hadn't even heard of the game, much less played it, Ino could only shake her head in amusement.

"Well, I guess this will only make this game all the more interesting. Sakura, could you tell her the rules while I'm gone? I'm gonna go get some more stuff from the kitchen." She stood up, and left the room for a few minutes to procure more snacks from her father. Checking to make sure she couldn't be seen by the others, she pulled out another bottle from underneath the sink, but this one was completely full. Ino quickly dumped a few drops into each of their glasses, a devious smirk on her face.

"This ought to get everyone to _loosen _up. _Especially_ Hinata," she whispered to herself, giddy at the thought of what was to come when everything started to take effect.

Sakura smiled. "Don't worry Hinata. You'll have it down in no time!"

Hinata nodded nervously. This game wasn't going to embarrass her, was it?

"So, in this game you have Truth, and you have Dare. We spin the bottle, and whoever it lands on is asked whether or not they want Truth or Dare. After you go, whoever it lands on next, you're the one who gets to ask Truth or Dare." Sakura explained, spinning the bottle again as she spoke.

"What's the difference between the two?" Hinata asked.

"Exactly like it sounds!" Tenten piped in. "If you choose Truth, you have to answer one question truthfully, and if you pick dare…" She looked to Sakura, and the two of them were giving Hinata a very strange look, before erupting into a fit of snickering.

"You have to do the dare we tell you to do, no matter WHAT."

Hinata gulped. She in particular had a _very _long list in both categories of things that would embarrass her greatly, and she wished she could have told them she didn't want to play. But it was too late for that now, and she could only swallow her fears and hope for the best. After all, she could ask them embarrassing things just as easily as they could ask her.

Ino suddenly sauntered back into the room, carrying a tray of drinks and a bag of chips. "Okay girls, who's ready to get this started! I sent my dad out to the store for a while, so we don't have to worry about him…_interrupting_ anything." The tone made everyone else in the room sweat a little. Ino was a wily one, and they were beginning to worry what she had up her sleeve for their evening.

The first couple of rounds were just to give Hinata an idea of how the game worked, with the truths or dares given no taken seriously, despite the fact that some good ones had been thought of. Had this been the real deal, Tenten would have had to wear Lee's jumpsuit for a week, and Sakura would have to go a whole day without wearing underwear in the middle of the winter. Hinata was amazed at how bold they were, which only made her more afraid of what would happen when the real game started. If these were tame ideas, what could they possibly think of next?

"I'll spin it first," she said, giving the bottle a good twist. It spun around slower and slower, and Hinata could hear her heartbeat thump in her chest, deafening her ears.

'_Please don't stop on me, please don't stop on me, please don't…'_

The bottle slowly came to a halt, and the silence hung over the room like a heavy fog.

It had landed on Hinata.

'_Just my luck…'_ she thought to herself, trying to ignore the wicked grin Ino had plastered all over her face.

"Ohh, I was _so_ hoping for this!" Ino said, slapping Hinata on the back. "Okay, Hinata…truth, or dare?"

"Uhhh….t-truth…" she squeaked. That was the better of the two choices, right?

"Okay, let's give her an easy one…! I've got it!" Ino clapped her hands together excitedly. "Hinata…have you ever seen Naruto naked?"

"EH?" the other three girls exclaimed simultaneously. This was supposed to be an easy one? Hinata already looked like she was going to faint!

"Well…I uh…can I pick Dare instead?" Hinata asked meekly, desperately wanting to avoid the answer she would have to give. But Ino wouldn't budge, folding her arms in mock scolding.

"No take backs!" she barked, before sticking her tongue out playfully. "You have to answer it truthfully! Now, have you ever seen Naruto n-a-k-e-d?" she spelled out the letters one by one, making the poor Hyūga even more embarrassed.

"…yes." The others barely heard Hinata's answer, she was mumbling so much. ( watch?v=CM4xOsui5I8)

"What was that, Hinata? We couldn't hear you!" Tenten said in a sing-song voice, smirking at her friend.

Hinata took a deep breath. Well, her life was over. "Yes…yes I h-have."

The other girls' jaws dropped to the floor. Ino had been the one to come up with the question, and even she hadn't expected that answer! When had Hinata…?

"W-w-when!" Sakura finally asked, her own cheeks brushed with a light tinge of red.

"Oh, I've already told you…d-do I really have to tell you _how_?" Hinata asked desperately.

Ino, Sakura, and Tenten quickly shared a knowing look. Technically, she didn't _have _to, but they weren't about to be denied such a good story.

"Yes, you do," they said in unison. Hinata's head drooped. That was her last hope, and now there was nothing stopping her from dying of embarrassment

"Very well…" she said finally, taking another deep breath. "I was t-training one day out on one of the grounds, when I heard someone else coming. F-from the voice I could tell it w-was Naruto-kun." She began, stuttering quite more often than she had been.

"I hid behind the trees, and he appeared in the c-clearing. He walked straight through it, and headed for the river nearby. I w-was curious, so I followed him."

Ino couldn't help but giggle, but a swift elbow from Sakura shut her up until Hinata could finish her story.

"He had been training as w-well, and complaining about how tired he was…" Hinata continued, her blush deepening with every syllable. "He m-mentioned something about cooling off, and before I knew it he….he.." she couldn't seem to spit out the last part, and the others knew exactly what he did, cracking up into another fit of giggles.

'_Kill me now…' _Hinata sobbed to herself, the vivid memories resurfacing. She felt a little faint, and slumped over into Ino's lap, which only made her laugh harder.

"Okay, let's leave the poor girl alone" Sakura said, but Ino had something else in mind.

"Hinata, I'll let you skip your next turn if you tell me…" she whispered something into Hinata's ear, smirking.

It took over 30 minutes to convince the poor girl to come out of the bathroom and resume the game. While Hinata would forever deny that ever happened, Ino would proudly tell people she had asked about Naruto's…well, let's just say it involved size.

"Okay, Hinata. Now it's your turn to ask!" Tenten said happily, thankful they finally convinced her to come back.

"O-okay…" she mumbled, giving the bottle a quick spin. After a few seconds, it settled on Ino, and Hinata couldn't help but feel like revenge would be served.

"Ino-san…truth or d-dare?" she asked, almost smiling at the turn of events.

Ino stared defiantly back. She was a decorated veteran when it came to this game, and she wasn't about to be flustered by a rookie.

"Dare me!" she loudly proclaimed, brimming with confidence.

Hinata leaned over to Tenten, and whispered what she was going to dare Ino. Tenten shook her head vehemently. Surely she could do better than that! Hinata gave it some more thought, and once again whispered what she would dare Ino to do. This time Tenten giggled hysterically, and even Ino couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Okay, Ino-san…I dare you to kiss Chōji-kun the next time you see him."

Ino's confidence was gone in an instant. _'Well shit,' _she thought to herself.

"W-why do you want me to do that?" Ino said, laughing nervously. Hinata picked up on this, and couldn't help but want to tease her just she had.

"W-what's the matter, Ino-san? Chōji-kun is your teammate, is he not?" she asked, feigning innocence. This flustered Ino even more, an indignant look in her eyes.

"Why does everyone think I have to go out with either Shikamaru or Chōji? Ugh! First it was my dad, and now it's you three!" She threw her hands up in defeat, completely unaware of what she had just said.

"But…Ino-san…" Hinata replied, a cheeky smile spreading slightly across her cheeks. "I didn't say anything about _dating_ Chōji-kun."

Ino mentally slapped herself across the face. She was starting to believe that Hinata had lied about not ever having played before. In truth Hinata hadn't, but she could be a quick learner when she wanted to.

"Oooooooo!" Sakura and Tenten squealed in unison. "Ino and Chōji, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-"

"It's not like that!" Ino interrupted, her face almost as red as Hinata's was not moments ago. "Let's just go to the next turn already…" she grumbled.

"Hold on a second. When are you going to complete your dare?" Sakura asked, making sure Ino didn't weasel out of the binding agreement.

"I'll do it, okay?" she snapped, still trying to recompose herself. She spun the bottle, and it had soon settled on Tenten.

"Okay, Tenten. Truth or Dare?" she asked.

Tenten smiled confidently. "Truth," she said simply.

"Are you and Neji a thing? You know, there are rumors going around the village…" Ino was practically the queen of gossip in the village, so you could trust her sources.

Without missing a beat, Tenten answered. "No, we aren't…not yet anyway," she finished with a smile.

The other three girls had to take a break from the game to grill Tenten about what she had meant. Turns out, Neji could be just as dense when it came to women as Naruto could, and Hinata couldn't help but giggle at the newfound similarities between the two, even if it were her cousin.

"He'll come around eventually." Tenten said confidently. "I'm not about to let him miss an opportunity to be a gentlemen, but if I go to that festival alone, he might find himself with a few new bruises to show for it." She twirled a kunai nobody knew she even had around her finger, and the others couldn't help but feel nervous for the Hyūga jōnin.

"My turn!" Tenten said happily, spinning the bottle. She had forgotten her own strength, and the others ended up waiting over 5 minutes for the bottle to stop, much to their amusement. Now they were _really_ worried about Neji.

It once again landed on Hinata, and she cursed her bad luck.

"Truth or dare, Hinata." Tenten asked her, rubbing her hands together like some dastardly villain.

Realizing the whole game was based around a 'pick your poison' concept, she thought she might as well give the other one a try. She picked dare, and if people were to ask her about it today, she would call it one of the worst decisions of her life.

Tenten look positively evil. "You asked for it Hinata. While Ino is kissing Chōji, I dare you to kiss…!" She paused for dramatic effect, and they could have sworn they heard lightning strike in the background.

"I dare you to kiss Naruto!"

Silence. Even the clock seemed to have stopped working after Tenten's words. Hinata could only stare at her friend, eyes wide with horror.

"Tenten-san…don't do this to me…" she said finally, her voice weak.

"No can do, Hinata. This is something you need to do. If you like Naruto as much as I _know_ you do, you can't back out." Tenten replied firmly. It was the truth; Hinata couldn't be embarrassed about even the thought of Naruto forever. She just needed some tough love to help her make the final plunge.

"No, you _don't_ understand, Tenten-san." Hinata continued to plead. "Naruto-kun and I h-have become close friends, this c-could ruin it! I can't do it…I won't!"

Tenten shook her head. "Look Hinata, I have an idea that that could help you out. Here, just take your turn." She said it with such authority, that Hinata couldn't stop herself from obeying. It spun rather quickly and landed on Sakura for the first time that night.

"Truth or dare, Sakura." Tenten said for Hinata, still in command mode.

"Dare." She answered without thinking it through. She would also come to regret this decision in the future.

Tenten whispered something to Hinata, and she actually managed to calm down somewhat, making Sakura nervous.

"Okay, Sakura-san, if I have to kiss N-Naruto-kun, and Ino-san is kissing Chōji-kun…you c-can do the same with Kiba-kun!" she actually smiled, while Sakura's face was of pure terror. Hinata could chalk this one up as revenge against Kiba as well, for all the teasing he gave her on a daily basis.

"D-Dogbreath! There is NO way I am-"

"You have to, Sakura!" Ino giggled, having caught on to what was happening.

Tenten meanwhile, was proud of her handiwork. Hinata was conscious, Ino wasn't foaming at the mouth, and Sakura now had to smack one on the guy who smells like kibble. "And Sakura, you dare me to kiss Neji. There, now we have nothing about to be embarrassed about!"

Hinata took a careful look at the other three girls as they continued playing, though after the most recent set of dares no one was taking it seriously anymore. Ino looked uncharacteristically nervous, Sakura looked mortified, and Tenten seemed strangely calm about the whole thing. Were they really going to do something like that? What if her father were to hear about it? There's no doubt he would be furious at her at the display. The Hyūga were respected as clan of culture and manners, not a group of hormonal spit-swappers.

Hinata giggled at her own thoughts. It was strange; over the past 10 minutes, the idea of kissing Naruto seemed less and less horrifying. A similar effect seemed to be taking the others as well. Sakura wasn't throwing up at the idea anymore, and Ino had stopped stuttering, though she did look a little loopy.

"Tenten-san…" Hinata whispered, while Ino and Sakura were currently trying to one up each other's bets of running around the village naked. "It's the strangest thing. I don't feel so scared of k-kissing Naruto-kun anymore!"

Tenten smiled warmly. "I knew you'd come around! With us there, you'll be fine! Besides, it might make that idiot finally come up and ask you out!" Hinata blushed at the idea. Maybe that really was all he needed; a sign to see just how much she liked him.

'_But Naruto-kun didn't want us to say anything to him, remember?' _she thought to herself, realizing what smacking one on him might do to that promise.

'_He never said we couldn't DO anything!' _replied the inner, bolder Hinata, who now had more leg room thanks to Ino's little slip of the wrist. _'He just said we couldn't say anything. If this jumpstarts his memory, he just becomes ours all the sooner!'_

She liked the sound of that. To be the one to make the first move; it was daring and confident, something the old Hinata would never do. But she felt liberated right now, like a brand new person.

Ino couldn't help but smirk. She had built a much higher tolerance to the stuff than any of the others, so she was really the only one aware of what was happening. They had gone from being horrified at the dares they were presented with, to chatting excitedly about when and how they would do it.

"Okay then, it's settled!" she said suddenly, leaping to her feet.

"What's settled, Ino?" Sakura asked completely clueless.

Ino grinned from ear to ear. "If we're going to kiss those guys, we might as well make it tonight! I happen to know that Chōji and the rest of the guys are out to barbecue as I speak! I say we crash that party and get it out of the way!" She pumped a fist into the air excitedly.

Before the others could say anything, she took a seat on the floor, and began preparing a technique. The Yamanaka clan telepathy wasn't exactly supposed to be used this way, but what her father didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

* * *

><p>'<em>Shikamaru! Can you hear me?'<em>

The sudden voice in his head snapped Shikamaru out of his sleepy haze.

'_Ino? What are you doing in my head?' _he asked, already annoyed that he now had to listen to two separate conversations; Ino, and Naruto asking everybody in the room what they've been up to. Already this night was proving to be troublesome, and they hadn't even gotten their food yet!

'_Not important! I just popped in to tell you to get ready!'_

Shikamaru didn't like the sound of that. _'Get ready for what?' Are you…drunk?'_

'_No! I most certainly am not!' _Ino's voice shouted in his ear. _'You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?'_

The link was broken before Shikamaru could get anything else out of her. He sighed. This was the last thing he needed right now.

"Hey, Lazy-ass! It's finally your turn!" Naruto shouted across the table, snapping Shikamaru out of thoughts once again.

"Do you mind? I was listening to something else," he said, slightly annoyed. Naruto waved his complaint off.

"I'm sure you'll get over it. You gotta tell me what you've been doing these past days!"

Shikamaru yawned, giving Ino's cryptic words some thought. It sounded like they were coming to stir up trouble, and Shikamaru considered warning the others. After all, whatever she had in mind couldn't be good. That girl was smarter than she looked, though it wasn't often that she used that intelligence for anything other than boy hunting.

After a few more seconds, he decided it was best to postpone telling everyone for later; if she and the others were planning on crashing their party with some scheme in mind, he and the others had some time before they would need to prepare.

"I don't know why you would want to know, it's really more troublesome than anything else," he said nonchalantly. "Tsunade-sama has me coming up with strategies with my dad for the various squads. How to utilize their strengths and weaknesses effectively. It's so annoying…"

Naruto looked bored already. It was one of Shikamaru's favorite ways to avoid talking; he would try and make it seem as boring as possible. Though when it came to Naruto, he honestly didn't have to try very hard.

"What about you and Gaara's sister? You ask her out?"

No one had expected that question to come out of Naruto's mouth. As troublesome as it was, that was how Sakura had suggested they bring up the subject at their end, despite Shikamaru's numerous protests. The others had been too fond of the idea of watching Shikamaru squirm underneath heir prodding, and it only made the current situation all the more amusing since it was Naruto who had started it.

A man came in and quickly offered that their food would arrive shortly, but Shikamaru didn't hear him; he was too busy running through every possible question anyone could ask him about Temari. He certainly wasn't about to be taken off guard.

"So…you were saying, Shikamaru?" Naruto exclaimed, shifting comfortably in his seat once the waiter had left. This was something he would enjoy and savor; like a fine bowl of ramen.

"I don't even know what you're talking about." Shikamaru grumbled in response, attempting his first plan of simply denying everything tooth and nail.

Naruto snorted. "The hell you don't. Whenever she's visiting the village, I see you right next to her. Have you asked her out yet?" he repeated his question, leaning in closer across the table looking very amused.

"I've already told everyone here that I don't like her like that!" Shikamaru insisted, a little louder than he intended. "I just always get stuck with escorting her around the village, that's all."

"But Shikamaru…" Chōji interjected, a jolly smile splitting his face. "My dad swears that your dad said the exact same stuff when he first met your mom."

'_Great…thanks for the help, dad.' _Shikamaru mentally cursed. This was not going as planned.

"As if I'd want to go out with that troublesome woman," he answered, the look on his face back to its usual boredom, instead of the shock and annoyance it had been. "I swear, she can be worse than my mom or Ino sometimes…"

The next few minutes continued like this; People would grill Shikamaru about Temari, and he would vehemently shoot them down. It was only when Kiba started asking some more _personal_ questions that it seemed to get a rise out him, and even then that was only a slight glare he had given the dog ninja. Kiba wasn't the most intellectual of people, but he still took pride in recognizing that he had struck a chord with the Nara clan member.

"Yeah, that's great and all, but when are you going to ask her out?" Naruto pressed, placing his hands behind his head as if he was already the victor in this game of wits. He had completely ignored what all had just been said, and had simply waited for another chance to speak.

Shikamaru smirked to himself. As if Naruto would ever beat him in a game of wits. However, before he could respond, Kiba had finally jumped in with what he had been supposed to do 10-15 minutes ago.

"Alright, enough about her! There's plenty of other fish in the sea to talk about. Some closer to home, if you know what I mean…" the way he was smiling would certainly earn him a slap from almost every single one of the women in the village.

Naruto however, hadn't even caught on to Kiba's meaning. The smells coming from outside caused a momentary lapse in judgment, as the waiters brought in their first helping of the buffet.

"Fish? I thought we were talking about girls?" Naruto asked as the food was set down in front of him. Even the waiters were giving him a disbelieving look.

"You have got to be kidding me Naruto…" Kiba breathed, slapping his palm onto his forehead in shock. "I WAS talking about girls, you idiot!"

"Well how was I supposed to know!" Naruto snapped back. "You said fish, so what I thought of was only logical!"

"Naruto, the day you and logic appear in the same sentence is the day I lose to Lee in shogi." Shikamaru couldn't resist the dig, still wanting payback for the 15 minutes of troublesome questioning at the hands of the others.

"As I was saying…" Kiba said aloud, shooting Naruto a dirty look, "There are some pretty sexy ladies in our own village, Shikamaru. I don't see why you feel the need to outsource."

Naruto looked curious. "Who are you talking about?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, you don't even have to look further than our teams, now that I think about it!" Kiba answered, spreading his arms. "For example, sorry Shikamaru and Chōji, but Ino has one of the nicest asses I've ever seen…and that rack…." He started drooling, and it wasn't because of the food; vivid images of a scantily clad Ino Yamanaka pervaded his mind, and he giggled uncontrollably. Had she been there, she would have most likely pulverized him, as well as her own team, because instead of leaping up to defend her honor, Chōji continued eating, and Shikamaru had once again dozed off.

"Of course, there's also Sakura." Kiba continued, causing both Naruto's and Lee's ears to twitch at her name.

"Sure, she may not have as big a set as Ino does, but they're just so perky…"

Lee jumped to his feet. "Kiba-kun, I must insist you not say such foul things about Sakura-san! I will fight you, if that is what it takes to defend her honor!"

Naruto had jumped up as well. "Yeah, you pervert! You can't say things like that about Sakura-chan!"

Kiba smirked. This is right where he wanted him. "Oh please, it's not like you didn't used to think the exact same thing just a few years ago. I didn't hear you defending Ino either."

The two men shuffled their feet, their hypocrisy exposed. After all, how could you be chivalrous if you only defended certain women?

"My point exactly. You guys think about the same stuff I do, you just don't want to admit it!" he suddenly smiled, and Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.

"Besides…Naruto's interested in someone else now, isn't he?"

Dead quiet pervaded the room, the only noise coming from the other customers outside their private booth. Naruto started to sweat, hoping he had just heard the question wrong. The look on Kiba's face showed otherwise.

"W-what do you mean, Kiba?" he asked weakly. There was no way Kiba could possibly be talking about-

"You're spending a lot of time with Hinata now, aren't you?" the Inuzuka said with a cheeky grin.

'_Shit.'_

"What? No innopropiate remarks about her figure, Kiba?" Shikamaru teased, lifting one eye open. "Seems kind of hypocritical if you ask me."

Kiba reared back, as if he had been struck. "Dude, Hinata's like a little sister to me! Besides, she's way classier than the others!"

"I noticed you have not mentioned Tenten at all. Do you have something against my teammate?" Neji said quietly from across the table, sipping on his tea.

Kiba smirked. "Why do you care? You got a crush on her or something?"

That effectively shut Neji up, who broke eye contact angrily, but could do nothing to hide the hint of red his cheeks were showing.

"Anyway, like I was saying…" Kiba exclaimed, turning back to Naruto. "What's up with you and Hinata recently? Every time I see one of you, the other one won't be that far behind."

Naruto squinted. "It's the weirdest thing, actually. We kept getting assigned to the same construction sites, so we've gotten to spend a lot more time together. She's actually a great person when you get to know her."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Well duh. You would have figured that out years ago if she wasn't fainting all the time around you."

"Hey, that's not my fault!...is it?"

"Like hell it isn't. So, are you gonna ask her to the festival? It's coming up pretty soon."

Naruto fell silent. Was this…where he was going with Hinata? He had been spending so much time with her that he hadn't even considered what it meant. She was kind, patient, and beautiful, and Naruto had loved every day they had had lunch together; it had made him happier than he had been for quite some time. But did he like her _that_ way? Were his feelings for Sakura-chan still there? These simple questions caused a barrage of others to pop up, giving Naruto quite the headache.

Meanwhile, Kiba was getting impatient. It had been weeks since they first started this, and Naruto still wasn't sure he wanted to date Hinata? Kiba would have preferred coming right out and telling him how she felt about him, but he knew that wouldn't be the right way to go about this; it would ruin all the hard work they had spent making everything seem natural. Kiba also felt a little bad for manipulating the two together, but he was well aware of what would have kept them apart. This was for the best.

"Come on, Naruto. You've been looking at her differently since you got back. Don't you think there's something there?"

Naruto put his head in his hands, running rough fingers through his messy hair. "I….don't know. It's true I'm really starting to like Hinata, but I don't know if I like her like that…I mean, she's smart, kind…beautiful…" even though he mumbled the last part, everyone in the room had heard him.

Lee nodded. "I must agree. Hinata-san displays a youthful elegance rare in people our age."

Even Shino nodded agreement.

Neji, however, had kept his eyes firmly upon Naruto the entire time. He had been loath to bring up this part of the conversation, afraid Kiba or Naruto would let their perversion control their words, and end up saying something about his cousin they would regret. But to his pleasant surprise, Naruto had nothing but good things to say about her, and had been careful in his word choice. He sounded honestly confused about his feelings, and even Neji's doubts faded for a moment.

"Naruto…Lady Hinata is very fond of you as well." He affirmed quietly, attracting the blonde's attention.

Naruto's face lit up. "Really! She is?" he exclaimed happily, missing the smirk on Kiba's face. Neji nodded wordlessly, smiling slightly himself.

"You see, Naruto? You like her, she likes you. I say just make the final plunge and start like _liking _her." Kiba pressed, making sure it would be clear he was talking about something more as friends.

Naruto sputtered for an answer, but couldn't find the words. He stuttered for several seconds, before Shikamaru graciously interrupted.

"I hate to interrupt this, but we have company coming." He said bluntly, earning looks of confusion from the rest of their group.

"Company? What on earth are you talking about?" Neji demanded, annoyed. Being raised in the Hyūga clan taught him impeccable manners when eating, but the only problem is you eat incredibly slow. Neji had barely made it through his appetizer, and wasn't about to be interrupted in the middle of his meal. Whatever Shikamaru was talking about, it had better be important.

"Ino sent me a message a few minutes ago." he replied, pointing to his head. "And she didn't sound all there. Me and Chōji know her best, and when she's like that, she can get a little….flirty."

Chōji nodded in agreement, well aware of what she was capable of.

"Do you know what Ino-san is planning?" Lee asked curiously.

Shikamaru shook his head. "No, she cut off the connection before I could ask. We should assume the worst, however, and plan accordingly." He smiled suddenly, and the others could practically hear the cogs in his head turning.

"If they want to play that way, I say we give them what they want. But this demands retaliation."

"What did you have in mind?" Naruto questioned, knowing Shikamaru always thinks of good ideas.

Shikamaru smiled even wider, actually looking very interested for once. "Well Naruto, as Konoha's master of pranks, I think we should defer to you."

Naruto's smile matched Shikamaru's, and even Kiba felt sorry for whatever they had planned for Ino and the other girls.

* * *

><p>"Okay, so run through what we're doing one more time."<p>

Sakura stumbled over the rooftop they were jumping on as she asked the question, the extra ingredient Ino had added taking full effect. A light blush constantly decorated all of their cheeks, and they broke into a fit of giggles every few minutes.

"We're crashing their party, of course!" Ino replied loudly. "We're going to disguise ourselves as some of the waiters bringing some more food to fool them, get in front of our respective victims, and lay one on them right on the lips! They won't know what him them!" She giggled at the thought of her perfect plan. There was no way it could go wrong!

Hinata had kept silent for most of the way there, despite how giddy she felt. It was amazing, 10 minutes ago she would have rather died than go through with what she was about to do, but now she was so excited she could barely contain herself. The thought of kissing Naruto made her heart flutter, and she found herself checking her breath every few seconds. Hey, if she was gonna kiss him, she might as well make it a pretty damn good kiss. Had Hinata been in her right mind, she would have decided that this way was not the way to show Naruto her feelings, but she was too busy feeling loopy and giggly to think about that.

In a few minutes, they had made it outside the back of the restaurant, where the dumpsters sat next to the back door. Ino loudly shushed the others, and the lay in wait for some workers to come outside for to dump the garbage. When they did, Ino and the others would pounce.

Sure enough, two workers carrying a two trash bags each appeared outside heaving the refuse into the dumpster.

"HEY BOYS! Check _these_ out!"

The two unfortunate men turned around to find the source of the voice, and upon seeing Ino's bare chest, promptly passed out from the blood loss through their noses. They slumped to the ground silently, unmoving.

"Victory!" Ino called out, running over to collect their quarry. She tossed the two men over to the others, where they were in another fit of laughter at Ino's chosen method of 'attack'.

"Wait a minute…why didn't we just use the Transformation technique?" Sakura asked, scratching her head.

Yet another fit of giggles as the girls realized their mistake.

They gently set the two unfortunate cooks up against the wall, before quickly transforming into four of the employees dressed in their cooking clothes.

"Ooooh, we look good!" Ino said excitedly, admiring the way her figure cut in the apron in a broken mirror lying in the dumpster. Her voice was deeper due to the transformation, making the sight extremely strange should anyone pass by.

"Okay, let's just do this! It smells like grease out here!" Tenten complained, holding her nose to keep the stench at bay. The others nodded silently, and slipped inside unnoticed. ( watch?v=9SzhjG6OkvI)

The actual kitchen was much, much bigger than any of them had remembered, but since the Akimichi clan was involved in rebuilding, it wasn't that big a surprise. Dozens of cooks and waiters hurried back in forth in between massive stoves and ovens, wafting delicious smells everywhere. Sakura drooled a little at the corners of her mouth, and for second considered abandoning the plan, and just joining Naruto and the others for a free meal. But suddenly Ino was on the prowl, and she snapped out her daze and followed her, along with Hinata and Tenten. The ducked and weaved their way through the kitchen, doing their best to avoid being recognized as doubles of cooks already there, a task harder than they originally thought, what with all the stainless steel surfaces everywhere shooting their reflections bouncing across the room. Ino's lack of inhibitions allowed them a little more freedom with their moral compass, so when no one was looking, she took it upon herself to sneak some food for her and the others to munch on while they continued on their way.

In a matter of minutes, and with several very close calls with the head chef, they found themselves outside Naruto's and the others room, out of the kitchen, and in the restaurant area.

"Okay, here we are. Sakura, grab some more food, and put it on a platter. Hinata, you get a couple of pitchers for you and Tenten to refill drinks." Ino commanded, trying to keep her voice down.

Sakura shuffled over to an unattended tray covered with plates full of food. It took everything she had not to eat it all herself, it smelled so good.

At the same time, Hinata had grabbed a pitcher of water, and had handed Tenten a few pots of tea to play on another tray she had found lying on an unused table.

Ino took one last look over their disguises, before giving a nod of approval.

"Okay girls, that's about as good as we're gonna get. You ready to do this?" she asked excitedly, practically bouncing up and down. Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata nodded enthusiastically.

Shushing them one last time, Ino held up three fingers, signifying when they would head inside.

2 fingers.

1 finger.

"Got some more grub for ya!" The 'waiter' said happily, sliding open the door to reveal Naruto's group. They said nothing, but looked excited for the next course. Ino and the others strutted into the room, meandering as casually as they could towards their 'victim': Ino took her place next to Chōji, Sakura shuffled towards Kiba (who was playing tug-of-war with his food with Akamaru, much to her disgust), Tenten boldly strode over to Neji, and Hinata shyly appeared next to Naruto, who beamed at her widely.

Ino shot them all a look, and they began setting the food down randomly, really selling the disguise. Once all the food was laid out, Ino gave the signal.

All at once, the four girls leapt to the table in front of the boys. 4 puffs of smoke erupted from the 'employees', filling the entire room. The boys coughed and erratically waved their arms, trying to clear the smoke from the room. The guys reared back in surprise when it revealed the 4 girls instead of the workers, looking very, _very_ bold.

"Hey boys!" Ino said as seductively as she could, plopping down on the table in front of Chōji, who opened and closed his mouth in shock.

She began twirling a strand of blond hair in between her fingers, giving the Akimichi heir a playful wink.

"So sorry to interrupt, but we just wanted to drop by and tell you something." She turned around and looked at the other three. "Isn't that right, girls?"

Hinata blushed slightly, but nodded. Naruto still hadn't said anything, struck dumb as the beautiful girl was only inches away from him.

"What's that? You want to know what it is we wanted to tell you?" Ino asked when they remained silent. "Well…we'll tell you. Now girls!"

The four of them slowly leaned forward, their eyes closed. Hinata in particular was starting to have second doubts, her heart pounding in her chest.

'_Come on Hinata…you can do this. It's just Naruto-kun,'_ she tried to affirm herself. She took a deep breath, and leaned forward. She could feel his hot breath on her face, and it took everything she had not to faint right there. Suddenly, Naruto laughed. ( watch?v=0k3onazsn_Q)

She cracked open one eye to see what was wrong, to see her beloved grinning like an idiot in front of her. He seemed so calm, like he was expecting this. He opened his mouth to speak…

And then he barked instead.

"What the hell!" Ino shouted, falling back in surprise from the weird sound. The entire room erupted into smoke for the second time, clouding the girl's vision. When it cleared, it was their turn to look horrified.

Sitting around the table, wagging their tails happily, sat 8 clones of Akamaru. Before the girls could react, they pounced.

"SHIKAMARUUU!" Ino screamed, as the happy hounds greeted her with thousands of sloppy kisses. The other girls suffered the same fate, unable to escape the affectionate barrage. Despite their predicament, the four girls looked almost relieved. Ino's little concoction must have worn off, and now they were just glad they hadn't gone through something they would have regretted, especially Hinata and Sakura.

'_Naruto-kun…' _Hinata couldn't help but smile at his cleverness; she knew he had come up with this, as there was no one else in the village as devious when it came to pranks as he was. She giggled as the Akamaru clones continued to lick her, nuzzling into his large body with a hug. Hey, might as well make the best of a bad situation.

The other girls continued to try and escape, but it was no use. Because there _is _no escape when you try to prank Naruto Uzumaki. And this wasn't over…not by a long shot.

* * *

><p>Naruto grinned. He and his friends sat on a nearby rooftop, enjoying the show from afar. They had explained to the cooks their predicament, and had been allowed to take another helping with them to eat while they watched events unfold below.<p>

Behind him, everyone was collapsing over themselves with laughter, amazed at Naruto's creativity. Kiba, surprisingly, wasn't joining in on the merriment; something that was very strange.

"What's eating at you?" Naruto asked, plunking down next to him.

Kiba grunted. "Gee, 4 hot girls were about to make out with us, and you ask me what's wrong?" He fell to his back, covering his eyes with his hands.

"Ahhh, they were a little drunk too! Who knows what they would have been up for! This sucks!" He continued his little tantrum, but Naruto was ignoring him at this point.

'_Hinata was…drunk?' _It made sense. The way she was acting was not your average Hinata, but Naruto still never thought Hinata would do something like that. It was something he wasn't sure he liked.

As if noticing his change in mood, Shikamaru appeared behind him, patting his shoulder.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Knowing Ino, which I do, she probably added something to whatever they were eating or drinking. She's done the same to me and Chōji…troublesome woman."

Naruto looked ecstatic. "Really, so Hinata wasn't really thinking about kissing me?"

Shikamaru smirked. "Well, I can certainly tell you she didn't _now_. But who's to say she wasn't thinking about it?" Before Naruto could protest, he had joined Chōji and Lee who were arguing over who had the best reaction.

Naruto's cheeks turned a slight hint of red. What if Hinata really _did _think of him that way? Sure, she may not have kissed him, but she certainly could have been thinking about it, for who knows how long. It was honestly kind of flattering that someone thought of him that way. He grinned from ear to ear. This night was getting interesting.

"Okay everyone," he spoke up, standing to address the rest of the group. "Those girls may have failed in their little joke due to yours truly, but they were still planning on pulling one over us. I don't know about you, but I can't just sit by and let them get away with that!"

Lee flashed a toothy grin. "The night is still young, Naruto-kun! What did you have in mind?"

"First, we need to find out where they're headquartered. Ino couldn't have convinced them to do this out of the blue, so they were probably together already."

"Since Ino is their ringleader, I would just assume they came from Ino's house." Shikamaru added in idly, taking note that it was also Ino who had contacted him in the first place.

"Good point!" Naruto exclaimed. "We need to strike, while the iron is hot, so let's head over that way and show those girls why it's a bad idea to mess with Naruto Uzumaki.

Whilst everyone was pumping themselves up, a complex scheme was forming in Naruto's head. It would involve the girls, yes, but the guys of their troupe would also become pawns in his game. He had taken note of something he noticed during Ino's failed kissing prank thing, and his curiosity urged him to test this new theory of his.

* * *

><p>This. Is. DISGUSTING!" Ino screamed, Akamaru's slobber practically dripping off of her as she finally had the chance to get back to her feet. The others hadn't fared much better, except for Hinata who had had the pretense to put her hood up before the onslaught. When the clones had finally dispersed, Hinata simply shrugged her jacket off, leaving her (mostly) spittle free.<p>

"When I get my hands on those idiots, I swear I'll rip them in half!" Sakura agreed, having grabbed all the napkins nearby in an attempt to dry herself off. "This has to be Naruto's doing. No one else would have the balls to go through with something like this. How did they know we were coming?"

Ino lowered her head sheepishly. "I…may have told Shikamaru beforehand with my clan's telepathy."

Tenten shook her arms off in Ino's direction, coating the Yamanaka in another layer of dog slime. "Why the HELL would you do that!" she exclaimed, giving her a disbelieving look.

"I didn't think they would act on it! Plus…we may have been a little drunk…" She muttered the last part under her breath, but Sakura picked up on it anyways.

"We were…what! Did you drug us?" she demanded, shaking her friend by the shoulders.

Ino slapped Sakura's arms away, retreating to the other side of the room. "I just wanted to loosen everyone up! Just think about it; you and Hinata never would have done this if you hadn't been a little tipsy!"

Hinata blushed. They had really dodged a disaster there. Her first kiss with Naruto was supposed to be romantic, with fireworks going off the background, not with her drunkenly ambushing him in the middle of dinner.

"At l-least we didn't go through with it…" Hinata mentioned shyly. "I think we all would h-have regretted it in the long run."

Ino shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But those guys better spend the next few days checking behind them every few seconds. I'm not about to let this go."

"Me either!" Tenten piped in.

"Or me. Payback is gonna be sweet." Sakura added.

"Glad to hear it!" Ino said happily. "Let's just head back to my place for a shower. I want to get this stuff off of me as soon as possible."

And so the girls headed back to Ino's home, eager to wash the Akamaru off of them. The need to clean themselves of the dog slobber kicked some energy into their heels, and within a matter of moments, had arrived back at Ino's home.

Unaware that in a matter of minutes, Naruto had booby-trapped her house.

"Hey Dad, we're h-" Ino never got to finish her sentence, as when she swung open the door, a huge pile of feathers propelled by a fan shot towards them, the sticky dog slobber being the perfect adhesive. When the chaos cleared, Ino, Sakura, and Tenten resembled chickens more than they did people, while Hinata had thankfully avoided being feathered since she had taken her spit-covered jacket off earlier. For a few seconds the Hyūga could only stare at the sight in front of her, her mouth gaping, before she fell into a fit of uninhibited laughter.

From the shadows, Naruto couldn't help but blush at his success at making her laugh. The first part of his grand master plan had been executed perfectly. Behind him, the guys attempted to contain their laughter at the sight in front of them. Naruto grinned devilishly. It was about time he started part 2. With a quick hand sign, dozens of Naruto clones quickly surrounded their group.

"Hey guys…?" Naruto mocked, lazily wandering towards them, before pulling out a buzz-clipper. "You might want to hold still."

The sounds of the guys screams went unheard, as Naruto's cunning was unleashed to its full capacity.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Ino shrieked, desperately trying to get the thousands of feathers off of herm, but to no avail. Tenten choked out a small sob, one of her favorite outfits ruined by Naruto's prank. Sakura remained silent, but the level of killing intent radiating off of her could even be felt by Naruto, who was still watching from afar.

"I think we should just g-get inside before anything else happens." Hinata suggested quietly. The others quickly heeded to her idea, locking the door behind them and shoving all manner of furniture in front of the door to keep the mad Uzumaki out.

"I call first shower!" Ino shouted, racing up the stairs much to the others' annoyance. However, they would look back and be glad that Ino had called dibs.

Tenten and Sakura stood awkwardly in the entryway, not wanting to ruin any of Ino's furniture with their mess, while sat idly by stifling the occasional giggle at the sight in front of her.

All of a sudden, and ear-splitting scream erupted from upstairs, greatly surprising the others. After a few tense seconds, Ino appeared at the top of the stairs, clad only in towel. The others couldn't figure out the specifics, but she didn't look happy at all.

"Someone shut off the water!" she howled, covering her hands with her face. "I bet this is all that Naruto's fault! Oh, I told you guys we shouldn't have done that earlier!" She held her hands to her face, now thoroughly miserable at their predicament.

"Actually, it was you who wanted to do it in the first place…" Tenten mumbled, gently patting the girl on the back in an attempt to soothe the grieving girl. Suddenly, her head snapped up, a look of horror plastered across her features.

"What if…what if he's not done with us yet!" she questioned, beginning to tremble. Sakura just rolled her eyes at how dramatic Ino was being, but she couldn't deny that she was slightly worried that Naruto wasn't finished yet; he could be quite vindictive with his pranks if he wanted to. More than anything, though, she just wanted to get a shower.

As if to confirm Ino's fear, there was a sudden knocking on their door.

"Don't answer it!" Ino hissed. "It could be a trap!"

"Oh, don't be such a wussy." Tenten replied, heading over to the door to peek through the hole. The sight behind it sent her into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, you guys HAVE to see this!" she exclaimed, dragging the others to the door before swinging it wide open.

Standing before them stood the guys of the Konoha 11 (along with Sai), looking normal for the most part.

Except for the fact that their heads had been shaved in various places.

"That idiot ambushed us with his clones." Shikamaru stated bluntly, not seeming at all fazed by the polka-dot pattern of bald spots on his head. "Before we knew what was happening, he had us tied down and at his mercy…man, this is gonna be so troublesome to explain to my dad…"

"I swear when I get my hands on Naruto, I'm gonna kick his ass into next week!" Kiba roared, clutching at Akamaru who had Naruto's name shaved into his fur (After that incident, Naruto considered them even for destroying his favorite tracksuit).

And so the boys and the girls just stood there for several minutes, unable to speak. Then, without warning, they all burst into laughter. The events of the night just fell off of their shoulders as they laughed with and at one another, at the misfortune at the hands of one Naruto Uzumaki.

Speaking of Naruto, he was still currently hiding from the rest of the group, a positively evil grin splitting across his whiskered face. He had really outdone himself this time. There was but one last piece to his grand puzzle, and it looked like that was about to fall into place.

"I'll make you a deal, Neji…" Tenten spoke up as she wandered over to her teammate. "I'll help you fix that mess on your head if you let me grab a shower at your place. I have a feeling Naruto shut down my water the same as he did Ino's."

The request took Neji by surprise, but as he glanced at his shoulder, where his hair hung in random clumps as opposed to the clean, straight cut, he couldn't refuse. He offered his arm out to Tenten, who graciously took it, before beginning the short trip to the Hyūga compound.

Ino suddenly perked up, having took a liking to Tenten's idea. "Hey, Chōji! Same deal as those two?" she asked, pointing to Neji and his teammate before they disappeared from view. Chōji said nothing, but the light blush decorating his cheeks suggested he was fond of the idea as well. He could only nod dumbly as Ino yanked him towards the direction of his own home.

Despite the excited, and slightly hopeful look on Lee and Kiba's face, Sakura shook her head.

"Sorry guys, but I'm pretty sure even Naruto couldn't shut off the water for the entire hospital. Tsunade would have his head if he tried." Before any of them could protest, she leaped to the rooftops, leaving only Lee, Kiba, Shino, and Shikamaru left.

"You guys do know why he did this, right?" Shikamaru asked idly, running a hand through his (now lessened) hair.

Shino nodded wordlessly, but Kiba and Lee looked confused.

"Then I guess there's still more about girls that you need to learn about." Shikamaru proclaimed, before lazily turning on his heels, and heading home. Lee and Kiba followed shortly after, eager to get home to keep anyone else from seeing their baldness. Only Shino remained, and for several seconds Naruto could have sworn that he was looking straight at him. But nothing else happened, and soon Shino had left as well, leaving Naruto alone to contemplate on his success.

Most people wouldn't realize this, but Naruto could be vastly more perceptive when he wanted to. He had noticed Chōji would take more care with his dinner manners when Ino was around, and Neji didn't seem as tense when Tenten was with him. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the rest, and Naruto leaned back in his hiding place, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Kiba, Shino, Sai, Lee, and Shikamaru may have been casualties, but it had been a necessary sacrifice. Besides, there had to be a hair growing jutsu or something that could fix the damage Naruto and his clones had done.

His brow furrowed. Something didn't seem right, and he couldn't place his finger on it. Ino had left with Chōji, Tenten with Neji, all as planned. Sakura didn't go with Lee, but that had been expected. Which meant there was one girl who was left unaccounted for…

'_Hinata!'_ Naruto suddenly realized, slapping his head in frustration. He had completely forgotten about Hinata, and now she had disappeared. To be honest, since she really didn't need a shower, he hadn't planned this far ahead, but it still would have been nice to see Hinata and apologize to her before she could vanish.

"G-good evening, Naruto-kun." ( watch?v=iDxcir3RX1I)

The sudden voice, despite its soft and sweet sound, made Naruto jump. He soon recognized the source of the voice, and turned around sheepishly to find Hinata standing beside him, her Byakugan activated.

"How did you find-" Naruto began to ask, before shutting up as Hinata merely tapped at her forehead.

"I w-wanted to see if it really was you that did all this, Naruto-kun." She said calmly, sitting down next to him.

He grinned foolishly. "Yeah, I cooked it up after you and the other girls almost…well, you know." He blushed as the thought of Hinata almost kissing him popped into his mind. Hinata was almost as red as he was, but didn't say anything.

"I may be the bad guy in their eyes for a few weeks, but I think eventually they'll come to thank me for it." He sounded content, but the look in his eyes betrayed him. Hinata could tell something was bothering him.

"Is there…something wrong, Naruto-kun?" she asked, her eyes pleading with him to be honest with her.

He stared into those beautiful eyes of hers, and for a moment he considered spilling his guts out in front of her, about these weird feelings he had been having, and how he didn't know what they meant. He didn't want to freak her out, though, and decided against it.

"Nah, it's nothing! Really!" he said brightly. Hinata stared at him for a moment longer, not seeming to believe it, before she nodded slightly.

"All right, Naruto-kun, if you say so…" She still wanted to cheer him up though, and thought of the best way to do that. She gingerly reached out with her arms, wrapping him in a small, but tender hug.

"I want you to know that I a-appreciate what you did for the others…" she said softly, before breaking the contact. "I think it was really sweet of you, e-even if they don't know it yet."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear. "Really! Gee, thanks Hinata-chan!"

There it was again. He added the chan for what had been the third or fourth time, and this time, he caught what he had said. The two blushed deeply, sharing an awkward silence.

"Soo…do you want to come back to my house and clean off? I know Neji took Tenten back to your house, but I just thought that…" he trailed off, knowing how silly of a request it was. I mean, why would she want to do that? Naruto's house was dingy and messy, while hers was massive and immaculate.

For a while, Hinata considered accepting the offer. It would be nice to clean herself off with what little there was clinging to her skin, and Naruto's house _was _pretty close to where they were sitting. But the thought of her being alone with Naruto in his house frightened her; it was too big of a step, too soon.

She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but the compound _does _have more than one bathroom. And my father will wonder where I am…"

Naruto hung his head in defeat. "Oh...ok…I understand."

"B-but if you'd like to meet up for ramen again for dinner tomorrow, I'd love to join you!" she included quickly. She considered it making up for her missing dinner with him earlier that day.

The idea seemed to perk him up greatly, and he nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah, that sounds awesome!" he said excitedly, almost jumping the air with joy. He stared at Hinata for a moment longer, and it felt like his stomach was doing backflips. His cheeks were hot, and his mind was drawing a complete blank. Hinata had been doing this to him for days now, and Naruto had had enough. He was going to talk to someone about this; to confirm what he thought was happening.

He smiled for the last time, and waved goodbye to Hinata, before turning around and heading back home. Hinata watched him for a second longer, a soft smile gracing her own features.

Something flashed in the corner of her eye, and Hinata whipped around to find its source. Seeing nothing, Hinata activated her Byakugan, her vision suddenly piercing through the darkness. Quickly heading in the opposite direction, she could make out the chakra signature of one Sakura Haruno.

Something snapped within Hinata's mind. All of a sudden, she felt the irresistible urge to dash home as fast as her legs would carry her. There was something she needed to confront Neji and Tenten about, and she would not be denied. A horrible feeling bubbled up from the pit of Hinata's stomach, as she mentally begged that her fears were unwarranted.

* * *

><p>She arrived at the compound in record time. Ignoring her father, the maids, even her sister, Hinata made a beeline towards one of the bathrooms. She swung open the door to find Neji helping Tenten get ready.<p>

"Ahh, Lady Hinata. I was just offering Tenten some of your towels for her to use. I hope you don't-"

Hinata held a hand up, silencing her cousin. Unshed tears shone in her eyes as she gathered the courage to ask what had been bothering her for weeks now.

Neji-niisan…Tenten-san…what's going on between me and Naruto-kun?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Oh crap...what could Hinata mean by that? Things are about to get tense in Konoha, so keep reading if you want to know what happens next!

I wanna get something out of the way real quick. A personal frustration, if you will.

I personally find it extremely annoying that the stories that often get the most attention, are often just sex-saturated smut fics. If all those people wanna read about is Naruto's sexual prowess with literally every woman in the series (or sometimes man), why not just skip all that bullshit and watch porn?

Seriously. Fanfics should be stories and poetry, not a 30,000 word sex scene. There are some amazing stories out there that don't get enough attention because they make little to no mention of genitals.

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review if you liked what you read, to help get this story out to more people. Also, if you have a suggestion, question, or concern, please don't be afraid to ask! Though to make sure I see it, explicitly state if you want an answer, and that it's not just a hypothetical question or something like that.

Until next time!


	12. The Plan is Discovered! Hinata's Choice!

**Author's Note:** Choo-Choo bitches, the update train continues on a-rolling! I'm really proud with this chapter, especially this opening scene. I feel it's one of the better written ones, and the emotion feels real. If you don't agree with me, then I guess I'm just an idiot lol. But what was that you saw when you went to go to the next chapter? Is that...ANOTHER CHAPTER! Surprise surprise, folks! As a gift to all your kind and loyal readership, I went into hyperdrive over the past few days and wrote up a storm! That little 'Omake' chapter isn't essential to the plot, which is why I did this, but I think you guys will enjoy it nonetheless!

We need to get something out of the way first: several people have brought this up to me, and I think everyone else should be aware. When I said in my note last chapter I wasn't a fan of sex stories, I wasn't saying I didn't like stories with sex_ in_ them. I just don't like it when the majority of the writing is just vivid detail of the dirty deed. But as more people told me their opinion, I came to the realization that I was simply trying to avoid writing something like that myself, albeit subconsciously. As I looked more into it, I realized I was afraid of writing a sex scene, because of several reasons. I was worried I wouldn't be able to properly get in the mindset, and would end up butchering the emotion that was supposed to be behind it, I was worried it would simply suck, and I just wasn't sure I was comfortable with it. But you guys have made me realize that it is a natural progression in a relationship, and that Hinata and Naruto are just at that age. I won't attempt to avoid writing a lemon anymore, but I will only do so when the time is right.

I have to thank all of you for your awesome reviews. I'm get really excited every time I see just how close we are to 100 reviews, but I promise that my main goal will always be a great story, not lots of reviews.

An extra thing, don't forget to visit my profile if you want to get more insight on each chapter! I don't put it here because I don't want to fake the word count will all that non-plot related stuff. I will also address reader concerns there, so please be aware of that.

Lastly, don't forget to copy/paste the ( whatever) links into Google, and letting the music it loads play while you read. I want to give a shout-out to Youtuber **Chhidori **for providing all these songs, so thank him in the comments if you appreciate it. He deserves some praise for his work. I am in no way related to him or in contact with him, only in that I too am a fan of what he does.

Enjoy Chapter 12! (and the omake!)

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 12: The Plan is Discovered! Hinata Makes a Choice-<strong>

"Neji-neesan…Tenten-san…what's going on between me and Naruto-kun?"

The tension in the room was almost visible, it's intensity so great. Hinata's eyes bore deep into her cousin's, glistening with tears that threatened to spill freely. She almost looked angry, her cheeks flaring up and her brow furrowed.

"Hehe…Hinata, what're you talking about?" Tenten said meekly, offering her friend a weak smile. This was unexpected, and Tenten was merely trying to make the best of being caught off-guard.

Hinata shifted her gaze to Tenten, giving her a look of suspicion. "Over the past few weeks, Naruto-kun and I have become so much closer. We talk all the time, eat with one another, and he walks me home whenever he can. It's almost like a dream!" The lack of a stutter in her voice alerted the two to how serious she actually was, but kept silent as she continued.

"…almost too good to be true." She lowered her head, and the ground beneath her grew damp ever so slightly. Neji felt revolting; his cousin was crying, and while she didn't know it yet, he had had a hand in this.

"I w-would see these strange looks my friends would give one another whenever I was with N-Naruto-kun, and there were days where you all j-just seemed to disappear. It was so confusing…"

Hinata lifted her eyes to meet her cousin's once more, and it felt like icy cold daggers plunging into his heart. She looked so lost, so betrayed.

"Neji-neesan…what's going on? Please…what's happening…"

Neither Neji nor Tenten said anything for several agonizing seconds, the silence within the room deafening. He kept his gaze calm, but involuntary twitches betrayed his true feelings.

"Lady Hinata…let's go to your room. There is something we need to discuss."

Tenten looked surprised. "Neji, what are you doing!" she asked, grabbing onto his arm to stop him from leaving. He gently removed her hand from his shoulder, shaking his head.

"Tenten, you knew my conditions when this began. My cousin is upset, and I will tell her what she needs to know. I will no longer lie to her."

Giving her some support, Neji lead Hinata down the hallway towards her room, supporting her as best as he could. Tenten watched them leave, and all desire to wash the grime and dirt from her body simply disappeared. Right now, the filth she felt clinging to her could not be washed away with soap and water. It ran far deeper than that.

She sighed deeply, and made to join them in Hinata's room. Hinata sat on the edge of the bed, knees curled up to her chest, while Neji seated himself next to her. This was not a time for distance and etiquette; Hinata needed family.

"Forgive me, Lady Hinata…I don't really know where to begin." He said softly, fiddling with his robes in embarrassment.

Hinata sniffed. "M-maybe you should just start at the beginning…"

Neji couldn't help but smile. If Hinata was still willing to joke, it would be an insult to try and make light of things.

"Very well. Several weeks ago, Sakura-san invited us out to dinner; all of us. It was there she revealed to us the nature of Naruto's condition during his transformation, as well as…" he stopped for a moment, hesitating to reveal what Sakura had in turn revealed to the others that night. But Hinata was looking at him now, and he couldn't deny her.

"…as well as your confession to Naruto during the invasion of Pain." ( watch?v=sR_6od6MDQE)

Hinata's eyes shot wide open. She stood suddenly, backing away from her cousin as if he were poison.

"Neji-neesan…I trusted you to keep that to yourself… why would you…"

The older Hyūga shook his head. "Sakura-san had found out through Tsunade-sama's summon, Katsuyu. I promise you Hinata, I told no one." His tone was pleading, begging for her to believe him. Her gaze softened, and while she didn't look happy, she gave him the signal to continue.

"It was then that Sakura informed us she had a plan. She believed both you and Naruto truly deserved to be happy, and sought to bring you together to achieve that happiness. She enlisted all of our help, though I only agreed to under the premise that if you asked me, I would not lie."

"So you would only lie to me until I confronted you…" Hinata mumbled quietly, though Neji could hear the bitterness in her words. The true selfishness of his reasoning dawned on him; he had been content to take part as long as Hinata would 'know' he hadn't been happy about it. He could only hang his head in shame and disgust.

Hinata walked over to a picture that hung on her wall. It was of the entire Konoha 11, enjoying each other's company. Her delicate fingers lightly traced over Naruto's whiskered face, preserved forever in the photo in mid-sneeze. The picture used to make Hinata laugh whenever she saw it, but that feeling of joy disappeared, replaced with a cold emptiness.

"What all did you interfere with?" she said finally. "I want to know everything…"

And so Neji and Tenten told her about everything they have a hand in. The awkward morning in the Land of Rivers, getting the same construction sites, Hinata's jackets being 'ironed', the movies, the hot springs, the list went on and on, and Hinat felt her spirit crumble away little by little. She could barely stand by the time they finished, having to grasp her desk for support.

Something crumbled beneath her hand, and Hinata instinctively closed her fingers around it tightly. Bringing into the light, Hinata burst into tears at what she saw.

It was Naruto's note, the handwriting almost completely smudged off. Only it was no longer Naruto who had written the note; it was Kiba.

"None of it…was real...nothing was…"

Hinata reached her breaking point. She collapsed to the floor, deep sobs erupting from her throat. Tenten quickly kneeled down, enveloping the distraught girl in a hug.

"Shhhh…it's alright, Hinata…it's alright…" Tenten cooed, gently rocking her friend back and forth as she cried, loud and without inhibition.

They stayed like this for quite some time, Hinata clinging to Tenten like a childhood blanket, dampening her clothing with unchecked tears. Neji sat silently on the bed, contemplating his actions and how he had been foolish not to think of Hinata's feelings in this. All this time she had been under the impression that she was truly growing closer to Naruto-kun, that the love of her life was finally seeing her in a different light. To reveal that all of it was orchestrated and planned…it would be devastating to anyone, and Neji felt so incredibly low that he had taken part.

The raw emotion attracted the concern of both Hiashi and Hanabi, who knocked on Hinata's door at some point to see what was wrong. But they were ignored; Hanabi was too young to properly understand what was happening, and Hiashi would more than likely make the situation worse, if only by accident.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Hinata's sobs began to die down. Soon she fell completely silent, but still clung desperately to Tenten's shirt, unable to keep herself supported at this point.

"W-why…why would you do this…?" she asked, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

Tenten tried to smile, anything to comfort her. "We wanted the same as Sakura. You two deserve to be happy and-"

"Stop lying to me!" Hinata snapped, louder than she had intended. She shrugged Tenten's hands off of her shoulders, and shakily returned to her feet.

"Why did you _really_ do this?"

"We were afraid your shyness and his lack of perception would keep it from ever happening."

Both Hinata and Tenten looked to Neji, horrified by his blunt, almost uncaring tone. But he had stopped trying to be comforting; she needed to be treated like an adult, and deserved far better than what he had been giving her.

Hinata slumped back onto her bed next to Neji, her sadness and anger shifting to herself. Of course they had to interfere. She was too much of a coward to ever get Naruto to love her on his own, too timid and shy. More tears threatened to spill over her cheeks, when Neji's voice snapped her out of her own self-loathing.

"Hinata…you're wrong." He said it quietly, but firm. She turned to look at him, more puzzled than anything.

"You said that none of it was real. That everything was fake and an illusion. You are wrong about that. The way he looks at you, laughs with you…that is something we cannot interfere with."

The smallest glimmer of light shone within Hinata's heart at her cousin's words, the memories of her time with Naruto bubbling to the surface. His smile when she would help him during construction, his laugh when she would slurp her ramen too hard, slapping her in the face, the warmth of his body when he would walk her home…Neji was right; these things couldn't be faked.

Neji smiled ever so slightly. "We may have given him a push, but the affection I _know_ he feels for you is as real as the love you have for him. It is only a matter of time until he acts upon those feelings. I suspect it will be sometime soon."

Hinata rose to her feet, her face hidden from the two of them. She slowly lifted it into the light, and Neji and Tenten let out a sigh of relief to see a look of contentment, almost happiness in her eyes.

"It will be a long time before I can forgive you for this…but I guess I should thank you."

Neji blinked. "L-Lady Hinata?"

"You have brought Naruto-kun and I closer to one another. I am saddened that I was too afraid to do this myself, but I can't feel sorry for myself anymore. I made promise to Naruto-kun that I would be there for him more, in his happiness and his sorrow. I still intend to keep that promise." Her expression darkened somewhat. "Maybe someday he will care for me by my own actions, not through the actions of my friends."

The last pang of guilt struck the two, but they were happy nonetheless that Hinata had calmed down. But something was eating at Tenten, and although she was loath to bring it up, it needed to be addressed.

"Soo…what do we tell Naruto?" she asked, involuntarily filling the room with tension once again.

Hinata considered what would happen. It was the right thing to do; she knew so he had every right to know. After all, he had been so honest with her, why shouldn't she return the gesture?

"_Even now, I can count the people I trust completely on one hand."_

Naruto's words shook Hinata to her core. There was no way she could tell him now. What if she was one of the people he trusted fully? Telling him, no matter how soon after she herself was told, would seem like she had betrayed that trust. It would devastate him. All this time they had spent together would be completely erased. Hinata was pretty sure she couldn't do that to either of them.

She took a deep breath. _'I'm sorry, Naruto-kun…but it's for the best.'_

"No…we mustn't tell Naruto-kun. It would hurt him too much. We must keep this a secret."

Neji shifted uncomfortably. "Lady Hinata, I already had to lie to you. I am not comfortable with lying to Naruto as well."

"You said yourself that Naruto-kun isn't that perceptive. He won't find out and ask, so you won't have to tell him." The words left a foul taste in Hinata's mouth. It was pitiful to keep this from him, but she kept telling herself over and over that it was for the best.

Neji considered it for a moment, before finally nodding solemnly.

"Tenten-san…you are still welcome to clean up here if you wish. I know you must wish to be out of those clothes." Hinata smiled softly at her friend, who returned the gesture.

"Thank you Hinata…you truly are an amazing person." She moved in and hugged her for a second time, not bothering with the filth she was still coated in since Hinata had already gotten it on herself from earlier.

They broke apart, and Neji headed towards the door. He bowed low in apology one final time, before excusing himself. Tenten repeated the gesture, eliciting a small giggle from Hinata, before disappearing out the door herself.

Hinata discarded her jacket, and fell back onto her bed. She would have preferred to get a shower herself once Tenten was finished, but the emotional toll her body took recently was too much for the poor girl. She crawled over to her lamp and switched it off, leaving the bedroom bathed in moonlight. She could just barely make out the picture on her wall, Naruto's face comically distorted as he sneezed, and smiled.

* * *

><p>Naruto awoke in a cold sweat for the third time that night. His breathing was heavy, adrenaline pumping through his body, robbing him of any rest he may have accumulated. Running one hand through his thick, matted hair, the other bunched his sheets as he clenched his fist in frustration.<p>

His overall lack of control hadn't been much of an interference, the exceptions being whenever he flew into a rage, but these nightmares were starting to get to him. It had become a routine; he would be victim to horrifying images of his friends and others close to him killed or treat him like a monster, break free of the illusion to demand the Kyūbi to stop, who would only ignore his pleas and continue to taunt him. He had been getting less sleep for weeks now, and it was starting to affect his coordination and reaction time. Hell, just yesterday he had poured some ramen broth into his cereal bowl mistaking it for cereal, though being Naruto he ate it anyway. If it continued on for much longer, he could make a mistake that could possibly unleash the Kyūbi once again. If that happened, Naruto might not be so lucky and someone he cared for could be hurt.

Naruto suddenly remembered something. Didn't Gaara use to suffer the same problem? Naruto could barely remember the Sand shinobi telling him of the Shukaku plaguing his own dreams, robbing him of sleep much as the Kyūbi was with Naruto. If there was someone who knew how to help him, it would be Gaara.

He quickly grabbed a small blank scroll and a pen, making his way over to his desk. He quickly scrawled out his general predicament in as much detail as he could before signing a quick blood seal to prevent anyone but the proper recipient from reading it.

Satisfied with his work, he formed a quick hand sign and placed his palm onto his desk. In a small flash of smoke, a small toad stood where the seal had been placed.

"N-Naruto-dono!" he croaked in surprise. "Oh, what an honor it is to be summoned by someone like you! What can I do to help?"

The blond smiled weakly in response, unable to seem enthusiastic through his exhaustion.

"I need you to deliver something for me," he replied tying the scroll to the toad's back. "Normally, I would send this via our own village's hawk system, but this might be a little dangerous to put out through the usual channels. I know you guys don't do well with dry and hot, but I need you to deliver this to Gaara."

The toad croaked once more in surprise. "G-Gaara! This message is for the Kazekage?"

Naruto merely nodded, eliciting a salute from the as-of-yet named summon.

"Naruto-dono, I would be honored to deliver this message to Gaara-sama. You have my word I will make sure he receives it! If I must go through the widest desert, travel over the highest peaks, swim across the mightiest-"

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Naruto pleaded, amazed at the toad's vigor. He tied another small scroll to his back, before carrying him over to the window.

"There's enough water in that scroll to last you weeks, so feel free to take your time. But if you _could_ get back a little quicker, I would be in your debt."

The toad almost blushed at the idea of the great Naruto Uzumaki being in his debt. He gave one final salute before leaping out the window into the cool September air. Naruto watched him until he had disappeared into the night.

'_Man, I hope he gets back soon…'_ Naruto thought to himself, sighing as he wished he could simply fall asleep. As he plopped down onto his bed, he heard a light tapping on the window, much to his surprise. Who could that be at this time of the night?

Naruto rolled back over to the other side of the bed to find none other than Kakashi Hatake sitting outside his window, lightly waving at him. The blonde got to his feet once more, shuffling over to the window to let the Copy Ninja inside.

"Kakashi-sensei? What the heck are you doing up at this late?" he asked as the silver haired jōnin landed silently on the floor.

"I'm on guard duty tonight…with Gai." He pointed behind him, and the only reason Naruto could make out the taijutsu expert was by the glinting of his pearly-white teeth.

"AHHH, GOOD EVENING NARUTO!" he shouted, completely disregarding what time it is. "IS THIS CRISP NIGHTTIME AIR NOT THE VERY ESSENCE OF YOUTH!"

"Gai…have you forgotten there are people trying to sleep?" Kakashi called back, trying to keep his voice down.

"OF COURSE, MY ETERNAL RIVAL! HOW COULD I FORGET? I OFFER MY MOST SINCERE-"

"Will you shut up!" someone from a nearby home called, chucking a shoe at the over-enthusiastic jōnin. Several other lights in the area switched on, followed by other insults, some more _colorful_ than others. Gai quickly turned the onslaught into a training exercise, and was attempting to dodge the trash while standing on one hand as Naruto and Kakashi watched on in complete disbelief.

"I wish I had that kind of energy…" Naruto mumbled as he shut the window, giving him and Kakashi some manner of privacy. He motioned for his sensei to follow him into the kitchen, where he quickly prepared some tea that otherwise would have remained unopened.

"Is there something wrong, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, eyeing the blond with his uncovered eye. "I noticed one of your toads heading for the village gate. I went ahead and sent Pakkun in pursuit to help him with whatever it was he was doing." ( watch?v=wT3FK898yMk)

Naruto nodded wordlessly in gratitude as he took a sip of his drink. "I'm sending something to Gaara. I need his help."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Tsunade-sama might not be happy with you sending secret messages to the Kazekage." It was meant as a joke, but there was some truth behind it; Tsunade wouldn't approve too much of something like that being sent over unchecked channels.

Naruto waved his teacher's concern off. "I wouldn't worry about it. It's something…personal. Something only Gaara and I would understand."

"Well, that certainly narrows it down." Kakashi replied, smirking from underneath his mask. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The blonde shook his head. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei, but I think this should be kept between me and Gaara."

Kakashi set his cup down, his eye meeting Naruto's. There was an almost parental look of concern to it, and Naruto felt himself relaxing.

"Naruto…I haven't been the best teacher over the years _despite _what you would say," he said quickly, holding his hand up to keep Naruto from interrupting. "Two of my students almost killed each other, and one of them is now an international criminal. Regardless of what you would say, I've felt that I've failed you overall as a teacher."

The room grew quiet for a several minutes. Naruto could see the regret etched into what parts of Kakashi's face were visible, and he felt the scar on his chest of Sasuke's Chidori ache, flooding his mind with painful memories. It was an injury that affected them both, in many ways.

"I want to start making up for the lost time, Naruto. To repay what your father bestowed upon me. You deserve that, at the very least."

He suddenly leaned forward, and Naruto could make out a broad smile from underneath the mask.

"And we can start by you letting me help you with whatever's troubling you. Deal?"

"Deal." Naruto finally replied, matching his sensei's smile with one of his own.

"I've been having these…nightmares, for a few weeks now," he began, gulping down the rest of his tea. I've tried everything to get rid of them, but nothing's working."

"I can assume the Kyūbi is what's causing these nightmares?" Kakashi questioned as he propped his feet up on a free chair. When Naruto nodded, the copy ninja stared into his drink, deep in thought.

"What are these dreams about?" he asked finally, swirling his tea around. Naruto began explaining the general idea of his nightmares, thought he left out the detail that it was usually Hinata who was the focus of them, leaving that intentionally vague.

"So…we know that these nightmares have only come up recently, involving gruesome fates of those close to you, and that they revolve around someone in particular, though you won't say who." Kakashi said finally, even though he could make a pretty good guess as to who it was the Kyūbi was concentrating on.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, that's about it. What do you think, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I think he's afraid."

The blonde certainly didn't expect that. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, a plague on the entire world, was scared?

"W-what do you mean by that?" Naruto stuttered, still trying to make sense of it.

"Well, these nightmares have only started recently, right? And they're about someone in particular, someone I think the Kyūbi is afraid of."

Naruto had to stifle a snicker. Hinata was certainly a lot of things, but scary wasn't a word he would associate her with.

Kakashi, meanwhile, smirked at his student's response. "You laugh now, but really think about it. There might be something about this person that the Kyūbi fears. If anything, what I would think he fears most is loss of control over you. This person must have introduced something that could lessen the chance of you releasing the Kyūbi's power. Has anything like that happened recently?"

Naruto shook his head. After all, nothing big had happened between them. Sure, they had grown closer over the past few weeks, and now Naruto had some very confusing feelings to deal with, but how could that scare the Kyūbi?

But then he remembered his conversation he had had with the demon once he figured it out it was him behind the nightmares. The Kyūbi knew something about Hinata, and had taunted Naruto with the information. It wanted to kill her most for some unknown reason, and suddenly Kakashi's words made sense.

"Kakashi-sensei, I think you're right! He's hiding something, I know it… but that still doesn't help me stop these stupid nightmares from happening in the first place!" He banged his head against the table, wishing he could just do it hard enough to knock him out. Then he would at least get some rest. He heard something slide across the table, and when he lifted his head found a small pouch in front of him.

"I use that whenever I get put on guard duty. Puts me right out. It's a lighter dose of the stuff the hospital uses," Kakashi explained. _'Though Sakura sure has been abusing it lately'_ he thought, thinking about Sakura's frequent use of the drug in her Naruto/Hinata scheme.

Naruto's face lit up. "So I can have this! But wait, won't you need it?" he asked, concerned Kakashi would be trading his own exhaustion for Naruto's well-being.

"Don't worry about that; you need it more than I do. Besides, I'm sure I can think of another way to fall asleep, provided I get the…chance…" he mumbled the last part, having noticed Gai waving erratically through the window. They needed to move on in their patrol it seemed, and the people outside were starting to throw more dangerous things at him. Sharper things. Kakashi stood from the table, making his way over to the window to leave

"I guess that's my cue to head out. I hope everything works out for you Na-"

A loud bout of snoring interrupted him, and Kakashi turned back around to find Naruto had already swallowed some of the stuff dry, and had promptly passed out on the kitchen table, a small pool of drool forming underneath his cheek. A wide smile graced his whiskered face as he finally got the sleep he so desired, and Kakashi could only shake his head in amusement.

'_As unpredictable as ever…We should probably have Hinata start sleeping over here to quiet him down.'_ he thought to himself, remembering the blonde's drastic change in sleeping habits when he had been clinging to the Hyūga. Opening the window to leave, a thought struck him just before he headed back outside. He shut the window, and disappeared into Naruto's room, reappearing seconds later with a blanket, which he gently draped over the blonde's shoulders. He smiled one last time at his now peacefully sleeping pupil, before leaping out of the window to help Gai make his escape from the angry civilians.

* * *

><p>The next morning came quickly, much to Naruto's relief. He was currently sitting in his bed, stretching and yawning as the morning sun pierced through his window, spilling daylight into his apartment. He giggled like a schoolgirl; that stuff Kakashi gave him was amazing! The Kyūbi's influence had all but evaporated for the night, and he had been able to enjoy a full nighttime's sleep for the first time in weeks. He would have to start rationing it carefully so he could use it for as long as possible. In the meantime, he would be trying to figure out what it was the demon feared about Hinata. He was hiding something; he knew something about the Hyūga that could lessen his control over Naruto, and Naruto was determined to find out what that was. Though for as long as possible, he would avoid contact with the beast; it would be best that it didn't know Naruto was aware of this information.<p>

But first, there was other business to attend to today. There were some very important things he had to discuss with certain people, about these strange and confusing feelings he was experiencing. While it would have to wait until after his shift, he could at least wait that long. Besides, there was always the fact that he got to hang out with Hinata!

He grinned to himself. Maybe this last day he spent with her will give him the clarity to these feelings he needed. Quickly snatching up his usual attire, he was out the door in a matter of seconds, blowing on an instant cup of ramen for a breakfast-on-the-go.

Within a matter of minutes, he had arrived at the Hokage's office, where he would receive his daily construction assignment. As he hurried through the hallways, he noticed the place seemed even busier than usual, various assistants and such practically sprinting past him without so much as a 'Good Morning'. Naruto shrugged it off; he could just stay out of their way until he pried it out of Tsunade. Disregarding etiquette as he so often did, Naruto simply swung open the door, making as grand of an entrance as he could.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI, THE VILLAGE'S #1 NINJA HAS ARRIVED!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, causing everyone in Tsunade's office to look up from their work in surprise. Upon seeing it was only Naruto, they quickly returned to their work, much to his annoyance.

"Hey, is anyone even paying attention!" he exclaimed, waving his arms about as he tried to become the center of attention once more. Tsunade glance up from her work once more, just to roll her eyes at him.

"When you do it every day, it kind of loses its impact. And it's a little early for screaming, isn't it?" she said, sticking a finger in her ear to try and stop the ringing.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, sorry! It's just that I had a really good sleep last night. Better than I've had for a while!"

Tsunade saw the opportunity, and latched onto it. "Why's that Naruto? Was Hinata with you?" An evil grin spread across her lips, and everyone in the room couldn't help but snicker.

The whiskered blonde looked horrified. "H-how do you know about that!" he demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the Godaime.

"A little _pink_ birdie told me about your little escapade in the Land of Rivers. Something about waking up groping the poor girl?" Her smile grew wider. This was just too easy, and a hell of a lot of fun.

Naruto wished he could just crawl under a rock. Why would Sakura do this to him? Now everyone would think he was a pervert!

.

.

.

Okay, so maybe he was a pervert, but not in public!

Tsunade chuckled, finally returning to the task at hand. "Speaking of the Land of Rivers, Naruto, our liaison from Tani returned earlier this morning. They're certainly not happy about what happened to one of their best shinobi, but they were willing to acknowledge that he had been acting strangely lately. As long we steer clear of them for a long, long time, we can most likely avoid war with them. I don't need to tell you how important that is to us right now."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. That was some good news. The last thing Konoha needed right now was _another _enemy to fight besides the Akatsuki. If Tani hadn't reacted the way they did, the village wouldn't have been able to survive the onslaught.

Something clicked in Naruto's mind. "Hey Baa-chan, is that why everybody seems so nervous today? Is something happening involving the war?"

Tsunade had become so involved in the paperwork in front of her that she hadn't even heard the question, so it was Shizune who answered.

"Yes, there are some very important decisions being made today, but I'm afraid that's all we can really tell you right now. If things go well with the meeting, we could have some very good news in the future!"

Now Naruto was interested. "Meeting? News? What are you talking about?"

Shizune clapped a hand to her mouth. She had already said too much, and now the loudmouth would never stop pestering her until he got an answer. Luckily, Tsunade came to the rescue.

"You're at construction site 14 today, Naruto. Tell Hinata I said hello, and get out of my office." She answered with missing a beat. Her special reserves of patience when dealing with Naruto were very low today, what with how important of a day this was, and she simply didn't have time for his constant prodding. An assistant apologetically pushed a very indignant Naruto out the door, who then locked it behind them.

"I swear…that kid's just as nosy as he was when he was still a genin…" Tsunade mumbled to herself, before laughing when she was reminded that he still _was _a genin. Hell, even Kiba's dog was a higher rank than Naruto was!

Tsunade's merriment was cut short, as the urgency of their situation returned to her. This was not the time for jokes. What was to be decided today could change the fate of the entire shinobi world, and Tsunade would _not _be the one to screw that up.

Hours passed. Ninja would come in asking for their construction assignment, and eventually it bothered Tsunade so much that she just posted a note outside her door, something she was amazed she hadn't thought of until then. Other ninja would come in periodically bringing in the necessary documents and information, which Tsunade would personally look over to make sure the information was both accurate and relevant. Upon receiving her stamp of approval, the documents would be added to a growing pile in the corner of the room.

"Tsunade-sama…it's almost time." Shizune warned, heaving the last pile of documents with the others.

The Godaime sighed. She was getting smashed tonight in compensation for the stress this day was causing. Pulling out a bottle of sake from who-knows-where as well as a shot glass, Tsunade quickly downed 1 (or maybe 5) drinks to calm her nerves.

"Here goes nothing…" she said, quickly pulling a scroll out from her desk. A few quick hand signs, and the massive piles of necessary documents began flying into the seal inscribed onto the scroll, storing them for easy transport.

"Shizune, let's get going," she commanded, jumping to her feet and heading for the door at a pace that Shizune could only barely keep up with. The various ninja scurrying through the halls saluted her as she passed, but she ignored them. There were more important things on her mind right now.

Their trek across the village was done in relative silence, apart from Shizune having to remind an ever-so-slightly tipsy Tsunade which direction the Konoha Intelligence Division was. Upon their arrival, Inoichi Yamanaka was waiting for them, looking a little worse for wear.

"Everything alright, Inoichi?" Tsunade asked, concerned with his appearance.

The clan head smiled weakly. "Of course, Tsunade-sama. Just some extra stress my daughter gave me last night. I swear the things she gets into…"

Tsunade tapped her foot impatiently. This wasn't really the time to talking about being a parent. Inoichi noticed the look on her face, and quickly shut up, leading her inside.

"Everything has been set up according to the specifications you and the other Kage agreed upon, Tsunade-sama," he said as they made their way down various corridors.

Tsunade nodded briskly. "Good. Nothing can go wrong during this meeting, so I'll need constant surveillance on the machines to make sure they're working properly."

"Of course, Tsunade-sama."

They arrived at a bare wall, and anyone else would see it as such. But as Tsunade drew closer, a large seal suddenly appeared, glowing brighter and brighter. The Godaime bit her thumb, and quickly wrote her name in blood over the seal. A hissing sound erupted from the seal as Tsunade's blood slowly faded into the wall, before completely disappearing. A loud rumbling began to shake the room, as the wall began to split into two even pieces, revealing a staircase hidden behind it. Tsunade, Shizune, and Inoichi head into the darkness, as the wall slowly closed back up, resetting the seal. It flashed once more, before fading from view.

They continued down the stairs in near pitch-black darkness, with only the sound of their footsteps to keep them company. Tsunade almost regretted having those drinks before she came here, as trying to keep her balance going down stairs with little light was proving to be a harder task than she thought. Although somewhat clumsily, they soon made it to the base of the stairs, and had finally arrived at their destination.

A large, open room stood before them, with and absolutely gargantuan machine hanging precariously above them. Multiple intelligence ninja hurried back and forth in between the cable littering the floor, checking on the various machines to make sure they were running properly.

This was the original prototype of the Chakra Transmission Communication Device, designed by another of the Yamanaka clan. Using the chakra of the ninja using it, they would be able to send their thoughts across vast distances, communicating directly with whomever was on the receiving end of another machine. Several modifications had since been put in place, and now the machine was able to derive basic images of the other contacts within the user's mind, similar to the technique used by Pain when the Akatsuki would convene to seal a tailed beast. Several other machines had been put in place in the other 4 Great Nations' Hidden Villages', to be used when a face-to-face meeting was impossible or impractical. This meeting was one such occasion, as the five Kage were so busy dealing with their own villages that traveling to neutral location again would simply be a waste of time.

"Is everything ready to go?" Tsunade asked, checking the time often.

"Just about….got it!" One of the workers answered. The machine slowly churned to life, producing a great hum that would be heard by the entire village had it not been placed so far underground. A lighter, more portable version was being designed, but for now they would have to deal with the relic.

Tsunade strode forwards, approaching the headset that sat in the middle of the room, suspended over a single chair placed underneath the massive machine. She quickly settled herself in, before giving the go-ahead. ( watch?v=9Z37Y9vTZAs)

The headset slowly began descending on top of the Godaime Hokage, as if a great beast was about to devour the woman. The clunky machinery soon enveloped the entire top half of her head, cutting off both sound and sight from her. Blue sparks danced across the surface of the machine as she began to channel her massive chakra through the machine, beckoning to the others spread across the globe.

Suddenly, a seemingly endless white space emerged from the darkness, stretching on and on without end. Tsunade couldn't help but feel a little nervous, anxious for the other Kage to arrive.

Out of the corner of her eye, a bubbling mass of light and color was beginning to form out of thin air. IT gradually took shape and size, towering over Tsunade. A dark-skinned man brushed himself down, making sure everything was still in one piece.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that…" A growled, approaching the Hokage across the formless space they currently occupied.

"Raikage-sama." Tsunade said plainly, bowing in respect. He returned the gesture, removing the formal hat of the Kage.

"Tsunade-hime," he replied. They stood in silence, waiting for the other three to join them. Over the next few minutes, Gaara the Kazekage, and Mei Terumi appeared before them, offering their own greetings, forming a small circle to convene in.

Seconds passed, then minutes. When almost half an hour passed, the Raikage in particular was beginning to get annoyed.

"Where is that old fool!" he shouted, looking around the space for something he could vent his frustration on. Remembering that the machine offered them a certain control of their imagination since they were only within the confines of their mind, Tsunade focused on a point in front of the Raikage, making a simple wooden door appear before him. He seemed delighted by the gesture, before demolishing it in a single punch, sending splinters rocketing across the endless expanse.

"Our time is very precious, Raikage-sama" Gaara said evenly, trying to restore the order. "I'm sure that whatever reasons Tsuchikage-sama has for being late, they are important."

As if on cue, a fifth shadow began to emerge into the collective consciousness of the five Kages. As Ōnoki fully formed himself, the other Kage looked on in disbelief.

"I apologize for my tardiness." The Tsuchikage spoke up, dusting himself off. "But that damn machine is an absolute travesty. Took me forever to figure it out!"

He noticed the looks he was getting from the other Kage, and bristled with indignity.

"What? It just took me a little longer to figure out how it worked! I'm not completely useless when it comes to technology, you know."

Tsunade massaged her temples. "No, Tsuchikage-sama…you put the headset on backwards."

Ōnoki looked down to where she was pointing, and found his own backside staring back at him.

"Blasted technology!" he began to shout as he began to disappear from sight. "This is why I insisted we meet face-to-face…"

He was merely letting off steam, as they were all too aware of what had happened the first time they had convened, and were simply taking the necessary precautions to prevent something similar from happening. And so the other four Kage were forced to wait another 5 minutes while Ōnoki figured out which way to properly put on the headset, before he finally reappeared, looking annoyed and thoroughly flustered.

Mei Terumi, the 5th Mizukage, smiled warmly to the other village leaders. "Well, now that we're all here, I can assume we can get started?"

The others nodded in agreement, but Ōnoki looked a little uncomfortable.

"Isn't there something we can do about seating? My back has been aching all morning."

Tsunade rolled her eyes at the stubborn old man, but mentally agreed with his idea. She gave a quick reminder to the other Kage of the abilities they possessed when connected to the machine, and soon they were all seated comfortably around a large wooden table. Tsunade added a little extra reinforcement just in case A happened to lose his temper at any point during the meeting.

"Tsunade-hime, you called this meeting, so it is only appropriate you begin the proceedings." The Raikage said, giving a slight nod in her direction.

The Godaime stood to her feet. "Very well. As you all know, the threat of war has loomed over our villages for months now. We have spent this time training our respective shinobi, gathering up supplies, and continuing the effort to gather intelligence on our enemies."

The other Kage grunted in response. This information was by no means new, as they had been in near constant communication with one another since the declaration, something that was harder than it seemed. They knew the true purpose of their gathering here, and were waiting for her to hurry up and get to it.

"But our efforts have been overall fruitless. Despite both the Raikage's and Tsuchikage's attempts to discover where the military strength of the Akatsuki will originate from, they have found no indication that they even have an army."

A and Ōnoki shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Neither of them had been proud with bringing back nothing of use, but Tsunade had found the information more helpful than they would have thought at first glance.

"Because we have no proof of the Akatsuki having any sort of military strength, I propose we officially declare the Fourth Shinobi World War to be a ruse and cease all efforts regarding it."

A's nostrils flared. "I have already expressed my dissatisfaction with this outrageous idea! You out of the five of us should be most aware that even one member of the Akatsuki is capable of tremendous strength!"

Gaara nodded sagely. "Raikage-sama is correct, Tsunade-sama. I am also personally aware of the strength these missing-nin possess. It would be unwise to no longer consider them a threat."

"I am well aware of that!" Tsunade snapped back. "I am only saying we do so officially, publicly. We simply convince the civilian populations that the war has been called off, and resume operations as usual. We can continue to keep our shinobi forces gathered together as such, and will continue to remain in communication with one another."

Mei raised an eyebrow. "And what purpose does this serve? To put it bluntly, we are lying to our villages about their safety. It may not be a war, but great violence will befall us one way or another."

"I understand that, Mizukage-sama, but what if I was to tell you we had the chance to postpone the danger the Akatsuki pose?"

The others leaned forward in interest, eager to see where Tsunade was going with this.

"Through some extremely confidential intel we have gathered, and with great analysis from our village's Shikaku Nara, we have come to the conclusion that the Akatsuki used the declaration of the war to further their goals, but never intended to actually carry through with that declaration."

She passed around copies of the report Shikaku had written, letting that revelation sink in.

A was beginning to lose his temper, and only skimmed the information. "Are you trying to say that there is some secret purpose to declaring a war on the entire shinobi world! What madness is this!"

Tsunade took a deep breath. Honestly, he could be as bad as Naruto sometimes. "Yes, Raikage-sama. That is _exactly_ what I am saying. If you read what was put in front of you, we wouldn't be having this discussion."

A scowled, but accepted her reasoning. Taking a more thorough read of the document in front of him, Tsunade watched his eyes slowly bulge in surprise.

"C-can you verify this information's accuracy?" he asked hesitantly, looking at the others to make sure they were seeing the same thing he was.

The Hokage nodded. "I'm afraid so. Madara told us his plans himself, and this information is in accordance with that. We have no choice but to consider it their true motives."

Gaara closed his eyes, sighing heavily. "This changes things. Assuming that information is even the slightest bit true, we must reconsider Tsunade's proposition for publicly calling off the war."

This time it was Ōnoki's turn to get riled up. "Are we really considering this? Such a drastic change might make the Kages look like fools!"

"You are too concerned with your own reputation, Tsuchikage-sama." The Kazekage replied evenly, keeping his tone civil. "The safety of the village is and should always be our priority. If Tsunade-sama's intel is in fact correct, then her suggestion makes a great deal of sense. This will slow the Akatsuki's plans, giving us valuable time to try and stop them."

"But we must consider the possibility of a counterattack." Mei included. "If they become aware of what we did, they might grow desperate and do something drastic in order to make sure their plan comes to fruition."

The others mumbled in agreement. Tsunade glanced at all of them, her piercing brown eyes displaying a fierce determination.

"That is why I suggested we continue to stay in constant communication. If something happens to one of the villages, back-up can be sent almost immediately. There's nothing we can do to stop them from launching a surprise attack, so by cutting them off now we are simply picking the lesser of two evils. Something _will_ happen in the future, but at least we will be better prepared for it."

Silence befell the 5 Kages as they considered Tsunade's words. While the more aggressive Ōnoki and A were not happy with the idea of simply waiting for them to be attacked, they couldn't deny the fact that stopping the Akatsuki's plan for as long as possible was the best cause of action.

"…is this really what we need to do?" Ōnoki asked finally, breaking the silence.

Tsunade's mouth became a thin line. "I believe so."

"I also believe that this is the best thing we can do for our villages." Gaara added in.

The elderly Tsuchikage sighed. "That is…most unfortunate. But I cannot avoid your logic. If that is what must be done, that you have my word as the Sandaime Tsuchikage that I will carry it out!"

"You have my word as well, Tsunade-hime." Said the Raikage, unclenching his fist for the first time since the meeting began. He would set his pride aside for the safety of his people.

Mei said nothing, but nodded in agreement, looking content that they were all able to reach an agreement so timely.

Tsunade pushed herself away from the table, getting to her feet. "Then it's settled. Feel free to tell the village at your discretion, but be aware that the Akatsuki may have spies planted in your villages."

The other Kage acknowledged her warning in silence, making a mental note to do a thorough check of all shinobi to prevent spies from infiltrating the village.

"Then this meeting is adjourned." Tsunade bowed briefly, which the others returned. One by one, they began to fizzle out and disappear from sight, until it was only Tsunade and Gaara that remained.

"Thanks for your help. A can be a bit hard-headed sometimes." Tsunade said, giving the young Kazekage a playful wink.

Gaara remained stoic, but his eyes hinted at slight amusement. "Of course, Tsunade-sama. I was merely making sure the most logical course of action was chosen."

Tsunade smirked. It was truly impressive that for such a young kid, Gaara was surprisingly wise. Before he disappeared himself, he offered a last request to the Godaime Hokage, smiling ever so slightly.

"Please give Naruto my regards." And with that, the Kazekage disappeared, leaving Tsunade alone with her thoughts.

She removed her own headset, and after an immense feeling of dizziness, felt her senses return to the real world. The behemoth above her head began to deactivate, whirring slower and slower until it fell silent.

"Did everything go alright, Tsunade-sama?" Inoichi asked, approaching the Hokage to help her out of the chair.

"As well as we had hoped." Tsunade responded, taking a hold of Inoichi's outstretched hand. "I will explain to you the details of the meeting on the way back up. As for the rest of you, once you have cleaned up and secured the machine you are dismissed!"

Tsunade strode out of the room and back up the stairs to return to her office, explaining the details of the meeting to Inoichi. Because it was still so dark as they ascended, she couldn't make out the small smile that graced his lips.

* * *

><p>"Naruto-kun, c-could you please pass me that?" Hinata asked, pointing to a can of paint that lay on the ground next to the Uzumaki, who was currently hammering in some boards to finish a wall.<p>

The blonde smiled widely. "Sure thing, Hinata -_hime!_" he teased, tossing the can up to the now flustered Hyūga. When they had finally realized that they had been assigned to the same construction site for the fifth time, Naruto had insisted on doing all the heavy lifting. A prouder woman like Sakura or Ino would have cried out that he was misogynic, but to Hinata he was simply being kind, if not trying to impress her. But because she often did the lighter jobs, Naruto had taken to teasing her with the _hime_ honorific, joking at her noble status. Even though she acted like it bothered her, Hinata only did so because of how amused it made him in turn. In truth, she loved the idea that Naruto had given her a nickname; it almost gave her a feeling of superiority over Sakura-_chan_, even though it made her feel slightly guilty to think like that.

This sort of banter between the two had become common during their work hours. Naruto knew exactly what to say to push Hinata's buttons, but would occasionally be caught off-guard when Hinata would fire back with a brilliant comeback, leaving him sputtering excuses, much to her amusement.

But that isn't to say that Hinata was always happy. Her decision to hide the truth from Naruto was affecting her already. The only reason they were even together was because Sakura had tampered with the assignments, and Hinata was reminded of it every time she noticed out of the corner of her eye the blonde working diligently at his task. He looked so happy, so relaxed that it killed her to keep the truth from him. But she couldn't lose that trust he had in her, she just couldn't. If it turned out that she was one of the very few people he trusted fully and completely, it would crush him to find out everything had been set up.

And so Hinata smiled through her pain, trying her best to enjoy the time she spent with her Naruto-kun.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun, but _please_ don't call me that!" she called down to him as she opened the container of paint. The roof needed several coating of this stuff to reflect heat off during the warmer months, and Hinata wanted to be finished with this before their shift ended in a few hours.

He didn't respond, but Hinata could hear him snickering to himself in between strikes of the hammer, followed by some _colorful _language when his laughter caused him to smash his thumb.

"Are you alright!" she said worriedly, rushing over to the edge of the rooftop to find Naruto hopping on one foot in pain as he sucked on his thumb. He nodded wordlessly, groaning into his hand. Hinata couldn't help but giggle at the sight, and this time is was Naruto's turn to look flustered.

'_I knew I said I'd make her laugh more, but if this what works I'm not so sure I'm up for it anymore!' _Naruto thought to himself as the pain in his hand slowly subsided.

He wouldn't tell Hinata this, but the only reason he was teasing her and acting like an idiot was to hide his confusion. She would get too close to him, and his stomach would do backflips. She'd smile, and he felt like the king of the world. She'd bend over in front of him to pick up something…

Naruto had finally stopped denying it; Hinata had an absolutely gorgeous body, whether she hid it underneath her jackets or not. He would normally be able to control those thoughts, but sometimes the influence of 'Ero-sennin' was too great, even for him.

These lecherous feelings only served to make him even more confused. Why was happening to him? Why did these feelings never manifest themselves during his time with Sakura? It may have been because she had always spurred his advances, but if you love someone the happiness is always there, isn't it?

Naruto groaned. He couldn't wait for his shift to be over. He enjoyed his time with Hinata, that was to be sure, but he _desperately _needed to talk with someone about this, and time seemed to slow to a crawl just to mock him.

To help pass the time, Naruto would consider Kakashi's words. The lazy jōnin had expressed his belief that the reason Hinata was often the source of his nightmares, was because there was something about her that the Kyūbi feared, something that could lessen his control. At first he simply thought it was the Byakugan, that there was some hidden power to the Hyūga clan's dōjutsu, but that surely would have been discovered by now. Perhaps the demon could be controlled through the use of the Gentle Fist?

'_Okay, now that just sounds stupid…' _Naruto thought as he imagined how many chakra points the Kyūbi possessed, and if they could even be closed off. In frustration, he bent the nail he was on with a stronger blow from the hammer than he had intended. He swore under his breath, and attempted to pry it out so he could start over.

It's just that the whole idea sounded completely ridiculous! One of the most terrifying demons in recorded history wary of a 16 year old girl? Kakashi usually had some good insight, but this might be a little much for even Naruto to believe.

Still, he went through perhaps every single scenario he could think of, desperate for answer. The rest of his shift seemed to fly by he was concentrating so hard, but he ended up with squat, just like he began.

He jumped a little when he realized Hinata was standing behind him, having finished her work early since Naruto had been kept to his thoughts for the past few hours.

"It looks l-like you did a good job, Naruto-kun," she said quietly, admiring Naruto's handiwork. It was a massive improvement from when he first started, which resembled a five-year-old's spaghetti-art than a well-constructed wall.

"Thanks, Hinata! I gotta say it looks pretty sturdy!" he gave it an experimental shake, and was satisfied when it remained steadfast. "How did you do on your job, Hinata-_hime_?"

Hinata wanted to stick her tongue out playfully, but held back. "For your information I did just fine, thank you. Are we s-still getting Ichiraku's afterwards?"

Naruto mentally slapped himself. He had made other plans for the evening, but had neglected to tell her about it.

He laughed nervously. "Hehe, sorry Hinata, but there's kinda something I need to do tonight. It's really important."

She looked mildly disappointed, but the look in his eyes convinced her that whatever he was doing really was important to him.

"S-sure, Naruto-kun. We can have ramen some other time," she replied softly, which soon turned into a surprised 'eep' when Naruto wrapped his arms around her in a quick, but gentle hug.

"Thanks, Hinata! You're always so cool about this stuff!" he exclaimed happily as he broke the contact. Hinata began twiddling with her fingers as a light blush decorated her cheeks.

"Hey, Hinata!" a voice called out from behind them. It was Ino, who had Tenten in tow.

"We just got off our own shift. You wanna go get something to eat?" Ino asked casually, winking to Naruto.

Hinata flinched involuntarily. The others didn't know that she was aware of what was going on, and Hinat could tell that it would get on her nerves. She still needed some time before she was able to forgive the others for this whole situation, but she supposed dinner would be a good place to start.

"Of course, Ino-san. That sounds lovely." she replied, trying to ignore her constantly looking at her, then back at Naruto.

"Sorry Naruto, but we're gonna have to take your girlfriend off your hands for the night." Tenten teased, grabbing Hinata like she was some sort of possession. To their surprise, Naruto not only neglected to correct them that she was _not_ his girlfriend, but chuckled instead.

"That's okay. I'm just glad to see that she has something to do tonight! I hope you have a nice time!" he said happily, giving the ladies present one of his trademarks grins.

Ino and Tenten thanked him, before heading off with Hinata in tow. It almost made Naruto sad to see her go, though he didn't mind it too much if he got to watch those hips sway…

Naruto brushed Jiraiya's influence off of him as best as he could, and was all too thankful that his shift was finally over. He could finally talk to someone about all these confusing feelings, and he knew just who he had to go to.

* * *

><p>"Naruto! It's good to see you!" Iruka said happily, taking a seat next to Naruto. He had ran into his former Academy teacher earlier that day, and was quick to realize that Iruka would be the perfect one to talk to about these confusing thoughts and feelings about Hinata. And so he had invited him out to Ichiraku, something that would have been certainly awkward had Ino and Tenten taken Hinata here.<p>

"Hey, Iruka-sensei. Thanks for showing up." Naruto's usual exuberance was absent, replaced by a content serenity that was extremely rare for the brash young ninja.

Iruka smiled. "Of course, Naruto. I mean, you offering to treat _me_? How could I have said no?"

Ayame interrupted them momentarily to take their order. Three large Miso to start off with for Naruto, while Iruka simply said he would be fine with anything.

"Okay Naruto, so what did you want to talk to me about?" Iruka asked, giving his former pupil an understanding smile.

The blonde was somewhat surprised. "How did you know I wanted to talk to you about something?"

Iruka chuckled. "There are ways that I know you better than anyone else in the village, and I could tell the moment you invited me out that there was something on your mind."

He suddenly got a mischievous look in his eyes. "Besides…Naruto Uzumaki treating me? It's supposed to be the other way around!"

Naruto laughed. He could always be comfortable around Iruka. He never teased him like Kakashi or any of his friends would, but his age gave him more life experience that Naruto was always thankful for.

"Well…I'm kind of having girl problems." He said meekly, keeping his eyes faced towards the bowl of ramen Teuchi had just placed in front of him.

"Listen, you can't let yourself get down when Sakura rejects you. There's a girl out there who will care for you just the way you-"

"That's just it, Iruka-sensei," Naruto interrupted, "there _is _another girl."

Iruka's jaw hung open for a few seconds. To tell the truth, he was worried Naruto would never get over Sakura. He cared for all of his students, but it had been painfully clear even to him that Naruto's feelings for his teammate were one-sided. And now here they were, Naruto telling him that there's another girl in his life.

"W-who?" Iruka asked once he finally regained his tongue.

Naruto blushed, and quickly slurped another mouthful of ramen. Iruka got the message.

"Okay…you don't have to tell me right now. What is she like?"

"She's really nice! She puts up with me like no one else, but she can be a little shy sometimes. She's also kind of quiet, but when she starts talking it's really cute."

Iruka rolled his eyes. Didn't Naruto understand that if he described one of his students, Iruka would be able to figure it out? There was only one girl in village who matched that description, and Iruka couldn't have been happier for her. But for Naruto's sake, he would keep up the illusion that he didn't know who he was talking about.

"Then what's the problem, Naruto? You sound like you really like this girl!"

The blonde held his head in between his hands. "That's just it! I think I do, but I don't know how I feel about Sakura-chan anymore! It's so confusing!" He looked thoroughly distraught, and Iruka's heart went out to his student.

"It's okay, Naruto. Things like this just happen sometimes. Here, I have an idea that may help. In one word, I want you to describe both Sakura, and this mystery girl for me. You up for that?"

Naruto nodded hesitantly. He wasn't so sure how this was going to help, but he trusted Iruka to help him.

"Let's try it with Sakura first. What's the first word that comes to mind when you think of her? You can't really think about it, you just have to say it. GO!" Iruka exclaimed, causing Naruto to scramble to come up with an answer.

"Uh….uh…Angry!" he replied hurriedly.

"Do another one. Go!" Iruka shouted.

"Impatient!"

"Again!"

"Indecisive!"

"AGAIN!"

"FRIEND!"

This little 'game', had attracted quite a bit of attention, but Iruka was done for now. He leaned forward, almost smirking as he gathered another mouthful of ramen. Naruto merely stared at his bowl, speechless. Had that really come out of his mouth? He cared for Sakura, he really did, but the some of the first things that came to mind when he thought about her weren't exactly romantic.

Iruka snapped his fingers in front of him, snapping the blonde out of his thoughts.

"You ready for round two, Naruto?"

To be honest, Naruto didn't want to do round two at all. But look in Iruka's eyes showed he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Okay and…GO!"

Naruto was expecting a word to come to mind, but nothing did. She was kind, patient, trusting, funny, caring…he couldn't pick one! His eyebrow began to involuntarily as he seized up.

"I need your answer, Naruto!" Iruka said, tapping Naruto on his headband.

"Just give me a minute to decide!"

"No time. 3…"

"Iruka-sensei!"

"2…"

"Can't you just wait a se-"

"1…"

"PERFECT, OKAY! SHE'S PERFECT!"

For the second time that night, Iruka smirked.

"Well, it sounds like you already made your choice," he said happily, slurping the rest of the broth from his second bowl.

Naruto sat there with his jaw hanging out, opening and closing like a fish. First he had called Sakura, his Sakura-chan, just a friend. And now the one word he thought of to describe Hinata had been…perfect.

Without warning, his mind was flooded with memories of recent weeks. Her smile, her laugh, her eyes…he grinned like an idiot as he reminisced over all the time they've spent together since his return.

Iruka laughed, which made Naruto realize just how much he was blushing thinking about the Hyūga.

"There's an old saying that I think might help you. If you love two girls, choose the second one."

"Why's that, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, having finished his own bowl.

His former teacher smiled broadly, placing a caring hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Because…if you truly loved the first, you wouldn't have fallen for the second in the first place."

He stood from the bar, leaving enough money behind to pay for both his and Naruto's meals.

"Hinata is a wonderful girl, Naruto. You deserve someone like her, and she deserves someone like you." Iruka said softly, before turning to leave. He didn't get far when Naruto's voiced stopped him.

"Iruka-sensei, wait!" he shouted, quickly catching up. "How did you know who I was talking about?"

"Naruto, I know all of my students better than you realize. I knew you were talking about Hinata the moment you opened your mouth."

Suddenly, Naruto got an idea. "Iruka-sensei…if you know her so well, maybe there's something else you can help me with."

And so Iruka became the second person he told about his nightmares, and about Kakashi's cryptic words.

"What do you think Kakashi-sensei meant by that? Does that even make sense to you?"

Iruka nodded. "I think it makes perfect sense. Hinata is everything the Kyūbi stands against, everything good in this world. He wants to destroy the best influences you can have in your life, to make you easier to control."

"So that's it? It doesn't like her because she's nice to me?"

"No, Naruto. There's obviously more to it than that, but I think you should be able to figure that out on your own."

Before Naruto could protest further, Iruka began to walk away, leaving Naruto standing in the middle of the street, even more confused than he was before about his nightmares. But still, he couldn't help but smile. Iruka had, just like he had hoped, completely absolved Naruto's confusion about Hinata. He no longer had any doubts, any worries.

He rushed in the direction of his home. A plan was beginning to form in his clever little head, and Hinata would find herself having a _very _interesting day tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Far away, the strange sounds of creatures howling in the night filled the deep forests of the Mountain's Graveyard with sound. A heavy cloud cover obscured the land in darkness, hiding everything underneath a sheet of pitch black. Underneath one of the towering mountains, Tobi had just received some interesting news. <span>( watch?v=6ihv7AGl4RM)<span>

"So…they plan to _cancel_ our little war?" he asked lightly, as Zetsu followed closely behind him through the damp corridors.

In the darkness, Zetsu nodded.

"I guess they're smarter than we gave them credit for," he said. **"Will this change anything?"**

Tobi shook his head. "No. They were bound to do so once they realized nothing was coming of it. This will put them on their guard, but the villages' security is pitiful. If Pain could breach Konoha, and Sasori and that fool Deidara infiltrated the Sand, Sasuke should have no problem."

"**The boy **_**is**_** certainly capable. But he is a loose cannon. Can we really trust him?"**

Tobi smirked from beneath his mask. "It doesn't matter if we trust him or not. He will accomplish our goals, even if he's not aware of it. If he is a loose cannon, all we have to do is _aim_ him, so to speak."

He strode over to the other side of the room, where a large menagerie of machines lay gathered. They hummed and cranked mysteriously, glowing an otherworldly color. Massive tubes ran out the back of these strange machines, before connecting into a single, larger tube that snaked across the floor, before passing through a wall. On the other side of that wall, stood the Statue of the Outer Path, the massive pipe attached to its stomach. A strange light was emanating from its entire body, which was collected at the base of the pipe, before moving along into the machines.

"How is everything else coming along?" Tobi asked, running a hand along the cold metal.

"As well as they could, as of right now." Zetsu replied. "The chakra is moving at a slower pace than we intended, but it should still be on schedule."

The Akatsuki leader nodded. "It had better. The Bijū chakra must be ready when the Ten-Tails is ready to be revived. I cannot contain it's power otherwise."

"**I'm well aware of that." **Black Zetsu growled, eliciting a chuckle from his superior.

"Don't be mad, Zetsu. If there's anyone I'm concerned about, it's Sasuke. He may be under our control, but after his failure to defeat the Kage, I am doubtful of his skills. He must prove himself useful once again, or he will become an obstacle instead of a tool. An obstacle that must be disposed of."

The date Kisame had spoken of was drawing near. Soon, Sasuke's target would return to the Sand, and his usefulness would be tested. Regardless of the outcome, Tobi was curious. Things were about to get exciting, and with any luck, he wouldn't have to get rid of the Uchiha.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I'd say it was about time to hear from Tobi and Zetsu again! The plot thickens...what could they possibly have to gain from making everyone _think_ they were starting a war? The answers will come eventually, so stay tuned!

Please leave a review if you liked what you read, or if you have a concern or question. If you want to keep it private, don't hesitate to message me, and I will respond as quickly as I can.

**IMPORTANT:**If you don't care about the omake chapter, there's something I need to tell you here. I have started a poll on my profile that asks your opinion on the music links, as I have now gotten about an even number of compliments and complaints about it. If you care about whether or not it stays, I urge you to check it out. Extra chapter notes and insights are also available to read there, so check that out if you want to.

Until next time!


	13. Omake 1: A Trip to the Store!

**Author's Note: **This is just a fun little chapter I included because you guys are so awesome. It was originally in Chapter 10, when Tenten, Kiba, and Ino were telling their stories about what they did to help the Naru/Hina cause. I felt this was too long to be a story Kiba told, so I cut it out, but decided to flesh it out and make it into an extra chapter. This isn't essential to the story, so feel free to skip over it if you don't care.

**IMPORTANT: **I have gotten a few complaints now, and this needs to be settled. I have set up a poll on my profile that asks whether or not you prefer the links to the music. This decides whether or not it stays, so I urge you to vote. You can also find notes and thoughts about previous chapters, so feel free to give it a look-see.

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><p><strong>A Trip to the Store! Kiba, Do I Really Have to Come?<strong>

"Why do I have to come along!" Naruto protested, as Kiba dragged him through the streets of the village.

'_Just my luck…I get a day off and Dogbreath chooses today of all days!'_

Kiba yanked on his arm a little harder in retaliation. "I don't know your size, you idiot. If I'm getting you a new tracksuit like I promised, you want it to fit don't you?"

Naruto mumbled something incoherent, but finally stopped resisting as much to Kiba's pull, and was soon walking beside his friend, even though he still didn't look too happy about his current situation.

"Couldn't I just _tell_ you my size and you get it?" Naruto asked tentatively, giving Kiba his best puppy dog eyes.

"Dude, I'm around dogs like 24/7; like THAT'S gonna work," Kiba responded, not even looking at blonde. "And you're coming so I can tell anyone who asks why I'm buying you clothes is because I owe you. I don't want people to think we're _weird_ or anything, so just quit complaining!"

Seeing the logic in his words, Naruto shrugged and clammed up for the rest of their trip. It was about a little after noon, and most of the villagers working on rebuilding had taken a break for lunch. The intoxicating smells that permeated throughout the streets as wives brought food out for their husbands made the two companions drool with envy. One particularly appetizing bentō stopped them in their tracks. Whomever that was going to was the luckiest man in the world for the next few minutes, and both Naruto and Kiba made a mental note of the area of the village they were in. Depending on if they got assigned to construction, they could possibly end up working around this area, and hopefully receive a lunch of similar quality.

"Hey, sorry again that Akamaru destroyed your clothes. I know how much you love those things. _Though why you do, I have no idea…_" Kiba said, doing his best to sound apologetic. In actuality, since it was his idea to have his faithful dog literally shit all over Naruto's tracksuit, he was by no means sorry, and had spoiled his friend for days with extra treats as a reward. I mean, orange and black? Granted, at least it wasn't orange and blue like it had used to be, but Kiba didn't understand how girls had begun fawning over the Uzumaki even though he continued to wear such weird stuff.

Naruto shrugged. "Hey, I've gotten over it. That one was starting to tear in the chest from Sakura-chan tossing me around like a ragdoll anyways." He shuddered involuntarily, making Kiba curious as to the story behind it.

"What happened? You 'trip' and grab her chest again?" the Inuzuka snickered, recalling a fond memory of watching the poor blonde get savaged by a livid Sakura.

"I told you that really _was_ an accident!" Naruto snapped back, pouting with his lower lip. "No, this was back on our mission to collect supplies for the village. We stopped at a small town that had a hot springs."

Kiba's ear perked up. This was going in a pleasant direction.

"So I was just sitting there when Sai comes up to me and starts acting all weird. Turns out he read somewhere that going against gender roles and talking about your feelings was a good way to become better friends with someone." Naruto covered his eyes with his hands, groaning. "And he just _had _to pick while we were naked to try it out!"

"Yeah yeah, that's nice and all, but what were you saying about Sakura?" Kiba insisted, a perverse grin stretching across his cheeks. Naruto rolled his eyes, giving him a look of disgust.

"Is that _all_ you think about? But yeah, so I try to get away from Sai, and I end up knocking down the privacy wall between the girls' and guys' baths."

Kiba eyes glazed over as the wonderfully vivid images of beautiful women wearing nothing but a towel (if anything) filled his mind. Man, why does Naruto get all the luck?

Naruto grasped his shoulders, rubbing them with his hands for comfort. "Sakura-chan had just come out, and thought I was trying to score a peek at all the girls. I don't think I've ever run that fast before…"

"Wait, how did your tracksuit get all messed up if you were in the hot springs?" Kiba asked, in between fits of snickering.

His blonde companions looked at him as if it was obvious. "I was running for my life! I sure as hell wasn't going to do it naked! I ran back to grab my clothes, and she caught up to me a few minutes after I had put them on. The whole thing was Sai's fault, and I'm the one who ended up with cracked ribs."

At this point Kiba was holding himself up against Akamaru he was laughing so hard, much to Naruto's chagrin.

"Naruto…you get all the luck." Kiba finally said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"How am I lucky to be put in the hospital?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Because, you idiot…you get to see naked girls like _all_ the time. I don't know how you do it!"

Naruto grinned. "That _is_ pretty awesome. Seems like the ladies finally understand what they were missing!"

Kiba snorted, and began walking again, leaving Naruto standing in the middle of the street, grinning like an idiot. When the blonde finally realized that Kiba was not going to answer his high-five, he lowered his hand in embarrassment and quickly caught up to the Inuzuka.

"So what makes you think you'll be able to find a replacement here? I had gotten that new tracksuit when I was out of the village, you know." Naruto asked as the store in question came into sight. It was nothing out of the ordinary, which is why Naruto was doubtful that his…unique sense of style could be sated here.

"A lot of things happened while you were gone on your mission, Naruto. Trust me, we'll find what you're looking for."

They approached the doors, and Kiba stepped aside to let Naruto enter first, a knowing smirk gracing his lips. At first Naruto wondered why Kiba had done that all of a sudden, but his questions were soon answered.

From the outside, it looked like any other store, and had been one of the first buildings to be completed simply because it was close to the center of the village and because it had been one of the larger clothing stores the civilian and shinobi populations alike used. Even on the inside, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There were sections for shirts, pants, jackets, shoes, pretty much every part of an ensemble could be found here in a surprising array of styles and colors. But that wasn't what amazed Naruto.

No, what amazed him, was the section in the back.

It was plastered on all sides with the brightest colored clothing he had ever seen. Greens and reds that made his eyes hurt, with flashy patterns and designs woven into many of them. But what was most surprising, was that he largest selection of clothing to choose from in that section just happened to be a bright orange.

Kiba walked up to his companion and patted him on the back, chuckling softly as Naruto stood there in awe.

"Yeah, they added this section while you were gone. A lot of people were beginning to miss their great hero, so the owner had the business sense to start carrying clothing reminiscent of yours. This whole section was pretty much inspired by you. It's especially popular with kids, but some of the older people around her have started to buying from here too. Pretty cool, huh?"

Naruto could only nod dumbly, the ability to use his words having temporarily left him. This was like a dream come true! Finally the other villagers saw eye-to-eye with his majestic choice of clothing! He began scurrying through the aisles, spoiled for choice.

Kiba led him away from a yellow shirt with green spirals patterned all over it, shaking his head.

"You remember why we're here in the first place, don't you? I promised you a replacement outfit, not everything on the racks."

The blonde pouted for a moment, before nodding sadly. He lumbered over to the area where all the orange stuff was grouped together, and began nosing through it to find something that suited him. Something flashed out of the corner of his eye, and Naruto could have sworn that he saw someone he recognized, but when he turned there was no one there. He shrugged, and went back to his search.

Kiba however, had noticed it. More specifically, he smelled it. He walked a few aisled down, and stopped in front of a rack of jackets, where the origination of the scent was coming from. Kiba rolled his eyes, and quickly shoved the clothing aside, revealing a blushing Hinata Hyūga hiding on the other side of the rack.

"Hinata? What the heck are you doing here?" he asked, looking down at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Ino-san invited me out sh-shopping today." Hinata squeaked, keeping her voice down so Naruto wouldn't hear her. "B-but I didn't know Naruto-kun w-would be here…" she began twiddling her fingers together nervously, and Kiba saw an opportunity for some teasing.

"What? Are you gonna buy some stuff that Naruto might find a little sexier?" he questioned with a grin, making Hinata's cheeks even redder. Before Kiba could capitalize on the situation, someone from behind him cleared his throat.

"Ahem!"

Kiba spun around to find Ino standing there, tapping her foot impatiently. She held a large pile of assorted clothing in her arms, though just by looking at it Kiba could tell it was for Hinata to try, not Ino.

The Yamanaka bent down and handed Hinata some things from the pile, giving her a soft smile.

"Why don't you try these on, Hinata? I'm just gonna talk to Kiba for a second, and then I'll join you."

Hinata nodded shyly, gratefully accepting what Ino had given her, before shooting into the dressing rooms in the blink of an eye. Naruto raised his head to once again try and see what had flashed past him, but assumed it was Ino he had seen, and waved at her happily before returning to his search.

Kiba had waved back, but his face quickly contorted into an expression of pain as Ino grabbed ahold of his ear, and yanked him out of earshot of the Uzumaki.

"Are you trying to ruin everything!" she hissed, slapping Kiba with a pair of shoes. "I'm trying to boost her confidence, and here you are making her feel all embarrassed!"

"Hey, that was a compliment!" Kiba snapped back, dodging Ino's wrath. "She wants to impress Naruto, right?"

Ino rolled her eyes at his ignorance. "Well duh, of course she does. But what she's worn for years is what _she_ chose. It's part of who she is. And what you said made her feel like Naruto will never find her attractive if she wears those jackets of hers!"

Kiba realized his mistake, and immediately regretted teasing Hinata.

"You're completely right. I'll apologize to her when she gets out, but don't you think this isn't the best day to take her out shopping? With Naruto here she'll second guess everything you pick out for her."

"You have no idea how a girl's mind works, do you?" Ino asked, throwing her hands up in mock annoyance. "Listen, if Naruto compliments Hinata on what she's chosen, and he _will_, she'll feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. And I'm only helping her pick stuff out. I _do_ have the best fashion sense in the entire village, after all."

Kiba smirked. "Yeah, well according to Naruto, _he's _the one with the best fashion sense."

"As if. Listen, if you can, try and get Naruto to walk by Hinata's dressing room when I give you a signal. She'll come out wearing something completely gorgeous, and Naruto will have to compliment her on it. Can you do that?"

The Inuzuka huffed. "Of course I can! You don't give me enough credit, you know that?"

"Well, maybe if you didn't reek of cologne and kibble, I might take you more seriously. You're practically a dog yourself, so I don't understand how you don't smell it." Before Kiba could protest any further, she hurried off to check on Hinata, leaving Kiba sulking as he made his own way back to Naruto.

"What do you think about this?" Naruto asked, holding up something that could only be described as horrifying. It offended every one of Kiba' senses, and he quickly made sure Naruto changed his mind.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Ino waving her arms frantically in his direction; that must have been the signal, and Kiba needed to get Naruto close to the dressing rooms so Ino's scheme could be put into action.

Panicking, Kiba said the first thing that came to mind. "Hey, why don't you pick something else out you want, and I'll get that for you too?" He cursed himself over and over at his mistake, as he was now paying for two things instead of one. Naruto, however, looked ecstatic, and quickly grabbed something off of he shelves.

"Don't forget to try it on to make sure it fits." Kiba reminded, much to Naruto's confusion.

"Why? I know my size pretty well? Why can't I just hold on to it until we're done?"

Kiba pinched the bridge of his nose together between his fingers. "Because I'm not paying for it if you find out it doesn't fit you and you end up never wearing it. Now go try it on!"

By now several of the other patrons were snickering to themselves at the scene unfolding before them, with Naruto acting the role of a child with Kiba as his exasperated parent. After grabbing the same shirt in a different size, Naruto trudged towards the changing rooms. Ino waited until just the right moment, and knocked on the door that Hinata was behind to get her to come out so Ino could 'see'. The Hyūga stepped outside clad in a skimpy yellow tank-top and blue shorts combo, much to her embarrassment. This awkwardness increased tenfold when she noticed Naruto Uzumaki approaching, who grinned broadly in greeting.

"Hey Hinata! I didn't know you were here too!" he exclaimed brightly, stopping to say hello before he tried on his own selection.

Ino put her hands on her hips, and was the very essence of proud. "Yep, she's here with me to change her wardrobe up a little bit! What do you think, Naruto?" The question was merely a formality, as in Ino's mind she knew exactly what Naruto would say. That Hinata looked awesome in it, and that she-

"I don't really think that looks good on her," he said bluntly, before heading off to the dressing room.

Ino's face was that of pure rage, as that was _not_ the answer she had been expecting. Poor Hinata, however, looked devastated. The object of her affections had just told her that she didn't look good in something that Ino insisted looked 'cute' and 'sexy'. Hinata wanted to crawl back into the dressing room and just stay there, but Ino was not about to accept defeat.

"What, is he blind!" Ino complained, sticking her tongue out at the room that Naruto was currently occupying. "Fine…we'll just have to try even harder! Here Hinata, put this on. There's no way he'll say anything bad this time!"

Hinata looked at her newest outfit, not very confident at all. This one looked even _bolder_ than the last one, and Hinata was worried that Naruto would like it even less. But Ino looked so sure of herself, and Hinata didn't want to be rude. She nodded silently, and shuffled back inside to try it on. She emerged just after Naruto, whom Ino had held back to see what he thought this time.

He made a face, and Hinata felt like her heart had been pierced. He wordlessly shook his head no, before happily heading over to give Kiba what he had chosen, before resuming his search for a tracksuit just like his old one.

This continued on several more times, Ino being too stubborn to stop. She would demand Hinata try on more and more outlandish outfits in a bid for his attention, while Hinata in turn would become more and more withdrawn, feeling less like herself.. But each time Naruto refused to yield, expressing his distaste with every single outfit Ino had picked out. Meanwhile, he had finally discovered a tracksuit identical to the one he used to own, much to his excitement. Kiba had grown impatient and simply asked one of the clerks, who actually happened to be the owner of the store. When the man discovered that the hero of Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki, was in his humble store, he immediately ran into the back, and rushed outside with the outfit, a personal project of his that he had been planning to put on the shelves in a few months. As an added bonus, the man vehemently refused payment of any kind, much to Kiba's delight. Naruto seemed hesitant to accept the offer, but the man was able to convince him that risking his life for the village was more than worth a few pieces of clothing.

"Okay, what do you think about _this_?" Ino said, having dragged Naruto over to have him look over at Hinata one more time. In truth, even Ino didn't think that Hinata looked good in it, but was desperate to get any kind of different reaction out of him. He eyed Hinata for a few tense seconds, carefully looking him up and down. Hinata's heart was pounding in her chest, desperate for his approval.

"Hinata…." he said finally, "…do you like wearing that stuff?"

The look in his eyes demanded honesty, and Hinata couldn't deny him. She gave Ino a look of apology, and shook her head vigorously.

"No…I'm s-sorry Ino-san, but I _hate _it. I don't feel like me in these clothes."

Ino was about to retort, but Naruto's voice spoke up first.

"Yeah, I knew you didn't like it. Besides, you don't need that stuff to look pretty!"

Hinata's cheeks immediately flared up at his praise. "You r-really t-think so?" she asked tentatively, wanting to make sure that this wasn't just a dream.

Naruto nodded firmly, though Ino could see that he was blushing a little himself. "You bet I do! I always really liked what you wore. You weren't trying to be someone else, and I think that's awesome!"

Kiba was waving him over so they could head out, having grown impatient with Ino's plan. The Inuzuka had plans tonight, and he would be damned if he had to miss them because he was stuck clothes shopping for the village knucklehead. Naruto gave a hurried goodbye to the two girls, before catching up to his companion.

"Who does he think he is!" Ino huffed, folding her arms as she pouted. "Those outfits were absolutely adorable! That idiot wouldn't know style if it got shoved up his-" she continued to rant on and on, but Hinata wasn't listening.

She clutched at her jacket, her stomach doing cartwheels. She was smiling ever so slightly, and even though Ino didn't know it, her plan had succeeded anyway. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and right now Hinata felt like she was the most beautiful girl in the world as she stood there in the middle of that store. Naruto had told her that she looked pretty in what she had always worn, that she was beautiful because she didn't try to show off. Her knees felt weak as Naruto was waving goodbye to the store owner, before heading for the door.

Before he left, he turned around, and smiled softly at Hinata. It wasn't a big smile, but in a way he looked so much happier than he usually did, that Hinata could only smile back.

And so even though Hinata left the store that day without a single new outfit, she still felt like a brand new woman. Beautiful, and full of confidence.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Well I hope you enjoyed reading this! I'll get to working on the next chapter as soon as I can, which will be ready the usual time of about a week later.


	14. Naruto's Decision

**Author's Note: **First off, let me say that I'm sorry that this update was so late compared to the others. There's a reason for that.

I now work in the mornings 5 days a week from 7:30 to 4. That time in the morning was my writing time, because I could be alone with my thoughts without my family around to distract me. Don't get me wrong, they're awesome, but blaring the TV while I'm writing isn't the best environment. But now that I work in the mornings except for weekends, I don't have that time anymore, and the last thing I want to do when I get home is write for several hours straight. I have to keep up my out-of-internet social life alive, you know.

That doesn't necessarily mean that the updates will be further and further spread apart now. It just means that I have to work out a new schedule. What'll probably do is power-write on the weekends when I have more free time, and only write as much as I feel like during the week. Still, expect the updates to not be as timely.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to thank the 5 (seriously, only 5) people who answered my poll about the music links. I know all of you have an opinion, but if you don't tell me that opinion, I can't make a very accurate decision. I'll keep the poll open for a few more days if you simply didn't know it was there, but do be aware that I will most likely plan on keeping the music links, albeit with much less. Looking back through the chapters I realize there were some instances where they got incredibly intrusive, so they will now only occur whenever I really feel the writing can be augmented through the music, or during a battle to help set the stage.

Technically this is supposed to be Chapter 13 since the last chapter was just an omake, but borderline OCD kicked in, and I had to put it as Chapter 14 to make it match when you're selecting chapters. It's not that big of a deal, so I'm not expecting any grief for it.

Thanks again for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy Chapter 14!

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><p><strong>-Chapter 14: Naruto's Decision-<strong>

Dawn.

The nighttime had passed, and sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, not yet above the tree line. Rays of light shone through the leaves, heralding its ascent into the heavens. The lamps that dotted the corners and streets of the village slowly let their warm glow flit away into nothingness, waiting until the setting of the sun to fulfill their purpose once more. They almost seemed reluctant to let the day prevail, as the night that had come before it had been wonderful. The crisp air had drifted gently through the twists and turns of the village's streets, cooling the buildings it touched, and by extension, their residents. Yes, ask almost everyone in the village how they had slept last night, and they would tell you it was nothing short of heaven.

_Almost _everyone.

Once again, Naruto Uzumaki was unable to claim his own share of the slumber that had permeated throughout the rest of the village, but it wasn't because of his nightmares. No, Kakashi's gift to him would have certainly prevented such a thing from happening, at least until it ran out, so why was it that Naruto was so exhausted this beautiful morning.

Simply put, it was because he wasn't even home.

The front door swung open, and Naruto shuffled into his apartment, eyes glazed over with exhaustion. Behind him trudged several shadow clones, looking in no better of a condition. The blonde would have dispersed them by now, but was afraid the accumulated exertion would cause him to pass out wherever he happened to be. And so he waited until he was safely back in his own home to return the number of Narutos back to one. Not a second after he did so, he slumped onto the couch, fast asleep. He had neglected to use some of Kakashi's sleeping agent, but it didn't matter. Not even the Kyūbi's influence could wake him from this sleep. But questions remain: why on earth would Naruto stay up all night, and why did he have clones with him, looking just as tired as the original?

He had been planning. Scheming. Putting that infamous prankster mindset to work. His cunning would be repurposed for this particular day, but his skills were necessary nonetheless. There was something he had to be sure of, and being Naruto he figured he might as well have some fun with it. He would need the clones back later today to help enact his plan, but a short nap to regain his energy was the priority.

Falling into such a coma-like state alleviated Naruto from the horrible nightmares he had been suffering through for what was now close to a month, and his dreams had instead shifted over to what was now the dominant thought in his mind.

Hinata and Sakura. Sakura and Hinata. Two women who had now become the most important people of the opposite gender in his life. Granted he wasn't even that close to Hinata, showing just how unfamiliar with the other sex he was. Even after his talk with Iruka, the blonde found himself unable to truly comprehend his situation. He had cared for Sakura in that way for so long that he almost felt ashamed that those feelings were slowly shifting to the Hyūga princess. It wasn't necessarily his fault; growing up without family, and any friends for a great deal of it tended to stunt your emotional growth. Naruto had managed up until now, having to learn the hardest way of all what was right when dealing with people, and what was wrong. But these new, romantic feelings that he was unsure if he felt them for two separate women were horribly frustrating.

In his dreams, he would be confronted of these feelings by the two of them. He was completely lost on how to handle them, and could only watch as the two women slipped away, leaving him alone once more. In a way it was almost worse than his nightmares, as it least he knew why those were happening.

A groggy eye appeared from behind its lid, lazily taking in its surroundings. Upon seeing a brighter light bursting through his window, Naruto let out a single groan before sitting himself up, albeit with great difficulty.

Why was this happening to him? He was sure he liked Hinata now, but does that mean he stopped liking Sakura? Was Iruka's advice right?

"_If you love two girls, choose the second one. Because if you truly loved the first, you wouldn't have fallen for the second in the first place."_

It made a good deal of sense. Why would he have these feelings for Hinata in the first place if he truly cared for and loved Sakura? But that only served to make him even more unsure. If he had never truly loved Sakura in the first place, how was he supposed to know if what he felt with Hinata wasn't the same thing? What if this was just another passing phase, and Naruto didn't truly care for the Hyūga the way he thought he did?

If there's one thing that Naruto Uzumaki does not like being, it's unsure. He dunked his head under some cold water to wake him up, quickly heated up a cup of ramen for breakfast, and headed out the door. It was time for answers, and Sakura and Hinata would both need to be dealt with today.

Biting onto the lid of his breakfast, he used his now-free hands to weave the hand signs for his signature jutsu. Several clones appeared around him in a puff of smoke, greeting the original far too enthusiastically for his taste.

"Good morning, boss!" One clone shouted. "Whaddya need!"

The original Naruto didn't even acknowledge the greeting, and had already headed down the stairs, his clones hurrying to catch up.

"It's time we put our plan into action," the original Naruto explained. "Like we discussed and planned last night, you guys will be handling Hinata all day until I'm ready. Remember, you can't let her see you, or this whole plan goes to shit."

The clones nodded brightly, exclaiming a chorus of 'You got it!' and 'Right!'

"In the meantime, I'll find Sakura-chan and talk to her," Naruto continued, throwing his now-empty ramen cup into a trash bin nearby. "Once I'm done, I'll be heading your way to talk to Hinata, so your clones need to be finished with what I asked by that time."

Another clone snorted. "Yeah yeah, we'll be ready when you are. We're you after all, ya know!"

Naruto grunted in response, and when nothing else was said for about a minute, the clones took it as their hint to take their leave and begin the original Naruto's plan. They raced off to find Hinata, leaping to the rooftops to better survey their surroundings.

And in the meantime, the original Naruto Uzumaki lumbered towards the hospital, in search of his pink-haired friend.

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><p>"Th-thank you for coming, everyone." Hinata said softly, giving her guests a small bow.<p>

The 'everyone' she was referring to was the rest of the Konoha 11, minus Naruto, seated in various places around one of the training grounds the lay scattered around the village's vicinity. Neji had helped his cousin collect everyone, as even though some of them hadn't been too keen on coming, the urgency in Hinata's voice and in Neji's eyes convinced them otherwise. Besides Tenten, none of them knew why they had been called together, and since Hinata was now here, they were starting to get a little nervous.

"No problem, Hinata. It sounded important, after all." Kiba answered, running a hand through his hair.

Lee nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Hinata-san! As your friends, it is our duty to-"

"You can stop pandering to me; I know what's going on."

The bitter tone in Hinata's voice instantly shut everyone up. Even though Neji hadn't moved, subtle twinges in at the corner of his mouth betrayed his true feelings. He still felt horrible about his part in the scheme, and was feeling anxious for the others.

"I had been suspecting something was wrong for some time now," Hinata continued, "but it wasn't until I confronted Neji-neesan about it that he told me what he and you all have done."

The others hung their heads in shame, or averted their eyes. What had seemed like fun and innocent felt cruel and under-handed when you saw who it was you were messing with. Hinata's gaze glided over them, trying to find anyone who would look her in the eye, but no one did. She sighed. This was not how she wanted this to go. Yes, she was upset with them, but she wasn't immature enough to not consider their reasons. They had only intended something good, and had merely taken a route to that goal that Hinata hadn't been entirely accepting of.

When no one spoke for several minutes, Hinata tried a different approach.

"I understand that Sakura-san was the one who first influenced you to help her. Do any of you know where she is?"

A few of them shuffled their feet awkwardly. They clearly knew where she was, but were afraid that Hinata might seek out vengeance or something else drastic. The silence was torture to the Hyūga, and soon she could no longer stand it.

"Please everyone, I am n-not a child! I am upset with what you have done, but that does not mean I do not understand _why_. I only ask where Sakura-san is out of curiosity." Hinata exclaimed, almost pleading with them. They had to understand that she was not a child, and could handle what they really thought and felt about the situation. It is what friends do, after all.

Finally, Shino cleared his throat.

"Sakura-san has been busy at the hospital all morning. Neji-san and I urged her to accept your invitation, but she politely declined as she was too busy."

"Thank you, Shino-kun." Hinata said. The Aburame merely nodded in response, but having been his teammate for so long, Hinata could easily feel the apologetic and regretful undertones in his voice and body language.

"I understand why you agreed to help Sakura-san with this, I really do. You were only trying to accomplish something I was unfortunately too meek to do myself." Her tone was sad, and as an unintended response, made the others feel even worse.

"And while I felt upset at first, betrayed even, I can accept your good intentions. In a way, I am happy that you all wish for me to be with Naruto-kun." She offered them a small smile to give them a sign of peace, hiding her true feelings.

In truth, Hinata was by no means happy. She knew she should be, as their reasons for their actions were valid. Everyone supporting the idea of her and Naruto becoming a couple was wonderful as an idea, but just the way they went about that felt wrong, fake. Hinata could be a hopeless romantic at times, and the idea that a once unrequited love becoming returned only through the interference of others was about as poetic as Kiba's toilet jokes.

But alas, Hinata was too kind and polite a person to show how upset she really was, not wanting to worry them. So she decided to simply mask her true feelings, wanting to put this mess behind her as quickly as possible.

"Are you…really ok with this?" Ino asked hesitantly, still a little wary.

Hinata smiled gently. "O-of course, Ino-san. I wouldn't let something like this get in the way of being friends."

Ino squealed with delight, getting up from her seat to give the Hyūga a rib-crushing hug.

"Oh, I'm _so_ glad you're okay with this! I've been just _dying_ to get all the juicy details from you, and now I finally have my chance."

"Eh? W-what?" Hinata squeaked, surprised by the Yamanaka's instant change in mood.

"Oh, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! Tell me what it's like! You two are practically dating now, so you have to have some idea of what Naruto would be like as a boyfriend, don't you?"

Hinata began twiddling her fingers. She was a little embarrassed to explain, but even Kiba seemed slightly interested, his ears perking up showing that he was paying attention. It was most likely some macho thing he had with his 'rival', and Hinata inwardly rolled her eyes at the thought of Kiba acting like a gentleman so as not to lose to the Uzumaki.

"He's…amazing!" Hinata finally squealed out, the mood overtaking her more withdrawn nature. "He's sweet, attentive, and he treats me like a princess…"

Without even realizing it, Hinata began talking for close to 15 minutes, going on and on about how wonderful it was to be closer to Naruto. She was excited to think about what he'd be like as a boyfriend, since he was already this chivalrous as just a friend. Every now and again the girls would sigh dreamily, wishing they could be swept away like that, while the guys present merely grunted or rolled their eyes in annoyance and the slightest hint of jealousy. Who knew all you had to be the biggest chick magnet in the village was risk your life against one of the most dangerous shinobi of all time?

Eventually, Shikamaru realized how much time had passed, and seeing as how the original reason they had gathered had been settled, he decided it was about time to leave. With a brief wave, he got to his feet and disappeared through the trees, making his way back to the village. The other males present saw that as their only opportunity to get away as well, and soon only Tenten and Ino remained, so caught up in Hinata's gushing that they didn't even notice them leave.

"…And he never makes fun of me, unless he calls me Hinata-hime, but that's more like a nickname. Anyway, he also-" Hinata blinked several times, finally coming to the realization of how long she had been talking. A dark blush spread across her cheeks as she returned to her normal, shy self.

"Oh, I'm s-sorry for talking so long. I just got a l-little carried away…"

Tenten giggled. "Oh, don't worry about it! I thought it was kind of cute, really. Don't you think so, Ino?"

Ino hadn't heard her friend's question, having completely been drawn up in her own romantic fantasies once again. It wasn't until Tenten began snapping her fingers right in front of her face did Ino realize how mesmerized she had been. She gave the two an awkward smile, and rubbed her head much like Naruto would in the same situation.

"Well, seeing as how the guys ditched us, how about we go get us something to eat?" Tenten asked as she casually twirled a kunai in her hand.

Hinata smiled. That sounded rather nice, actually. "I would love to, Tenten-san. Ino-san, are you coming with us?"

Ino stuck her tongue out playfully. "Duh! Of course I would!"

Having somewhere to go, the three girls left the training ground as well, returning the area to peaceful silence once more.

* * *

><p>At this time of day, the streets of the village were all hustle and bustle, more so since reconstruction was finally coming to a close. People everywhere were excited to put the finishing touches on their homes, and were rushing here and there to pick up the last amounts of supplies they needed for their projects. The summer heat had begun to fade away, and the three companions could feel the hint of autumn that was heading their way.<p>

Hinata had in particular been drinking in the lovely atmosphere of the village, and wasn't exactly watching where she was going. Someone roughly slammed into her, sending her to the dirt.

"Watch where you're going, girl!" The stranger barked, brushing himself off.

Hinata's first instinct, naturally, was the beat the ever-loving shit out of him for being so rude. He was a greasy, foul looking man, covered head to toe with grime. He stared at her with surprisingly piercing blue eyes, sneering at her. Hinata pushed back her more violent thoughts, dusted herself off, and rose to her feet.

"I am sorry, sir. I w-wasn't paying attention to where I was going." She said calmly, giving the man a small bow.

The stranger spat on the ground, directly in front of Hinata's feet. "Whatever." He said simply, before trudging on his way, not even acknowledging the other two women around.

"That asshole!" Ino shrieked when he had turned the corner. "Hinata, how could you let him just get away with that? He was so rude to you!"

Hinata gave her friend a small smile. "Ino-san, it was nothing to worry about. I really wasn't watching where I was going, and it is better to simply apologize and put the incident behind you than make an enemy."

Tenten cracked her knuckles. "I don't know how you resisted the urge to clobber that scumbag, If it had been me, he would have been on his way to the hospital right now!"

The Hyūga stifled a laugh at the look in Tenten's eyes, one usually reserved for when Lee or Neji did something stupid. She motioned for them to continue on their way, and soon the three girls had all but forgotten about the man.

A large group of people were heading in their direction, carrying a number of boxes with them. When they had gotten close enough to see, Hinata took a quick peek inside. She couldn't make out the specifics, but they seemed to be decorations of some sort, and it clicked within Hinata's mind what they were for.

"Ahh, yes. The festival is s-soon, right?"

Tenten's and Ino's faces lit up when they realized what had been in the box. "You're right That's coming up pretty soon, isn't it?" Ino asked, watching as the group of people hurried through the streets to some unknown destination.

Tenten nodded. "Yeah, it should be within the next few days. It's exciting, isn't it? The village will be completely rebuilt and we can finally stop working our butts off every day."

Ino sighed appreciatively. "I know what you mean. All that construction was murder on my manicure!" she exclaimed, admiring her nails as she spoke. Tenten, the more tomboyish of them, merely rolled her eyes. Suddenly, a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.

"Soo…I hear the festival is one of the most romantic times of the year! You think the boys will ask us to accompany them?"

Hinata lowered her head, blushing slightly. That had been on her mind sporadically ever since she knew about the festival's coming arrival. But it was actually Ino who spoke first.

"It is, isn't it! And guess what…I have a date!" she squealed, earning a number of strange looks from passerby.

The other two girls' jaws dropped at Ino's reveal, before they began bombarding her questions.

"Well, who is it!" Tenten hissed. "Who asked you?"

For a moment, Ino's more outgoing air disappeared, replaced with a quiet joy that Hinata knew all too well. There was only one person who could change her personality like that.

"Ino-san…did Chōji-kun ask you to the festival?" she asked almost innocently, smiling as her blonde friend began sputtering in surprise.

"H-how did you know?" she demanded, inwardly cursing herself for being so obvious.

Hinata smirked. It wasn't usually in her nature, but teasing people really could be fun.

"You only act like that when Chōji-kun is involved. Did he ask you to the festival?"

Ino said nothing, but after a few brief seconds of fiddling with her hair, she nodded shyly. Hinata smiled warmly, pulling her friend into a small hug.

"That's wonderful news, Ino-san! When did he ask you?" Hinata asked excitedly, genuinely happy for the girl.

"Just a few days ago!" Ino answered, looking overjoyed as the memories played themselves out once more again in her head. "He just showed up at my house out of the blue, with flowers and everything! It was…magical." She sighed again, lost in her fantasies. Hinata laughed softly at her friend's happiness.

"You have no idea how lucky you are, Ino." Tenten responded more bluntly. "I've been trying to get Neji to stop dragging his feet forever now. Why is your cousin such a wet sandwich sometimes?"

Despite the odd wording, Hinata knew what Tenten meant. "He can be a little stuffy sometimes, Tenten-san. But I'm sure that if he cares for you, he will ask eventually."

"He better. If I have to wait any longer, I might just have to find a way to…speed up the process." She was once again twirling a kunai as she spoke, and Hinata couldn't help but say a little prayer asking for Neji to come to his senses before the weapons specialist made good on her threat.

Ino's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "So…you think Naruto is gonna ask you to the festival?"

Hinata's heart leaped at the idea. She had played the scenario out in her head many, many times. He would come up to her, maybe with some flowers or something corny (just like Naruto), and act incredibly nervous. Hinata would innocently ask him what he needed, and he would finally fess up his feelings for her. He would offer her the flowers, and formally ask her to be his date to the festival, which she would readily accept. It would be a dream come true.

"I…h-hope that he does…" Hinata finally answered, bringing both of her hands close to her chest. She and Naruto had certainly become closer, but there was always the possibility that he would not ask her, an idea that terrified the girl. Tenten picked up on this, and gave her friend a gentle pat on the back.

"Hinata, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. I am 100% percent sure that Naruto will ask you to the festival."

The Hyūga rose her head to meet her friends' eyes. "You…r-really think so."

This time it was Ino who spoke. "We know so," she said firmly, giving Hinata a bright smile. "I've seen the way Naruto looks at you. He'd be stupid not to ask you!"

Hinata smiled inwardly. If her friends were this confident, it certainly wouldn't hurt for her to be as well. Her mood lightened, they continued the trek through the village, close to their destination. Ino had suggested a small restaurant a while ago, and while Hinata hadn't ever eaten there, the vivid description of the food there made Hinata's mouth water.

Just before they turned their last corner, Hinata spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Across the street from them stood an old woman. She looked extremely frail for her age, and was currently attempting to carry a large amount of bags and packages. The poor woman wasn't faring well, always dropping something whenever she picked another item up. Dozens of people simply walked right past her, and Hinata felt pity for the elderly woman. She immediately marched up to the woman, giving her a warm smile.

"H-hello, Obāsan. Would you like some help with those?" she asked.

The woman raised her head, and Hinata felt a wonderful warmth grow within her heart. The elderly lady looked so relieved, so happy someone had finally come along to help her.

"Thank you so much, Onēsan! I've been trying to get these things down the road for almost a half hour now, but I'm afraid my back isn't what it used to be."

Hinata motioned for Tenten and Ino to join her, who despite looking impatient and ready to eat, helped Hinata pick up the majority of the woman's things.

"Where do you need these to go?" Hinata asked from behind a towering pillar of packages.

"Just a little ways down the street." The woman responded. "My husband is at a store nearby, and he can help me take these home once he's finished." She scurried off in that direction, now much spryer for her age than Hinata originally anticipated. It was only a few short minutes before they had arrived at their destination, a small grocery store.

"Are you sure you don't want us to help you take these things home?" Hinata asked, feeling like she would be abandoning the old woman. But she shook her head.

"Please, don't trouble yourself any further. My husband will be along in time. Thank you so much for your help, Onēsan. So kind and generous…and such a beauty! My, any man would be lucky to have you."

Hinata blushed underneath the praise, but could see the sincerity in the woman's words through her striking blue eyes. They hinted at a vitality much more lively than the woman let on.

"Th-thank you, Obāsan…but there is only one man who I could ever give my heart to."

The woman smiled. "I'm sure he he'll come around eventually. Thank you once more for your help. You make an old woman very happy."

Hinata bowed in farewell, before rejoining her friends. Now thoroughly hungry, they nearly raced back to the restaurant, eager to enjoy an early lunch.

The placed was already packed wall-to-wall, but thankfully they were still able to find an open booth. They enjoyed a pleasant enough lunch, despite the fact that they were served by what was most likely the most incompetent waiter of all time. He spilled their drinks twice, switched their orders with another tables, and brought them one dessert when they had ordered three. Hinata was the only one to remain patient with him, always assuming that it was his first day, or something out of his control was affecting his work. Ino and Tenten preferred the idea that he was just an idiot, but Hinata insisted they shouldn't assume.

After he added their checks wrong for the third time, the girls were finally able to escape from his ineptitude, making a break for the door. Hinata was about halfway there when someone from behind her cleared their throat, wanting her attention. She turned around to find their waiter standing in front of her, looking very nervous.

"I'm so sorry about today…" he muttered, keeping his head down. "I j-just wanted to thank you for being so patient with me…"

Hinata couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy. He obviously felt as if he had ruined their day, and she empathized with him.

"Please, don't worry about it," she told him. "I'm sure you did the best you could."

The boy raised his head to meet her eyes, and Hinata couldn't help but admire him. He had short cropped, brown hair and a very angular jawline. Normally, the boy wouldn't have stood out that much, but he had these vibrant blue eyes, filled with joy and livelihood.

'_They remind me of Naruto-kun's…'_ Hinata contemplated to herself as she bowed in farewell to the boy, heading outside to rejoin her friends. The boy had said nothing, instead only bowing in return. But there was this look in his eyes…something strange that Hinata couldn't pin down. She decided to shrug it off; no point in worrying about something like that.

"So…what do we want to do now?" Tenten asked, stretching her arms as they wandered aimlessly through the streets.

Ino shrugged. "That's actually about it for me. My dad needs my help later today, so I need to get going."

Tenten pouted for a brief moment, before nodding her head. "What about you, Hinata?"

It would have been nice to spend the rest of the day enjoying it with friends, but Hinata had some unfinished business to take care of.

"I'm sorry, Tenten-san…but I need to go find Sakura-san and talk to her."

The weapons specialist's face darkened somewhat. "I figured you would eventually. Don't be too mad at her, okay? She really was only trying to help."

"I told you, Tenten-san, I'm not mad anymore. I j-just need to talk with her about this."

For a minute Tenten looked anything but convinced, but Hinata wasn't the kind of person who would hold a grudge, so her gaze softened.

"Alright then. Just…don't say anything you'll regret, okay?"

"Don't worry, Tenten-san. I promise I won't." Hinata said, giving her friend a small smile. Tenten returned the gesture, before turning around and making her way down the streets.

Hinata turned in the direction of the hospital, and with a final reaffirmation, she began to walk.

* * *

><p>"Can you get rid of these, please?" Sakura panted out, handing several blood-soaked rags to one of the nurses who surrounded her. This would be her third hour straight in surgery, and she was starting to feel the effects of it. But she couldn't stop, lest the badly wounded shinobi beneath her perish from his wounds. So Sakura merely dismissed her aches and exhaustion, wiped the sweat from her brow, and continued working.<p>

In an attempt to capture a large band of bandits who had been terrorizing the roads for some time now, a small band of chūnin had been dispatched to deal with them. The bandits proved more clever than they originally thought, and had ended up greatly wounding all of them with traps they had laid ahead. Assuming the ninja would perish from their injuries, the bandits fled. Had a passerby traveler not heard their calls, they most certainly would have perished. But the traveler had been able to drag them into a cart he had left on the road, and wheel them back into town, directly into the care of Sakura. She had been busy with managing their injuries since nearly dawn. One had already succumbed to his wounds, they were so great, and Sakura was not about to let another one slip away. She refused to take any sort of break, pushing herself to the absolute limit with soldier pills the only source of energy she had left.

"His chakra network is beginning to circulate again, Sakura-san." One of the nurses exclaimed excitedly. "I don't know what you're doing, but it's working!"

Sakura merely grunted in response, not willing to break even a single ounce of concentration. Using chakra control that could boggle the mind of anyone but Tsunade and Shizune, Sakura continued her delicate work of reforming the nervous system in conjunction with the man's chakra network. If any part was done before the other, their respective systems would begin to spiral out of control, and he would be dead in seconds. She had just finished one of his arms, and had started working on the other. Since she was already familiar with that particular process, she was able to progress through it a little faster than she had the first time. But his chest still remained, and from the exhaustion of the other nurses, who were currently supplying the man with extra chakra to keep his systems functioning, she didn't have long.

The next half hour was nothing but a blur in Sakura's memory, not having worked that fast in quite some time. But in a miraculous achievement, she had been able to successfully resuscitate the chūnin, who was immediately carted off to another wing of the hospital to rest.

Sakura plopped back in her seat. That had been the roughest morning/afternoon she had had in quite some time, and wanted nothing more than to take an 18 hour nap.

But that just wasn't in the cards.

"Sakura-san, there's someone waiting for you in the lobby," one of the nurses informed. "She insisted it was important."

The medic-nin groaned. This was the absolute last thing she wanted to deal with right now.

"Who is it? I'm not getting up unless it's an emergency," she responded, cracking only one eye open.

"Hinata Hyūga."

Sakura sat up from her seat, looking more alert than her condition would have led people to believe. Neji and Shino had come by earlier that day, inviting her to something Hinata was doing. Sakura had been a little suspicious, but couldn't leave work to see what the Hyūga wanted. But now that she was actually here, whatever it had been must have been important. There was a very short list of things that Hinata could talk to Sakura about that hey both considered important, and she unconsciously swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Uh…okay. I'll be out to meet her in just a few minutes. Can you tell her that?"

The nurse nodded, before scurrying out of the room. Meanwhile, Sakura rose from her seat, albeit very reluctantly, and headed off to grab a quick shower and change into some clothes that didn't reek of blood and rubbing alcohol.

Just as she promised, within several minutes, she was able to join Hinata in the lobby, who was patiently sitting in wait, idly fiddling with her jacket.

"Hey, Hinata. What's up?" Sakura asked brightly, giving her friend a warm smile despite her worries.

Hinata nodded in response, but remained quiet. She hadn't really expected this, but a small amount of anger was bubbling to the surface, and Hinata had to focus to hold it back. Standing in front of her was the mastermind of the scheme to push her and Naruto into a relationship, the puppeteer who thought it best to interfere with something she really had no business in. Why that pompous, arrogant little…

Hinata took a deep breath. That was most certainly not like her, and she quickly managed to get her anger under control. Yes, Sakura had effectively interfered with something she had no business in, but Hinata reminded herself that it was only in their best interest. She shouldn't jump to conclusions, as maybe there were other circumstances that Hinata did not in fact know about.

"G-good afternoon, Sakura-san. I was wondering if you had some free time?"

Sakura shrugged. "I just spend the last 3-4 hours in intensive surgery. They better damn well give me some free time. What do you need?"

Hinata kept her gaze firm, but Sakura could see the anxiety hiding behind those white eyes.

"There's something you and I need to talk about." She said quietly, her body tensing up ever so slightly.

'_Yeah, that doesn't sound bad or anything…' _Sakura thought to herself, noticing the serious look in Hinata's features.

"I guess I have some time to spare. I'll grab us something to drink, and we'll meet outside, okay?"

Hinata nodded, standing to her feet, before wordlessly heading out the door. For a few brief seconds, Sakura considered just high-tailing it out of there, afraid of what Hinata might want to talk about. But doing something so cowardly could only serve to make matters worse, so she trudged into the cafeteria to get them some tea.

* * *

><p>Hinata had found a quiet spot just outside the hospital, seated at a bench underneath a recently planted tree, off from the main road. While she could still hear the bustle of the people on the streets, no one would be able to hear them, allowing them some manner of privacy.<p>

"Please, Sakura-san." Hinata spoke quietly, patting the open seat next to her. Sakura gingerly took it before offering the Hyūga her drink, who took it gratefully. She took a small sip, an inhaled the aroma deeply, letting it soothe her nerves.

Sakura rubbed her arm nervously. "Sooo…what did you want to talk about?"

"I know w-what's going on, Sakura-san." Hinata answered immediately, shutting down any attempt to dodge the conversation.

Nothing was said for several minutes. Hinata's eyes searched Sakura's face, trying to get any sort of response. But the medic-nin remained absolutely silent, keeping her eyes downcast.

"How…how long have you known?" Sakura asked finally, her voice void of emotion.

"After that night at Ino-san's house. I saw you when I was talking with Naruto-kun, and confronted Neji-neesan about it. He told me everything." Hinata answered, sounding just a little accusing.

"Hinata, I just want you to know that I'm-"

The Hyūga cut Sakura off with her hand. "You will let me say what I came here to say, Sakura-san. When I found out what you had done, and that you had involved every one of my friends, I felt hurt and betrayed. I felt like all my time with Naruto-kun has been a lie, an illusion."

Sakura could hear the sorrow in her voice; see the inner pain etched into her face. It made her feel horrible that she had been the root of all of this pain.

"For a while, all I could think about was how angry I was with what you had done. I was bitter and confused," Hinata continued, "…but then I began to remember the reasons the others told me for why they helped you. They told me they truly wanted Naruto-kun and I together, and that they only sought my happiness. At first, I didn't really believe them, but the more I thought about it, the more I could see the sincerity of their words."

Hinata turned to face her companion, any anger or pain now absent from her face. Instead, she merely looked lost and confused.

"But why did _you_ do it? Do you feel the same way about Naruto-kun and I?"

Sakura let the words sink in for a few moments. She would have to choose her next words carefully, lest she throw Hinata into hysterics.

"Actually Hinata, I'm doing it for me."

Hinata's eyes widened with shock, her mouth hanging just a little bit open. Her eyes desperately searched Sakura's for an answer, but found none.

"W-what…what d-do you…?" Hinata tried to say. The words refused to form themselves in her mouth, coming out as incomplete questions that resembled gibberish more than anything.

Sakura's mouth curved upward at the corners of her mouth. Despite the gravity of the situation, she couldn't help but feel a little amused at Hinata's sputtering.

"It's not what you think, Hinata. You see, when the five Kage met together in the Land of Iron, Naruto raced after them to beg them for Sasuke's forgiveness. He got on his knees, and groveled in front of the Raikage, asking for them to spare his life."

Hinata frowned. It pained her greatly to hear of Naruto suffering. Sasuke's betrayal had hit no one harder than Naruto, and to see him go to such great lengths to protect him brought Hinata close to tears.

"It was then that I found out just had much Naruto cared about me," Sakura continued. "He was doing this for himself, but even after all these years, he was still trying to fulfill that promise to me all those years ago. There's no doubt in my mind he would give his own life if he saw the slightest chance in making that come true."

Small drops fell to the bench between them, surprising Hinata. Sakura was crying, biting her lower lip as she continued to speak.

"Sai told me…he told me that Naruto _loved_ me. That everything that hurt him or caused him pain was because of how much he loved me. I felt disgusting. I'm supposed to be his friend…"

Hinata felt a twinge of pity for the girl. This had started out with Sakura as the bad guy, and Hinata as the one confronting her. But now Hinata felt sick to her stomach. She was the reason Sakura was crying, and it didn't matter why; it still made Hinata feel horrible about it.

"He would be willing to do absolutely anything to make me happy. Even…fall in love with someone else."

"Sakura…san?" Hinata whispered softly, trying to grasp what had just been said.

The pink-haired chūnin smiled. "Hinata…I see the way that idiot looks at you, acts around you. It's the happiest I've ever seen him, more so than anytime he's ever been with me. Naruto is the hero of the village. He's kind, sweet, and loyal.

She chuckled lightly. "Almost like a dog, really." Hinata also smiled, not able to stop the image of a dog-like Naruto happily greeting her with a joyful bark.

"He shouldn't love me, Hinata. He deserves someone so much better. Someone who would treat him like he deserves. Someone who would give their life for him…like you did."

Sakura and Hinata were now directly looking at one another, staring into each other's eyes. Hinata could see how serious Sakura was, and how much she believed in her own words.

"You were the only one who defended him from Pain, Hinata. You were willing…to die for him. I can't think of anyone in the village who deserve each other more than you two do."

She stood suddenly, offering her hand out for Hinata to accept.

"That's why I did this; all of this. To make_ me_ happy. If he only wants my happiness, then there's nothing in the world that would make me happier than to see him love you as much as you love him. I want him to forget all about me, and see what's been in front of him his entire life. I want him to see…Hinata Hyūga."

Hinata felt her eyes beginning to water, and she attempted to hide her tears from Sakura. The medic-nin was more observant than she had anticipated, and swiftly brought her into a soft hug.

"I'm sorry I made you upset Hinata, but I'm not sorry for what I did. I want you two to be together so bad it hurts. And if you know my at all, you know that I will _not_ take no for an answer.

Hinata laughed slightly into Sakura' clothing, before wiping her eyes on her own sleeve.

"I-I'm so sorry, Sakura-san…I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you-"

"It's ok, Hinata, really. I deserved that and so much more. But you're too kind and gentle of a person to treat me like I feel like I should be treated. I'll stop interfering if you want, but I'll never stop wishing for the two of you to be together."

Hinata felt so relieved to hear those words, to hear that so many people wished her to be happy.

"Hopefully, I was just a crush to Naruto, someone whom he can move on from. I suspect that may have already happened, thanks to yours truly."

Hinata considered her words. Did Sakura really think that Naruto was beginning to have feelings for her? To tell the truth, Hinata was terrified that Naruto would never stop loving Sakura, and Hinata would never be able to show him how much she loved him, but if Sakura was anything, she was confident. And to hear her say those words filled Hinata with hope.

"Thank you, Sakura-san. If I could put into words how I feel right now I would, but right now I can only say thank you."

Sakura smiled brightly. "No need. Just take good care of that idiot for me, will you?"

Hinata giggled. "O-of course, Sakura-san. I would be glad to."

* * *

><p>The two girls, having gotten past all the drama and serious discussion, spent the next few minutes chatting with one another about whatever came to mind. Hinata would ask Sakura about what's been going on with the hospital, and since Sakura missed the meeting earlier that day, would ask Hinata what it's been like to grow so much closer to Naruto over the past few weeks.<p>

A nurse appeared in the doorway, waving Sakura over.

"They need you back inside to look over the last patient, Sakura-san," she said briskly, before disappearing back inside.

Sakura sighed. "No rest for the weary, I suppose. Hinata, thanks for being so patient with all of…well you know."

Hinata smiled. "Please, Sakura-san…It's me who should be thanking you. I shouldn't have assumed your reasons for your actions, and I'm glad we were able to talk about it."

The two women shared a brief hug, before Sakura wandered back inside to get back to work.

Dusting herself off, Hinata left the bench, and started the journey home. It would still be a while before she got over everything, but to hear how much Sakura wanted them to be happy made her heart flutter.

She was about halfway home, when she heard some noises coming from an alleyway nearby. Cautious, she approached it to see what was happening.

Several children huddled around what looked to be like an orange tabby cat. The poor thing was obviously malnourished and frightened, and the children were currently trying to cover it in black paint.

Hinata's face puffed up. That was no way to certainly treat an animal!

"Get away from that cat!" she exclaimed, greatly surprising the kids. Upon seeing someone older and bigger than them, they attempted to flee the scene. But Hinata was faster, and she quickly got in between them and their freedom, and forced them to line up against the wall. While they stood there, paralyzed with fear, Hinata hurried over to the terrified cat, which was practically shivering it was so scared. She bundled it up into her arms, before marching back over to the kids, who were looking very guilty.

"What do you three have to say for yourself? What did this cat ever do to you?"

"We're sorry..." they mumbled, shuffling their feet as they kept their eyes downcast.

Hinata smiled a little. It was clear that the children hadn't really intended to harm the animal, but simply didn't know what they were doing.

"Maybe I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." She held out the cat, who hissed softly at the kids.

"We-we're sorry, Mr. Kitty…" one of the children said quietly, reaching his hand out to pet him. The cat eyed the hand suspiciously, for several seconds, making sure it wasn't being fooled. Satisfied with the child's intentions, it lowered its head, and began to purr softly as the child stroked the cat's ear lightly.

Hinata was almost caught up in the adorableness of the sight in front of her, but she wasn't done with the kids yet.

"Alright, now I want you to throw away that paint, and promise me you won't do something like this again, okay?" she told them softly, but sternly. The children, amazed that they weren't being punished, nodded vigorously. The quickly chucked the paint can and their brushes into the nearby trash bin, before rushing back up to Hinata with proud grins decorating their small faces.

"We promise we won't do it again!" They all chorused at once, making Hinata giggle.

"Thank you! Now, run along and I'll let this little guy go back home."

The children nodded one last time, waving goodbye as they sprinted out of the alley, yelling at each other as they tried to come up with a new game to occupy their time.

Hinata smiled brightly as they disappeared from her sight. Despite her father's harsher parenting, Hinata firmly believed that a softer approach was needed to properly nurture a child.

The cat, still snuggled into her arms, purred affectionately. It didn't seem to want to leave her side, but Hinata's father wouldn't be too keen on Hinata bringing a pet home warning. So, despite the cat's best 'begging' look, Hinata reluctantly set the cat down.

"Sorry, little guy…maybe some other time."

The animal almost seemed to nod at her words, and Hinata could have sworn she saw what looked like understanding in the cat's giant blue eyes. It gave the Hyūga a soft meow of farewell, before slinking off into the darkness.

Hinata stared at the spot where the cat had disappeared for a moment, as if she was waiting for something. A sudden breeze caught her hair, snapping her out of her daze. With one final glance into the alleyway, she returned the main road, and continued on her way back home.

Hidden from the shadows, the feline watched Hinata leave, its blue eyes glinting mischievously in the darkness of the alleyway. It

* * *

><p>leaped up into the air, landing gracefully on a high fence that separated the different streets in between the buildings. It nimble scaled over pipes and walls with a flow even a ninja would be hard pressed to match. It eventually arrived at a small open lot, hidden behind a ring of buildings that closed the area off from the rest of the village. Very few people knew of this place.<p>

The cat stretched its limbs out, before lying down to take a small nap. It almost seemed as if it was waiting for someone…

AS if on cue, three figures approached the clearing, their faces hidden by the shadows. The cat didn't seem the least bit surprised by their presence, and in fact looked as if it was expecting them.

Stepping into the light, the three figures revealed themselves.

A greasy, grime-covered man.

An elderly, sweet-looking woman.

And a very nervous young man wearing an apron.

Now, normally these three people together would be a strange sight to see, seemingly having absolutely nothing in common. But these assumedly unconnected people did in fact share a vital trait, one that even the cat possessed.

They all had piercing, gorgeous blue eyes of immense depth.

The greasy man smirked. "Well, that worked out much better than the boss intended, didn't it?"

The older woman nodded sagely. "You got that right. And wow, Hinata sure is an amazing person!"

$ puffs of smoke appeared out of nowhere, hiding the figures in the dense fog. When it had cleared, 4 new figures had replaced them, though they all looked exactly the same.

"What's the original one of us even doing?" Naruto's clone asked out loud, putting his hands behind his head. "Wasn't he supposed to be finished talking to Sakura-chan by now?"

Another clone shrugged. "I heard from somewhere that Sakura-chan has been stuck at the hospital all day. He didn't have much of a choice."

All 4 Narutos agreed with their conclusion, before deciding it was time to disperse and give the original Naruto their findings.

It was Naruto's last investigation, so to speak. If he really had feelings for this girl, he wanted to be sure she was just like he had always seen her, even when he wasn't with him. And what the clones had seen would amaze the original.

Hinata Hyūga was perhaps the kindest, gentlest, most patient person he's ever known. She was so sweet and caring to everyone around her, even those that treated her wrong, that Naruto lost any remaining doubts he may have had about his feelings.

* * *

><p>The original Naruto lay passed out on one of the couches the hospital had provided for guests to wait for loved ones to come out of surgery, although instead of a patient, he was looking for the doctor. He had been here pretty much the whole day, waiting for Sakura to have some free time so he could speak with her. Unfortunately for him, Naruto didn't possess the hindsight to simply ask for Sakura from one of the nurses, like Hinata did, which had forced him to wait around pretty much for the entire day, finding increasingly odd ways to entertain himself. He would have started throwing pencils into the ceiling had Sakura not finally pushed through the doors, much to the blond's relief.<p>

"Sakura-chan! Thank goodness! I thought I was going to die from boredom out here!" he moaned, rushing up to greet her.

His pink-haired friend rolled her eyes. "Naruto, you do know you could have just asked the nurse there to come and get me? Shizune showed up for that last patient, so I was just hanging around.

Naruto turned around, and gave the nurse in question a very aggravated look, before weeping silently at his own stupidity. His rapid mood swing was over in just a few seconds, however, and he was back to his normal, hyperactive self.

"Hey Sakura-chan, you wanna go grab some Ichiraku ramen?" he asked casually, not really wanting to divulge his true reasons for inviting her out.

Sakura shook her head as she washed her hands from the sink nearby. "Thanks, but no thanks. I've been in surgery all day, so the last thing I want to do is go out for ramen. Sorry Naruto, but you'll just have to fine someone else to-"

"Sakura, please. It's important."

She froze. Naruto _never_ dropped the –chan from her name. Whatever this was, it was important. Sakura turned around to face him, and could see just how serious he was. He didn't look angry or upset, per se, but the goofy smile that usually accompanied the Uzumaki was completely absent.

"Sure thing Naruto…I guess I can make some time."

The blonde's smile returned at her acceptance, but it was more of a content, calm smile, one that made him look more mature.

Their trip to Ichiraku's was done in silence. It wasn't awkward or anything like that, as they were so used to each other's company that this was commonplace for them. Still, something felt off in the way Naruto moved, and Sakura couldn't help but be a little anxious as to his true reasons for inviting her out.

"Naruto! Good evening to you and Sakura!" Teuchi greeted warmly, grabbing some bowls in preparation for their meal. "What can I get you?"

The blonde smirked. "Gimme the usual, old man. No surprise tonight, okay?"

Teuchi nodded, before taking Sakura's order as well. Once he had them written down, he turned his back to begin preparing their dishes, leaving Naruto and Sakura some time to talk.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura could see Naruto fiddling with his utensils. After spending years with him, you learn to pick up on the fact that he did that whenever he wanted to bring up something uncomfortable.

"Naruto, what's bothering you?" she asked bluntly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He seemed surprised she was able to see right through him so easily, almost dropping his chopsticks.

"Whuh? H-how did you know?" he asked bewilderedly.

"Naruto, I think I know you well enough to see when something's bothering you. Though since you always mess with your utensils when something's got you upset, that was kind of a giveaway."

Naruto shrugged, not able to refute her evidence. He began twiddling with his fingers, his eyes blankly scanning the restaurant.

"Where to start…" he mumbled to himself. He looked completely lost, anxious to say something but with absolutely no idea where to begin. He suddenly turned in his seat, and the expression on his face made Sakura's blood run cold.

"Sakura-chan, I've loved you from the first moment I met you." Naruto said quietly, averting his eyes.

( watch?v=R4ZxnpZoI6M)

Sakura froze. Memories of Sai revealing Naruto's feelings to her came rushing back to the forefront of her mind, made only more vivid now that it was Naruto who was confessing to her. She was absolutely speechless, and could only stare at him as he continued.

"Your smile, your laugh, your hair…I loved everything about you! Even if you hated me at the beginning, I knew from the moment I saw you that I would do anything to make you happy." Naruto was smiling, looking back fondly on the memories despite Sakura's less-than-kind treatment. It also had the unintended effect of making Sakura feel absolutely horrible. She knew that he wasn't intentionally bringing this up to make her feel bad, but that didn't help to ease the pain.

Naruto's smile stretched even wider. "We became really close over the past few years, and I was completely positive that I loved you. I would wait as long as it took for you to feel the same, and even if you never did, I would be happy as long as you were happy."

And then all that joy, all that happiness in his eyes just…faded. The usually vivid blue had flickered away, replaced by a lifeless grey. It shook Sakura to her core. She hated seeing him like this; it was like watching the sun, in all its glory just…disappear.

"But what happened in the Land of Iron…something happened. Sakura…I don't know what it is, but something changed. I tell myself I still love you, but…agghh!" Naruto held his head in his hands, groaning with frustration.

Sakura just sat there, feeling helpless. Her lip was trembling, and uncomfortable shivers ran up and down her body. It was torture, watching a boy who would give his life for you struggle with his own feelings, especially since this struggle was her own fault.

"What you did…_hurt _me. You were willing to lie to me, to tell me the one thing I wanted to hear just to stop me from going after Sasuke. Maybe that just shows how much you really _do_ care about me, but still…this is really confusing." He attempted a weak smile, hoping to ease the tension.

Sakura vigorously shook her head. "Naruto, stop beating yourself up about this, right now!" she had shouted a little louder than intended, but Teuchi's only reaction was a slight grunt as he continued to prepare their meal. He was too polite of a man to hint that he could hear practically everything they were saying, and instead concentrated on his cooking.

Naruto meanwhile, was shocked by Sakura's forceful tone, shutting up his gibberish immediately.

Sakura could feel her cheeks growing hot, and her eyes wetting ever so slightly.

"You're such an idiot, Naruto…." She muttered softly as she began to wipe her eyes in an attempt to hide her tears that were now threatening to spill over her face. Naruto reached up with his hand to wipe them away, but Sakura beat him to it.

"How can you be this way?" she asked him angrily, wiping her eyes so much they began to grow red. "After all I've done to you, you're still so…so _good _to me! I don't deserve this!"

Naruto reached his arm out again, but this time pushed back against Sakura's resistance. He over powered her, and began to gently wipe away her tears with his hand.

"Maybe it's because…I still love you, even after all of this."

His words snapped her out of her sorrow, staring at him with wide eyes. His smile was kinder, gentler now. He almost seemed to laugh a little bit.

"But…maybe it's in a different kind of way. I think a part of me will always love you, always be willing to do what it takes to make you happy. But I think what _I_ want to do…the part of me that has a say…I think it's a different kind of love."

He rubbed the back of his head nervously. He knew he was terrible at explaining things, but this would just have do, and he hoped Sakura wouldn't ask him to repeat it, as he wasn't sure he would be able to remember all of it.

"I can't really speak from experience, but maybe I love you like a brother would a sister, you know? You're the closest thing I have to family now, and the more I think about it, the more we act like siblings. I'm not going crazy, am I?" his tone was pleading, but Sakura could tell he was just lightly teasing her, something that really helped to improve her mood.

"Idiot…though I see what you mean." She said softly, her eyes having dried. She returned the smile he was currently giving her, making his all the wider.

Her smile disappeared. "Naruto, I don't think I can ever apologize, or make up for all the horrible things I've done to you, but I'm afraid I'll have to add one more thing to that list."

Naruto looked puzzled. Sakura certainly hadn't just asked his permission to do something awful to him, so her true meaning eluded him.

"Sa…Sakura-chan?" he sputtered, blinking several times.

Sakura blushed slightly, amused at his child-like ignorance.

"You said you'd do anything to make me happy, right?" she asked with a hopeful tone in her voice.

"Of course, Sakura-chan! Anything!"

Sakura had to force herself to speak again, so amazed was she by his kindness and loyalty.

"Well then, Naruto…there's nothing in the world that would make me happier than to see _you_ happy." She said this firmly, making sure it sunk into his sometimes-thick skull that she was taking a page out his book, and would stand by her words.

Sakura leaned forward, putting her own face inches away from Naruto's, and winked.

"You've done so much for this village, for your friends…for me. I'd say it's about time you got something in return.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto breathed out, in a quiet awe. It was all he could really say, but Sakura could hear the volumes behind that name. His trademark grin began to grow and grow across his whiskered cheeks, before it threatened to consume his entire face. He couldn't help it! He was just so happy he felt like…

"So, when are you going to ask out Hinata?"

He felt like falling out of his chair, which is precisely what happened. Sakura knew she had caught him off-guard, and could only throw back her head and laugh as he scrambled back into his seat as quickly as possible, as amused bystanders took passing glances.

"W-what are you talking about?" he managed to spit out, in between the massive bouts of embarrassment.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, as if it wasn't obvious. I've seen the way you look at Hinata now; there's no denying it! You like her and want to ask her out, right?"

The blonde began twiddling his fingers together, much like the shy Hyūga did, which only served to strengthen Sakura's teasing.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, snapping her fingers together as if she had just solved some mystery. "Why don't you just ask her!" Even though she wanted to just come out and say just how much Hinata would love or Naruto to ask her out, Sakura knew that that would be the absolute worst way to handle this situation.

"Don't you think this is kinda weird?" Naruto asked. "_You_ talking to me about _Hinata_? Wouldn't that make you mad?"

"And why would it do that?" Sakura questioned incredulously. "You deserve to be happy, and Hinata would be the best chance of that happening!"

"But this just feels…weird. I feel wrong liking you and all of a sudden liking Hinata like this. You deserve better."

Sakura shook her head firmly. "No Naruto, I don't. And I have a feeling that your feelings for Hinata have just been a long build-up. Tell me, do you have one bad memory of her?"

It didn't take Naruto more than a second to get through his memories with the Hyūga, something that made him feel a little guilty. He had spent the majority of his life putting Hinata in the background, and now all of a sudden he wanted to ask her out? He couldn't help but feel a little sleazy by this, but at the same time he felt really happy. Even though his memories of Hinata were very few, they were among the happiest he had. When she cheered him up before the Finals during the Chūnin Exams, their night in Shizukana village, and pretty much everything that had happened in recent weeks. Even though he still couldn't remember 100% of what happened, his memory of Hinata rushing to his aid during his fight with Pain burned the brightest within his mind. She was willing to throw her life away for him, something no one else in the entire village had done, even Sakura.

Sakura smirked. "Well that answers my question! Come on Naruto, Hinata's a great girl. I'm sure she would say yes if you asked her to, say… the festival?"

Naruto spun around in his seat away from her, pushing his index fingers together.

"Y-you really think she would?" he tittered quietly, a hopeful tone in his voice.

"I'm positive! But if you don't get off your ass and ask her, it'll be too late!" she replied, pumping her fist into the air.

"But what if she says no!" Naruto countered, nervous at the thought of Hinata rejecting him. He had grown used to Sakura doing so, but if Hinata did it, it would hit him harder.

"Naruto, just trust me when I say that Hinata will _not_ say no if you ask her." Sakura said, desperately trying to keep herself from spilling the beans about Hinata's true feelings.

"I don't even know how I would ask her!" Naruto said, exasperated. It was obvious from his experiences with Sakura that just asking at every given opportunity wasn't the best way to go about that. He needed a different approach.

"Do you think you could help me?" Naruto asked. "I know this is kind of weird, but you're kind of the only other girl I really talk to…"

Sakura smirked. "Oh Naruto, what would you do without me? Of course I'll help you. Here, I'll pretend to be Hinata, and you can practice asking me, okay?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. If he got practice asking Sakura, when the time came to talk to Hinata, he wouldn't sound like an idiot!

Sakura slumped her shoulders, lowered her head, and began twiddling her fingers together.

"H-hello, N-Naruto-kun…" she said in her best Hinata impression, making Naruto snicker. "W-what did you want to a-ask me?"

Naruto grinned widely. "Hey urr…Hinata! You wanna go out on a date!" His smile quickly disappeared as Sakura broke out of character and whacked him on the head.

"Owwwww! Hinat- uhh, I mean Sakura-chan, what was that for?" he demanded as he gingerly touched the growing lump on his skull.

"Naruto, you don't just go right out and say it! Hinata's shy, so you need to be a little more delicate!" Sakura barked, making Naruto jump with fright.

"Just try again, alright?" she said, massaging her temples.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Hey Hinata, listen I was hoping…and it's alright if you say no…but I was thinking that, if you had the time that is, we could maybe…you know, if you wanted-"

Sakura smacked him again. "I said be more delicate, you moron! Not beat around the bush!"

"Cut me some slack, Sakura-chan!" Naruto pleaded as he rubbed his newest bruise. "I'm not exactly an expert, okay?"

"You don't have to be an expert. Just be _you. _Listen, imagine everything you like about Hinata, everything that makes you happy. Think about that before you say anything."

Naruto let images and memories of Hinata's personality flood his mind. Her cute smile, her tenderness, the way she said his name…

Suddenly, Naruto seemed calm. He looked into Sakura's eyes, and she could see such serenity in them that she knew he had caught on.

"Would you like to go to the festival with me? As my date?" he asked softly, giving Sakura a warm smile, which she gladly returned.

"Of course, Naruto. I would love to."

The two friends grinned at one another, happy with their success.

"Hinata, I haven't seen you in a while! Want something to eat?"

Teuchi's voice snapped Naruto and Sakura out of their daze. They quickly turned around to find Hinata Hyūga standing behind them, looking utterly, utterly heartbroken. Tears welled up in her eyes, and before either of them could say anything, she had turned and run in the opposite direction, as fast as she could.

"Oh shit…" Naruto said blankly, watching her go.

"Don't just sit here, you idiot!" Sakura shrieked. "Go after her!"

With Sakura's orders, Naruto shot off like a rocket, desperate to catch up to Hinata and explain everything before everything was ruined. He and Sakura may have planned how to ask her, but they could have expected something like this.

* * *

><p>Hinata needed some comfort. Her father had been more grueling in their training session that evening, citing a lack of focus in recent matches as an excuse. Hinata knew that in actuality it was clan matters that frustrated the head Hyūga, and he was merely finding a way to vent. Still, using your daughter and training as the chosen method of venting was not something Hinata was happy with. As soon as they were finished and she got a free minute to wash up, she decided to look for Naruto. She knew he could cheer her up, and she wanted to talk to him about the overall weird day she had been having, what with all the odd interactions with strangers.<p>

She had first gone to Naruto's home, unaware that he had been at the hospital most of the day waiting for Sakura. When no one answered the door, Hinata considered going home. But then she remembered that if he wasn't at home, most of the time it was because he was out at Ichiraku's. She almost skipped as she made her way through the streets, weaving in and out between the crowds. It was just at the right time when the villagers were bringing home the fresh ingredients for tonight's dinner, so pleasant aromas filled Hinata's sense of smell, soothing her mood. But soon, a familiar scent dominated all the others, and Hinata knew she was getting close to Ichiraku's.

She turned the final corner, and much to her relief, saw that Naruto was indeed sitting at the counter, engaged in a conversation with someone Hinata couldn't see yet. As she got closer, she discovered that it was Sakura whom Naruto was speaking with, and from the looks on their faces, were discussing something very serious.

Now, normally Hinata wasn't a very nosy person; it just wasn't in her nature to prod into other people's business. But she had just spoken to Sakura today about her little scheme, and seeing her with Naruto made her feel a little uneasy. She tried to quell these feelings, telling herself that they were just talking about a mission or something of that nature. But soon her curiosity outweighed her better judgment, and she decided that she just had to hear what they were talking about.

Not wanting to intrude on their conversation, Hinata attempted to approach the small restaurant as quietly as she could, avoiding both Naruto's and Sakura's peripheral vision. She ducked and hid behind something whenever they seemed to be looking in her general direction, slowing her progress. She wouldn't be denied, however, and soon she was almost right behind them, now able to make out their words over the crowd.

"Would you like to go to the festival with me? As my date?" she heard Naruto say, looking at Sakura the way he always had, and the way she now knew he always would.

Hinata felt her heart explode, tearing itself into shreds, disintegrating into nothingness. Her breathing became ragged, and wild, unchecked tears began pouring down her face. After all of this time her and Naruto had spent together, she would still always be the number-two. She would always be the second best.

'_This can't be happening…'_ she pleaded with herself, trying to convince herself it was just a dream.

"Of course, Naruto. I would love to," she could hear Sakura reply. It crumbled the last of her spirit, and Hinata took all that was left within her to remain standing. Still, a raw, horrible sob erupted from her throat, gaining Teuchi's attention.

"Hinata, I haven't seen you in a while! Want something to eat?" he asked happily, completely unaware of the situation.

Both Naruto and Sakura turned around to see who Teuchi was addressing, and they both seemed shocked that Hinata was behind them.

Hinata simply stood there, unable to speak. Her eyes locked with Naruto's, those gorgeous blue eyes, and Hinata could no longer take it. She needed to get out of there. Now.

She immediately turned around, and began to run. Run as fast as her legs would carry her. She heard Naruto mutter something as she disappeared around the corner once more, but she didn't care. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

She ran, and ran, and ran. Hot tears blinded her, and she constantly found herself running into other people. She was too distraught to apologize however, and merely brushed right past them, too desperate to get away.

Hinata suddenly took a corner too tightly to avoid running straight into a food cart, and she began to lose her balance. She fell hard to the ground below, landing roughly on her arm and side. She simply lay there in the dirt, sobbing hysterically. Concerned villagers tried to help her up, but she ignored them, or more accurately, didn't even know what was happening.

As pathetic as it might sound, Naruto was Hinata's entire world. She loved him with everything her heart could give and more, and had just witnessed him offering it to someone else once again, someone whom had insisted Naruto no longer had feelings for. Her hopes and dreams of a future with the love of her life lay scattered among the dirt and filth that lay in the street, gone forever.

Suddenly, Hinata felt herself being picked up off of the ground. She simply let herself be handled, too weak to put up any kind of resistance. Strong, but gentle arms scooped her off of the ground, bringing her to her feet. Hinata's eyes connected with the person's, and she wished she _had _resisted. Naruto Uzumaki held her in his arms, looking absolutely mortified.

"Hinata, please let me explain.." he began, but Hinata cut him off.

"I-it's o-okay, Naruto-kun…I k-know you a-always loved Sakura-chan. I w-won't get in your w-way." They were the hardest words Hinata ever had to speak up until that point, every syllable another nail in the coffin.

She tried to break free of his grasp, but Naruto held her firmly. His boundless eyes search over her face, boring through her very soul. To her shock, his cheeks stretched in a small smile, a light blush dancing across his cheeks.

"Hinata...you have it all wrong. I wasn't asking Sakura to go to the festival with me."

( watch?v=iDxcir3RX1I)

Hinata wiped her eyes, her breathing still a little ragged. She felt the urge to run away begin to fade as Naruto's words sunk in. Naruto…wasn't asking Sakura?

"B-but…then, why d-did you…" she tried to say, but couldn't come up with the proper words.

Naruto smiled even wider as he brushed her off. "Heh…I was kind of practicing to…man, this was supposed to be perfect!" he complained, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.

He turned back around, a sheepish expression on his face. "This wasn't exactly how I had planned to do it but…Hinata, I was asking for Sakura-chan's help in asking _you_ to the festival."

Hinata said nothing. Once again, she couldn't. Her mind had simply been overloaded, currently going through every scenario it could think of where Naruto would actually be asking her on a date. She almost slapped herself to make sure it wasn't a dream, but found even her own arms wouldn't obey her, hanging limp at her sides.

"Naruto-kun…w-what did you just say…?" she managed to squeak out, her eyed growing wider and wider. The next words Naruto said would always be, forever in her heart, the best thing that's ever happened to her.

Naruto grinned from ear to ear. Well, Sakura said to just be himself, right?

"You're so cute when you talk, Hinata! And I said…"

He took a few steps closer, gingerly taking one of her delicate hands in his own.

"Would you like to go to the festival with me? As my date?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>FINALLY! It only took over 100,000 words for Naruto to finally ask Hinata out, and to the festival no less! I can't wait to see what kind of stuff they get into in the coming future, but expect fluffy goodness and light-hearted humor galore! This settled pretty much all of the drama at this point, so we don't need to worry about that any longer.

A lot of people probably missed the last chapter since once the image manager came online, everybody and their mother updated their stories to test it out, and I watched my story get buried in the new pages deeper and deeper. So if you're one of those people, I hope you're enjoying yourself.

If you liked what you read, please leave a review if you have the time. I absolutely love reading them, and they make me feel awesome about writing. Even if it's only a few words, every little bit is just as important to me.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!


	15. Getting Ready! The Festival is at Hand!

**Author's Note:** Chapter 15, here for your viewing pleasure! I kind of have a new rhythm with when and how much time I have to write now, but the updates will still probably become a little further apart for some time. Have no fear, as they'll still be coming for a long long time.

Which leads me talk about a few things: the length of the story, and the title.

To tell the truth, I'm not that happy with the title of the story. It really seems generic, and doesn't stand out at all. I wonder everyday how so many people wanted to read it with such a boring title. I've been toying with the idea of changing it, but to what i don't know yet. If you guys could give me some feedback on that, it would be much appreciated. The reason I made the title that in the first place is because of the length.

I'll say this quickly. This story will be long. Very long. It might even be separated into different books, but not into separate entries. What I mean is that eventually I'll say "End of Book One" or something, and take a break from writing to start another conceptual phase. It won't be too long of a break, but it most likely will happen.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I don't say this enough, but it's the highlight of my day to see what you guys think of my story, especially when you offer up suggestions and opinions and feedback and all that good stuff. Keep em- coming!

Without further ado, enjoy Chapter 15!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: Getting Ready! The Festival is at Hand!<strong>

'_W-what did…he just say?'_

Hinata refused to believe her ears, her eyes, everything. This just couldn't be happening. She was simply dreaming or had misheard him, as there was no way that Naruto had just asked her out on a date; no way that he had just asked her to the _festival_. In just a few minutes she would wake up, or he would correct himself, and this would all pass on.

But that didn't happen. He didn't fade away or try to correct his mistake and say what he had actually meant. He just stood there in front of her, hands behind his head with his usual goofy grin plastered all over his face. Hinata's mind was at an absolute standstill, he cogs in her mind trying to start turning again but to no avail.

Naruto, who had been squinting his eyes, opened them when Hinata hadn't given him an answer yet.

"Is there…something wrong, Hinata?" he asked, looking genuinely concerned for her. He took a step towards her, but shrunk back when Hinata took a step away.

"This…can't be happening," she said softly, shaking her head. "You can't be asking me on a date…you just can't."

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion. He was sure that he had worded it right, just like Sakura had told him to. Maybe Hinata just needed to hear it again.

"Of course I am, Hinata! I want to go to the festival with you, as my date!" he exclaimed for the second time, though a little more reserved. His cheeks were slightly red as Hinata continued to stare at him, dumbfounded.

"I…d-don't know what to s-say, Naruto-kun…" Hinata muttered, holding one of her hands to her chest. She hadn't misheard him for a second time; Naruto had truly just asked her out on a date.

"Oh, you don't want to….it's okay if you don't want to, Hinata…I understand…"

Hinata snapped her head up at Naruto's comment, his voice sounding utterly devastated. He tried to put on a brave smile, but Hinata could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"S-sorry for bothering you…" he muttered, turning around to leave her alone.

Hinata's feet rooted her to the spot, despite every ounce of her being screaming at her to follow him before he got too far away, before this chance slipped in between her fingers.

Inner Hinata had been seated within the deepest depths of the Hyūga's mind patiently waiting for the real Hinata to handle this. But when she saw Naruto walking away from her, feeling rejected, she knew it was no time to sit back and just let this happen.

Hinata…shy, quiet little Hinata had no idea what could have possibly made her do what she was about to do, but however it happened, she was glad it had.

"Naruto-kun, wait!" she practically screamed, closing the distance between them at lightning speed. She had run so fast, in fact, that the force of the impact knocked Naruto off his balance, and as he fell to the ground, Hinata tumbled down with him. She landed roughly on top of him, caging in his body with her arms. She wasn't about to let him get away.

The blonde, who was now half-sitting up on his side, stared at the usually reserved girl pinning him down. Her eyes, soft and caring most times, were instead bright and determined, a veritable fire burning behind them.

"Naruto-kun…" she began, now fully aware of the rather intimate position they were in, "y-you have no idea, _NO IDEA_, how much I w-would love to go to the festival with you." It was taking everything she had not to faint then and there, the blush decorating her cheeks so bright it seemed to light up the street they lay sprawled in.

Naruto, meanwhile, now looked absolutely ecstatic. Before Hinata could react, he had scooped her up into his strong arms, lightly grasping wither shoulder with his hands.

"Really!" he almost shouted. "D-do…you really mean that?"

Hinata could only nod dumbly, the look of pure joy in his eyes melting her heart. Naruto leaped into the air, laughing wildly and joyously and pumping his fist into the air. He suddenly got an idea, and leaped up to the rooftop in a single jump.

He cupped his mouth with his hands and… "HEY EVERYBODY, LISTEN UP! I ASKED HINATA TO THE FESTIVAL, AND SHE SAID YES!"

It was at this moment that Hinata finally realized that they had had an audience the entire time, various villagers having watched the events unfold. Upon Naruto's declaration, cheers and congratulations echoed from all around them as Naruto rejoined Hinata on the ground, giving the growing crowd a nervous wave.

"Way to go, Naruto!"

"You two look so cute together!"

"Congratulations, you two!"

Naruto was in danger of splitting his face in two he was smiling so much. Hinata on the other hand, could only shyly keep her head down, and mumble the occasional thank you. The difference in their two personalities was a source of amusement for the crowd, as a small murmur of snickering snaked its way through the crowd.

"Thanks everyone!" Naruto bellowed, as the villagers waved goodbye and continued on their way. He turned to Hinata, and gently took both hands into his own. Hinata felt a deep warmness within the pit of her stomach as he lightly rubbed the back of one of her hands with his thumb, both of them blushing profusely.

"Ahhh, I suppose _you're _the one I really should be thanking…." chuckled Naruto, still grinning from ear to ear. This wild smile faded away, replaced by a softer, but no less happy one.

"Thank you, Hinata…I promise you won't regret this." He pulled Hinata's hand up to his mouth, and gently pressed his lips to the back of her hand. Even if it was only the briefest moments of contact, it was too much for Hinata. Her knees suddenly felt weak, and next things she knew Naruto was trying to keep her from collapsing.

"Hinata! Are you alright?" Naruto asked, slightly ashamed that it was his fault, while at the same time cheekily curious as to how far he could go.

"I'm…fine…Naruto-kun." Hinata said, feeling lightheaded. "I'm j-just…really happy…"

The torrent of emotions finally overcame the Hyūga. From being crushed to the happiest girl in in the world was simply too big of a jump for her body to handle, and Hinata silently fainted into Naruto's arms, much to his amusement.

"I hope this doesn't become a regular thing…" Naruto said to himself, laughing softly as he adjusted Hinata into a more comfortable position. And by that he meant the fainting. The carrying her home all the time…he could certainly get used to that.

Naruto Uzumaki felt like the king of the village as he carried the unconscious Hyūga back to her home. He had just asked one of the most beautiful women in the village to accompany him to the festival, and she had accepted gladly. He wanted to skip all the way to Hinata's house, but didn't out of fear of waking Hinata up. He looked down at the quiet girl in his arms, knowing he made the right decision. Even if she wasn't conscious, she looked just as happy as he did, and he was glad he hadn't waiting until it was too late.

He was so caught up in the overall pleasantness of the situation that he hadn't even noticed that his feet had already carried him to the Hyūga compound, the front porch looming in front of him. A light from inside flickered to life, and the front door slid silently open, revealing an imposing figure obscured by the bright light.

"Good evening, Uzumaki-san." Hiashi said formally, bowing slightly. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed Hinata laying in his arms, but let no other emotion show itself.

"Is my daughter alright, Uzumaki-san?" he asked, eyeing her with the slightest hint of concern.

Naruto laughed nervously. "Yeah, she's fine! Just fainted is all. Nothing to worry about!"

"And why did she faint?" The Hyūga head asked. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable with Hinata's father's prodding, shifting on his feet.

"Well…I kind of uh…asked her to the festival…" he said finally, keeping his head down as if Hiashi might begin to scold him for making his daughter pass out. But instead he merely nodded, keeping his face straight.

"I see. And did she accept?"

'_Man, this guy is really nosy…'_ Naruto thought to himself as he stared at Hiashi, much to the latter's annoyance. Before either of them could speak again, Naruto felt Hinata stir from his arms.

"Naruto….kun?" she whispered, rubbing her eyes. Naruto grinned broadly, and gently set the girl down on her own two feet. "W-what…happened?" she asked as she took in her surroundings.

"I brought you home after you fainted!" he explained. "Just been uh…talking to your dad for a little."

Realizing that her father was in fact standing behind her, Hinata whipped around to find Hiashi looking his daughter up and down carefully.

"Good to see that you are awake, daughter,' he said lightly. "I am to understand that Uzumaki has formally invited you to join him at the village festival. Have you accepted?"

Hinata joined Naruto in being annoyed with her father's constant questioning, and his off-handed comment about Naruto still fresh within her mind.

"Yes, Otō-san…he has. And I have accepted, though I must ask why you are so curious?" she demanded quietly, raising an eyebrow at her father. The tone in her voice made Hiashi tense up, standing at his fullest height.

"I am only interested in my daughter's affairs out of concern, Hinata. I did not mean anything otherwise."

Meanwhile, Naruto stood further away from them, uncomfortable with the rising tension that surrounded them.

Hinata stared into her own father's eyes, recent events making her much more confident than usual.

"I did not mean anything otherwise as well, Otō-san. I was simply inquiring as to why you always happen to be standing right at the door when Naruto-kun walks me home."

Now that she mentioned it, Naruto finally realized that it was the truth. Every single time Naruto had walked Hinata home, Hiashi had been there to accept his daughter back into the house. Now that he could see it, he honestly felt it was little creepy. He wondered if all parents were like this, constantly checking in on them and demanding to know what had happened to them and where they had been. Naruto had grown up more independently than anyone else in the village; he wasn't sure he would be able to handle something like this as well as Hinata was. By now he'd be arguing with Hiashi, or just flat-out ignoring him.

Hiashi stiffened at Hinata's comment, returning the stare his daughter was giving him. They said nothing for several moments, even though he looked like he certainly wanted to. Then he suddenly turned around, and marched back into the house, shutting the door behind him a little more forceful than usual.

"I apologize for my father, Naruto-kun. He c-can be a little overbearing at times." Hinata said awkwardly, turning around to face the blonde.

Naruto waved the apology off, not wanting to help escalate things between them.

"Don't worry about it! I'm sure he's just worried about you is all."

Hinata didn't seem too convinced, but didn't want to make things awkward between her and Naruto, and nodded quietly instead.

Naruto caught the shy girl starting at him, causing him to rub the back of his head as he often did when he was embarrassed.

"Heh…what is it? There something in my teeth?" he joked, making her giggle.

"I'm just…trying to make sure this is all real," she replied softly, fiddling with her hair. Naruto grinned widely, giving her his 'good guy' pose.

"I'm as real as it gets!" he said excitedly, making Hinata laugh even more.

"So…is it alright if I come by to pick you up tomorrow?" he asked nonchalantly, blushing ever so slightly.

"Sure…th-that'd be great." Hinata replied, her own face heating up.

"How does 5:30 sound?"

"That's fine with me."

Naruto smiled again. "Great! I'll see you then!"

He turned to head for his own home, but looked back one last time at the girl he had just asked out. The deep orange glow of the sunset made her look even more beautiful than usual, and he found himself staring helplessly at her.

It didn't help that Hinata was doing the exact same thing.

His golden hair, tanned skin, those absolutely amazing blue eyes…Hinata stood there motionless, unabashedly staring at him. This really was happening. Tomorrow Naruto Uzumaki would take her, Hinata Hyūga, to the festival for their very first date.

It was a pretty good day.

Suddenly realizing what they were doing, the two suddenly broke eye contact, laughing nervously. Naruto waved one last goodbye, before turning around to head home. Hinata headed inside, gently shutting the door behind her, and leaned against it for support, exhausted by all that had happened that day. She jumped in surprise as she heard Naruto's distinctive voice through the door.

"YAHOO! I HAVE A DATE!" He whooped and hollered down the street until Hinata could no longer hear him.

'_I…have a date with Naruto-kun…I have a date with Naruto-kun!'_

Now that the moment had passed, what had just happened really sunk in with the Hyūga. She had a real date with Naruto…

For the first time in Hinata's life, she squealed like a little girl. She began skipping down the hallways of the compound in pure joy, happily greeting every single person she passed, be they maids or branch members, or other people in her own family. She even rushed over and hugged Hiashi, whom she ran into on her way to her room. He tried to say something to her, but Hinata had already disappeared around the corner, not wanting her good mood to be soured by her father. Once she arrived at her room, she shut the door and locked it behind her.

* * *

><p>The garden was lovely this time of the evening. The flowers gently swayed within the breeze that ran through them, and the setting sun shone brilliantly through the leaves of the large lilac tree that was the centerpiece, sending cascading bars of light in complex patterns on the ground. Hinata entered her favorite spot through the exit in her own room. Before she did, Hinata decided to remove her sandals, wanting to feel the wonderful feeling of warm grass tickling at her feet. It felt smooth and soft to the touch, and Hinata glided across the garden with a huge smile plastered all over her face. Her mother's grave looked exceptionally peaceful this evening, and Hinata gently sat down next to the headstone, smiling as she read her mother's name.<p>

"Good evening, Kāchan!" She said warmly, grazing the weathered stone with her fingertips, sending a cooling sensation down her arm.

"The most wonderful thing happened today, Kāchan! Na-Naruto-kun….he asked me to the festival!" For the second time that night, Hinata squealed with delight, letting the rest of her body fall back onto the soft grass.

"I never thought this day would ever come, that Naruto-kun would ever think of me in that way, but he has Kāchan, and I'm so happy! I wish you were here to talk with him, get to know him. I know the two of you would have gotten along wonderfully.

Hinata sat up, looking over her mother with her soft eyes as deep memories surfaced within her mind.

"Do you remember when I first told you about Naruto-kun, Kāchan? The first day I met him?"

_~Flashback~_

_( watch?v=NqGCzE7abzY)_

_Hinata was so scared. The bullies stood closely around her, demanding an apology for running into them, mocking her for being a member of the Hyūga family. They told her that she was stuck up just like the rest of her family, and forced her on her hands and knees, her face into the dirt, and demanded she apologize._

"_Hey. Quit it!" a voice suddenly rang out from behind them. The bullies turned around to see who it was, and Hinata had enough room to move to lift her head and see a small, blonde haired child with them. She had seen him a few times before, always alone or being chased away. Hinata would ask why he was treated that way, but Kō never gave her a straight answer. Had he…come to defend her? Why would people treat him like they did if he was like this?_

"_Hey, you're that kid!" one of the bullies said, pointing an accusing finger at the child._

"_Yeah, he's that good-for-nothing that everyone hates for causing trouble!" another sneered, spitting on the ground in front of the boy._

"_I'm not a good-for-nothing!" The boy yelled back at them, his eyes fierce with determination. Hinata felt herself drawn into those eyes. They held such a warmth and gentleness to them that was sadly clouded my mistrust and loneliness. Hinata wanted to reach out to the boy, to comfort him, but was still deathly afraid of what was going on._

"_I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage!" 'Naruto' continued, staring defiantly back at the bullies. "And don't you forget it!"_

"_You? The Hokage?" the bullies mocked, before bursting into mocking laughter. They called him an idiot and a brat, someone who could never become the Hokage. The leader of the bunch punched Naruto, sending him sprawling into the ground. Hinata desperately wanted to help the boy, to come to his aid, but her feet rooted her to the spot, and she could only watch._

_Naruto slowly returned to his feet, before flashing a cheeky grin at the bullies, letting them know it would take more than that to keep him down._

"_Wanna fight?" one of the kids jeered, brandishing his fists. The other two behind me also looked ready to fight, weighing the odds in their favor._

"_Alright, but don't go crying when you lose afterwards!" Naruto said with a smile, forming a hand sign._

_The bullies were shocked. This kid knew how to perform shinobi techniques? They took a step back in fear waiting for the clone to appear, which was the technique Naruto was attempting._

_Instead, a flimsy, comical caricature of the boy appeared in a puff of smoke, standing only for a few seconds before clumsily floating to the ground below. This sent the kids into even more raucous laughter, and Hinata felt her cheeks grow hot with anger. Naruto had tried his best, and it wasn't fair to laugh at him for it! It reminded her of her own father's treatment during their training, how he would brush off her very best as simply not enough, and storm off, leaving Kō to try and make her feel better._

_While the kids were busy laughing, Naruto took advantage of the situation, and tackled the leader of the bullies, sending them both to the ground._

"_You let your guard down!" Naruto shouted, shaking the bully against the ground. "I'll definitely become Hokage, and show up people like you!" He began to pound on the boy with his fist, driving his knuckles as hard as he could. Hinata could make out the unshed tears he held in his eyes, concentrating on hiding them from the others as best as he could._

_Sadly, this advantage was short lived. The other two bullies snapped out of their daze, and threw Naruto off of their friend. They then ganged up on the poor boy, beating him ruthlessly. Hinata shut her eyes, unable to watch such a barbaric act. She could hear their fists driving into Naruto's body, the dull thud of bone smashing flesh making her cringe._

"_Hinata-sama!" Kō called out, running over to where she was. The bullies stopped their onslaught to see an adult heading their way, and all of their 'bravery' quickly left them as they ran in fear, leaving Hinata and Naruto alone._

_Kō looked incredibly relieved to have found Hinata, and began looking her over for any injuries._

"_Hinata-sama, are you alright?" he asked, gently taking her petite hand in his to check for any cuts and bruises. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Naruto lying motionless on the ground, and Hinata could see just how cruel the children were. He was battered and bruised all over his body, cuts and scrapes ripping into his clothing, and his skin. Even a small tuft of blonde hair lay scattered nearby, having been forcefully ripped out._

"_This kid…" Kō muttered, before quickly grabbing Hinata's hand once again. "Let's go, Hinata-sama."_

"_Wait, he came to my rescue!" Hinata protested, scared for Naruto's condition. What if he had been really hurt? Hinata didn't want just abandon him here after all he had done for her when he didn't even know her name._

"_Don't concern yourself with him!" Kō insisted, tugging on her hand once more. "Let's go!"_

"_B-but…" Hinata said before Kō began pulling her along, dragging her away from Naruto. She watched his figure grow smaller and smaller as they got further away, hoping he would wake up, and showing her that he was alright. But the child remained motionless, and had stayed that way for a large portion of the day._

_Hinata was absolutely furious with Kō, as angry as a young child can be, anyway. The walk home had been in complete silence, and as soon as they had returned to the compound, Hinata had torn away from him, racing down the hallway as tears spilled down her cheeks._

"_Hinata-sama! Please wait!" Kō had called out, taking several steps forward. But Hinata didn't want anything to do with him right now; there was only one person in the family she wanted to go to right now._

"_Kāchan!" she cried out, finding her mother in the kitchen with one of the maids, chatting happily. She had been running so fast that she didn't have time to slow herself down, and instead run straight into her mother's legs, and began sobbing in earnest into her mother's clothing._

"_Hinata! What's wrong my little one?" Hanako pressed gently, picking up her daughter to cradle her in her arms. Hinata didn't reply, still too upset to be capable of words._

_Hanako turned to the maid. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to continue in a little while. Is that alright?"_

_The maid nodded wordlessly, giving Hinata a gentle pat on the head before hurrying out of the kitchen to give mother and daughter some privacy._

"_Now now, Hinata…dry those eyes…everything is alright now…" her mother cooed as she gently rocked her daughter back and forth. She began humming softly, and Hinata recognized the melody as the song her grandmother had taught to her mother. She had yet to teach it to Hinata as of then, but the gentle sound of her mother's voice calmed her, and Hinata felt her tears slowly fading away. A rogue sob would emerge now and again, but Hinata had finally calmed down enough to speak._

"_There there…tell me what's wrong, my little one…" Hanako whispered, sitting Hinata into her lap._

_And so Hinata recounted what had happened with the bullies, and Naruto, and Kō. She tried to describe it as best as she could, but had been so afraid that some details had become fuzzy. Hinata felt ashamed of this, that she had been a coward and let Naruto be hurt. Her mother said nothing throughout the description, only nodding once or twice, and rocking Hinata some more whenever she began to tear up again._

"_A-and then…Kō-san t-took me away from him, and I d-didn't get to s-see if he was al-alright..." Hinata sniffed, wiping her nose and eyes as she finished her story. She looked into her mother's eyes, pleading with her._

"_Kāchan…why were they so mean to Naruto-san? What has he done to d-deserve that?"_

_Her mother didn't answer for a time, her mouth thinning slightly. Then, she shook her head._

"_I'm sorry daughter, but it is not my place to tell you. From what you have told me, not even the child himself knows why. It would be innopropiate for me to be the one to tell you."_

_Hinata lowered her head. "B-but…he…"_

"_Do you believe they are wrong about Naruto-san, Hinata?" she heard her mother ask, her voice gentle,_

_Hinata thought about. All the things she had been told about the boy just didn't add up once she had actually been close to him. She heard whispers of 'monster' and 'freak', but the only thing Hinata saw was a lonely, brave little boy who wanted people to acknowledge him. It was horrible for the village to treat him the way they did, and for the first time in her life, Hinata was absolutely sure of herself._

"_Y-yes, Kāchan…I do…" Hinata muttered, worried her answer might upset her mother like it would have Kō or her father. But to her surprise, Hanako smiled warmly, and hugged her daughter tightly._

"_Then they are wrong, and shouldn't listen to what anyone else tells you. Bonds with people must be formed on your own accord, not through the lies and whispers of others. The people of this village treat that poor boy like a pest, something to be rid of, but the way you tell me, he is anything but. He is a kind, brave little child who deserves the love and attention he so desires. He is what every child in this village should aspire to be."_

_She looked down into her daughter's eyes, as Hinata absorbed everything she was saying._

"_Hinata, if you believe in this boy, you must be there for him when he needs you. He needs a friend, someone he can trust and care for. I believe there is no one better for this than you, daughter."_

_Hinata blushed, proud of her mother's praise. "D-do you really think so, Kāchan?" she asked._

_Her mother smiled. "Do you remember what I told you? About the tree in our garden? You must take your place in the sun, dear daughter, and protect Naruto from the storm that rages around you."_

_Hinata took another look into her mother's eyes, into the pride and love that poured out of them, and nodded happily. She would do it for her mother…she would do it…for Naruto-kun._

_Hanako suddenly stood, scooping her daughter into her arms once more._

"_How about you and I go out in the garden and take a little nap, hmm? I'll have someone bring out some tea for us to enjoy in this lovely weather."_

_Hinata hadn't realized it until now, but now that her mother had mentioned it, she did in fact feel rather exhausted, and unlike most children her age, Hinata enjoyed a midday's nap. She nodded sleepily as her mother began to carry her to the garden, humming that tune that Hinata loved so much._

"_Kāchan…" she whispered, "When are you gonna teach me Baachan's song?"_

_Hanako smiled, rubbing her nose against her daughter's. "Another time, my precious Hinata. For now, let's just relax a little while."_

_~End Flashback~_

* * *

><p>Hinata sighed deeply, taking the smells of the crisp evening air. As she opened her eyes, there was sorrow in them, a feeling of regret.<p>

"I feel like for so much of his life, I failed Naruto-kun in what you asked me to do, Kāchan…I was too scared or shy to comfort him and ease his pain. But now…"

She smiled, getting to her feet.

"Now, I can finally fulfill that promise to Naruto-kun. I can be there for him when he needs me, to love and care for him. Thank you for your wisdom, Kāchan. If it weren't for you, I might not have grown to care for Naruto-kun in the way that I do."

She lightly kissed the tips of her fingers, before pressing them to her mother's name engraved into the headstone. A tiny little sparrow appeared on the grave as well, chirping happily. Hinata reached out to stroke the bird, and after a moment of suspicion, the sparrow allowed its chin to be lightly rubbed, much to its enjoyment. It sang joyously for a few more moments, before leaping back into the air and nesting among the strong branches of the lilac tree above.

Hinata felt so peaceful, so serene, and most of all, so happy, part of her didn't want this day to end. Of course, the rest of her reminded her that the sooner this day ended, the sooner she would get to go on her date with Naruto. But the weather was simply too nice this time of day to head inside now, so Hinata decided instead to enjoy the rest of her evening out here.

She headed back inside to collect some things: some freshly brewed tea, a few cinnamon rolls to munch on, a firm pillow to rest against, and her favorite book. Barely able to hold all of these things, Hinata shuffled back outside to set up her little nook, which was to be the base of the lilac tree. She propped the pillow up against the trunk, and settled herself in with her snacks set to the side and her book nestled in her lap. Before she had even noticed it, Hinata had ended up spending hours out there, the last remnants of light disappearing from view. She had managed to continue reading from the light of a small lantern that hung above her in the branches of the tree, and soon she had finished her book entirely. It felt so comfortable out there; surely a short nap wouldn't hurt? She could always head back inside to her bed when the time came.

Hinata readjusted her position to be a little more comfortable, before closing her eyes and letting sleep claim her. The beautiful evening continued on without her, the singing birds replaced by chirping crickets. The village still had some time left for hustle and bustle, but within the confines of the garden, in Hinata's own sanctuary, peace presided over all.

* * *

><p>The night had come and gone. Naruto hadn't slept much, due to a combination of Kakashi's gift running a little low, and just the fact that he was so excited he could barely keep his eyes closed, let alone calm his thoughts. For the first time in his life (and only the second girl!), Naruto had asked a girl out on a date, and she had said yes! What was even better, she was one of the most beautiful girls in the entire village! Naruto felt like the luckiest guy in the entire village, and had been constantly wondering why no one else was interested in the Hyūga. Sure, she could be a little shy, and wasn't the most talkative of people even when you got to know her, but that was just one of the things that Naruto thought was cute about her! It was most likely because of her being around Kiba, who was always running his mouth off, and Naruto was obviously oblivious to the hypocrisy of that particular statement, since he himself had a tendency to go on and on and on. To anyone that wasn't Naruto and Hinata, they would be of the opinion that the reason they would (I say would, as they haven't even gone on their first date yet) fit so well together, is that they nearly perfectly complement each other's personality. Hinata's patience to Naruto's brashness, his curiosity to her caution, calamity and calm.<p>

Yin and Yang. Perfect balance.

Of course, Naruto Uzumaki was no great thinker, and these profound thoughts hadn't occurred to him. He simply knew that Hinata was awesome, that he liked her, and that that was enough, which in many ways was.

Currently the Uzumaki was busy pacing a ditch into his own floor, on his third ramen cup that morning to keep his energy up. Back and forth he walked across his bedroom, muttering incoherent sentences to himself, committing his own words to memory. For those whom are curious, the blond was going through every single scenario he could think of regarding the festival. It's activities, the food, the grand fireworks finale they always ended the night with; he wanted to make sure there weren't going to be any surprises. He wanted this date to be as close to perfect as he could possibly make it. He was well aware of his own mental limitations, and thought this mental check-list he was preparing would help him make sure Hinata had a wonderful time tonight. If she did, he most certainly would.

"They'll probably have little games to play for prizes…I should practice the usual ones they have before tonight…" he rambled, turning around to walk across his floor for the thousandth time. "But what if they change it up from last year…"

Suddenly, something more important jumped to the front of his memory, breaking his train of thought.

'_Do I even still have it…?'_ he thought to himself, taking a few large strides towards his closet. What Naruto had remembered was that above all else, he wanted to make sure he had appropriate attire. Traditional kimonos were usually worn to these sorts of things, specifically the summer month _yukata_. Some would argue that such clothing might be uncomfortable when the month of October was so close, but it wasn't called the Land of Fire for nothing. During such events, huge bonfires would be lit on every corner and pathway of the festival grounds, lighting up the space for miles around. It signified that the Will of Fire existed all around the denizens of the village, burning brightly within the heart and mind of every citizen, be they dead or not.

To get back on track, the yukata that Naruto was now rummaging through his closet for was one that he had purchased during his trip with Jiraiya. The pervert had gone on a particularly bad spending spree, mainly with Naruto's money, and so the blonde saw fit to pickpocket the old hermit after he had passed out from another booze and whore-induced high. The cash was more than enough to have an amazing night on the town, but Naruto was by no means an idiot when it came to money, something that would actually surprise most people considering the rest of his personality. He carefully planned his grocery and ninja supplies purchases every month, and put away a great deal of his earnings in a savings fund, which was at first something he was loathe to do. But for some reason, he felt obligated to do so, and had diligently carried out with this for most of his life.

The yukata Naruto had found that night was completely by chance. What he thought had been a ramen stand hand actually been a small, hand-woven clothing stand, due to some poor handwriting. Naruto had first wanted to leave immediately as his stomach was grumbling at him, but the person inside made him stop. It was a young boy, a few years younger than Naruto himself, hard at work at another piece of clothing. When Naruto asked why he was here alone, the boy had revealed that his mother, his only living relative, was very sick and currently in the hospital. The boy had been working much of the day in order to pay for his mother's hospital bills, something that immediately tugged at Naruto's heartstrings. He decided to hold on to the money, and made the child a promise: They would be coming back through the village in a matter of weeks, and Naruto told him that if he had made a 'completely awesome' outfit for him by the time he came back, he would have a large sum of money waiting for him in return, regardless of the outfit's actual cost. The boy seemed excited, and gladly accepted.

A few weeks had passed, and Naruto would be able to come through with his promise with flying colors. He had cleverly devised a bet against his sensei, in that he wouldn't be able to go a single night without a girl or a drink. Jiraiya had foolishly accepted, and was forced to fork over a large sum of money when he lost. Naruto took this prize, and betted against Jiraiya that he wouldn't be able to get away from women for a mere hour, something the toad sage was sure he would be able to succeed in.

He didn't.

Naruto had never seen so much money in his entire life, and despite Jiraiya's numerous attempted to weasel the money back from his student, the blonde held fast. The night they returned to the village, he immediately visited the young boy at his shop. At first he was saddened to hear that his mother's condition had deteriorated, and might not survive unless the boy was able to pay for a pricey surgery. Naruto had never felt so proud of himself in his life as he handed over the check to the child, whose eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he saw all those zeroes. The boy had broken down into tears, thanking Naruto again and again for essentially saving his mother's life. He quickly remembered his end of the deal, and rushed into the back to grab Naruto's reward.

Naruto had been in awe at the amazing craftsmanship that had been put into the yukata that the boy had ended up designing, and this was a kid whose usual attire was a bright orange and blue tracksuit.

The boy had chosen an overall black theme to the color scheme, incorporating the oranges that he had noticed Naruto was so fond of. Using some of the finest silk (which the boy had gotten at a bargain since no one wanted _orange _silk) he had carefully woven the silk into the overall black color of the outfit. At first glance, it would be black and only black, but as the wearer moved, subtle tinges of a darker orange shone through, dully glinting under any light around. The obi was of the same orange color, and held the outfit perfectly in place on Naruto's body. But the most breathtaking aspect of the outfit, was in the artwork embroidered into the back.

The boy had been reminded of the wild foxes that would roam the forests around the village, completely unaware of just how fitting an idea it was for the Uzumaki. A highly stylized fox stood in the center of the wearer's back, a much more obvious orange color with white accents added for some variety. Behind the animal, a golden sun with intricate, complex patterns woven into it shone brilliantly, made from the same silk material, but of a golden hue.

Overall, Naruto thought it was pretty much the coolest thing he had ever seen in his life as of then, and almost felt he hadn't brought back enough money to pay for the masterpiece. But the child insisted Naruto take it, who eventually conceded. From the small shop he immediately headed for the post office to mail it back to his apartment in the village, not willing to risk Jiraiya becoming aware of Naruto's scheme and pawning off the yukata. When they had finally returned home (and when Naruto had remembered it), he had tucked away the yukata for safekeeping, not wanting to ruin it.

"Where is that stupid thing…" he muttered to himself, throwing his entire wardrobe aside in the search, growing more and more frustrated when he couldn't find it.

Suddenly, he slapped his forehead, mentally cursing his memory. He turned around and dropped to his knees, blindly fumbling around with his arm underneath his bed. He felt something hard come into contact, and smiled victoriously.

He pulled out the mystery object, which was revealed to be a wooden box, covered with a thick layer of dust. A quick blow off was enough of a cleaning to Naruto, who then opened the box with a loud creak that hinted at the box's age. Lying on top, glinting just as gloriously as when he first layed eyes upon it, was the yukata. Naruto whooped in victory, glad he hadn't lost it or something like he had earlier feared. He lifted it from its container…

To find that in only went to his knees.

Naruto slapped himself in the head, cursing his stupidity. Of course it wouldn't fit him anymore! He bought it years ago, and had grown quite a bit since then.

"Now what do I do!" Naruto shouted to himself, tossing the now useless garment onto his bed. Faced with another problem, the blond began to pace once more, deepening the trench that was forming in the middle of his apartment.

"Sakura-chan will know what to do!" he decided, heading for the door. He passed by his window on his way, and immediately stopped in his tracks. The sun had just barely reached over the horizon, and Naruto had a feeling that his teammate might not be too keen on him waking her up at the crack of dawn for a wardrobe problem.

"Nah, I'm sure she'll be fine with it!" Naruto announced to no one in particular, and after grabbing his coat, was happily whistling as he took a nice morning walk towards Sakura's house.

* * *

><p>Sakura Haruno was many things. She was attractive, skilled in medical ninjutsu, and friendly.<p>

She was not, under any circumstances, patient. People who wasted her time could often become her worst enemies, and the only reason she hadn't already killed her teammate in a rage was because he could take it, healing from her mighty blows in mere seconds.

Now, if Sakura could be this _volatile_, imagine her mother's reaction when Naruto Uzumaki began banging loudly on their front door at a most ungodly hour in the morning, asking if she could help him with something. It was only through Naruto's reputation in the village, and the fear of demolishing half of the buildings around her in her fury did the older woman stay her hand. She offered that Naruto could go see if Sakura was willing to help him with his problem, but only at his own caution, since her daughter might not be as accepting as she was.

Naruto gulped, his left hand hovering over Sakura's bedroom door. What if she was asleep, or even worse? Naruto's cheeks heated up slightly at the thought of his teammate without any clothing on, and the resulting pain that would be inflicted upon his frail body.

But his desire to make sure his date with Hinata went perfectly outweighed his fear of bodily harm, and he took a tentative knock on the door.

"Sakura-chan?" He said, keeping his voice down. "Are you in there?"

The other side of the door remained silent, so Naruto knocked a little harder this time.

"Hey Sakura-chan, it's Naruto. Can I come in?"

Still nothing, and Naruto was beginning to panic again. What if Sakura was going to be out all day and he she wouldn't be able to help him? His date would go horrible and Hinata would never want to see him again and…

Naruto took a deep breath, calming himself down. He was just overreacting. He tentatively grasped the doorknob, and when he gave it a slight twist, found the door to be unlocked.

"Sakura-chan, if you're in there, I'm coming in, alright?" he called out, warning his friend just in case she was in fact in her room. When no one replied, Naruto shrugged his shoulders, closed his eyes, and swung the door open.

When no scream came, and he didn't go flying through the wall, naruto assumed that Sakura was in fact, not home. It confused him why her mother didn't know where she was, but the blonde had more important things to worry about, and decided to snoop around the room a little to maybe find some evidence as to her whereabouts.

Her room was a decent enough size, moderately larger than Naruto's, though it didn't look as such since there were so many more pieces of furniture pushed against the walls. Naruto had grown up with the barest essentials, and so much storage and knick-knacks felt cramped to him. But seeing as how it wasn't his room, he didn't feel he should be complaining.

Though there was a little too much pink for his liking.

He started looking on top of all the furniture for anything that might hint at Sakura's whereabouts, deciding that actually going through the drawers might be a little much. Nothing really seemed to stand out too much, as Sakura was quite tidy, a stark opposite to Naruto's hygiene habits, and Naruto was beginning to get impatient.

A soft noise suddenly caught his attention. It had been there since he had walked in, but was too busy concentrating on his search that he didn't notice it. His ears perked up, trying to guess as to what the noise was. All the color immediately drained from his face, a look of pure horror spreading in his eyes.

It was the sound of running water.

Now he knew why Sakura's mother hadn't told him where she was. It was because she _was _here.

Taking a shower.

'_Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap…'_ Naruto panicked, turning to make a mad dash to the door so he could high tail it out of there. He heard the water shut off, and the sound froze him to the spot in absolute terror. He wanted to scream at his legs, force them to move, but found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move. His heart was pounding in his chest, sweat pouring down his back. If Sakura caught him in her room, while she was bathing…

He heard the door begin to creak, and the unsaturated fear that shot through his system was enough to force his legs back into moving. All Sakura saw when she emerged from the bathroom was a slight shimmer in the air, and the door slamming shut.

"That was weird…" she muttered to herself, opening the door to reveal herself…

Fully clothed. She had simply been washing her hair, and was drying it off when she had come out of the bathroom.

As she headed downstairs, she could hear her mother speaking with someone, and by how loudly the other person was replying, she could tell it was Naruto. What the hell was he doing at her house this early in the morning, and why hadn't her mother killed him for it?

"Hey Naruto…what're you doing here?" she greeted with a wave, before cutting straight to the chase. For some reason, Naruto looked guilty about something. She could see that he had been sweating, and his breath was slightly heavier than usual. He kept his eyes averted from hers, but returned the greeting nonetheless.

"Hehehe…Hey Sakura-chan!" he chirped, rubbing his hand behind his head. At this point Sakura could tell he was hiding something, but decided it was far too early in the morning to try and figure out what it was.

"You never answered my question. What're you doing here this early? You're usually not up before noon," she continued to press, as her mother left the room to give them some privacy.

Naruto looked like he had no idea what she was talking about for several moments, before the light bulb finally went off in his head.

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, pulling something out of the bag he had sitting next to him on the couch. He rummaged through it for a few seconds before yanking out a piece of cloth.

"I was gonna wear this to my date tonight with Hinata, but-"

"Date? Naruto, did Hinata say yes!" Sakura demanded jumping to her feet. When he nodded happily, she threw one arm around his head, using the other to give him a friendly noogie.

"Owww! Sakura-chan, quit it!" Naruto squealed, trying to wiggle out from under her. A futile effort, and Sakura only doubled her torture as a result. Finally, she relinquished her grip and Naruto scurried over to the other side of the room, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"I'm so happy for you, Naruto!" Sakura said, genuinely excited for her friend. Naruto could tell she really meant it, and smiled broadly.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan! That's actually why I'm here. There's something I need your help with." He pulled the garment out from underneath him, and gave it to her. Sakura eyed the yukata with awe, marveling at the intricate detail and fine craftsmanship.

"Naruto…this thing is amazing! Where did you get it?" she asked, staring at the design on the back.

"From my trip with Ero-sennin!" he replied happily, scratching his nose. "I was gonna wear it tonight on my date with Hinata, but…"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "But it's too small. I bet that didn't even cross your mind when you were looking for it, were you?"

Naruto shook his head in embarrassment, cursing himself for his mental limitations. Meanwhile, Sakura threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Honestly, what would you do without me?" She stood suddenly, throwing the yukata back to Naruto for him to put away. "We're just going to have to head out and see if we can't find you one last minute."

"But Sakura-chaaann…" Naruto whined, "There's no way I'll be able to find on as awesome as this one was! And I want tonight to be perfect."

Sakura ignored the blonde's complaining, shoving him out the door.

"You underestimate a woman's shopping skills, Naruto. I'll have you a new yukata by later today, and I guarantee it'll knock Hinata's socks off! If she…wore any, that is…"

And with that, Sakura and Naruto set off to find him a new yukata to wear for tonight's festival. Sakura headed off at a brisk pace towards the nearest clothing store, knowing that it would be selling themed yukatas for later that night, determined to find one that Hinata would appreciate.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, across the village, Poor Tsunade was about to rip every hair on her head out by the root, she was so stressed. Who would have thought that preparing a village-wide festival in only a few days could be so hard?<p>

Certainly, she hadn't.

The better part of yesterday, all through the night, and up to this very moment, Tsunade had been constantly working with Shizune to make sure the Festival wasn't going to be a complete disaster. Earth Jutsu to make a temporary clearing outside the village, scrounging enough food together to cater for it, setting up all the tents and stands…it was too much to handle at once. She even had to dip into her own booze fund to help pay for all of this!

So needless to say, Tsunade wasn't very happy.

Shizune trotted over, bringing yet another headache to the Godaime's attention.

"Tsunade-sama! The dango stand is too close to the nearest bonfire! It keeps spreading to the tent!"

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath. The major problems had been roughly worked out, and having to deal with these minor details was getting more than a little frustrating for the older woman.

"Just move it over a little to the left or something!" she barked, making Shizune jump. "Do those idiots really need to bother me with this petty crap?" she took a swig from a bottle she was sure Shizune wouldn't approve of, but in the mood she was in, alcohol would be the only thing keeping her from tearing down the entire festival with her bare hands.

"Of course, Tsunade-sama." Shizune replied hurriedly, scurrying away from her superior before she became her punching bag to vent her frustration on. She only got a few steps away when something _very _important finally returned to her memory.

"Tsunade-sama…what are we going to do about the Dance?"

Tsunade's eyes widened, and the string of curses that spewed from her throat would make even Kiba wet his pants. How could she have forgotten such an important detail!

What Shizune was referring to was a traditional event held at the festival every year, known as the Dance of Flame. A prominent member of the village, representing the Will of Fire, and a partner, representing the village of Konoha, would perform a ritual dance for the festival's attendants. It had dated back to the reign of the first Hokage, and the two to perform the ceremony had usually been the Hokage and his wife, excluding the Nidaime. Even the Yodaime and his wife had performed the event for the festival, mere weeks before his untimely demise. Tsunade hadn't been there, but she had been told that even about to give birth, his wife had looked beautiful.

But back to the matter at hand. Tsunade was obviously not married, and she had never been the 'dancing' type anyway. The last thing she wanted to do was spend the rest of her day before it was time for the festival memorizing the dance with some random man. No, that was simply not in the cards for her. She needed to come up with an excuse to get out of it, and quick…

A veritably evil grin suddenly cracked across Tsunade's face, and Shizune became greatly worried over whatever the older woman had just thought of.

"Shizune…I need you to run an _errand_ for me," she said wickedly, fiddling her fingers together in a most dastardly way.

"Uhhh…Tsunade-sama?" Shizune sputtered, giving her superior a very worried look.

"I want you to bring Hiashi Hyūga here. There's something I want to discuss with him."

Shizune now had a slight hint at what Tsunade had thought of, and giggled at the very idea. She nodded wordlessly, and quickly headed in the direction of the Hyūga compound to summon the head of the noble clan, as Tsunade watched her go with a malicious glee.

* * *

><p>Sakura had promised Naruto that they would have a yukata for him to wear tonight before it was time to pick Hinata up. They had left her home very early in the morning, just when the shops were beginning to open.<p>

It was now 2:30, and they had found diddley-squat.

She had rummaged through every clothing store in Konoha, looking through every yukata and even some more formal kimonos for the right one, but never seeming to find one that both Sakura and Naruto could agree on. Sakura knew her fashion sense was much better than that of the Uzumaki's, but it was still something he would be wearing in the end, and so deserved a choice. She was starting to regret this decision, as there were more than a few outfits she had suggested that had looked great on him, but because it wasn't a color scheme he didn't agree with (no orange), he had flat out refused. They were now at the last store in the village, and Sakura was growing desperate.

"What about this, Naruto?" she asked, holding up a red yukata with white designs around the sleeves and lower sections. The blonde turned his nose away, snorting pretentiously.

"Oh, come on! This looks great!" Sakura exclaimed, throwing the kimono back on the rack with frustration. "How am I supposed to help you if you hate everything I give you?"

Naruto shrugged. "It's just not me, you know? How can I take Hinata out and be someone I'm not?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Naruto, wearing a different color other than orange doesn't make you a different person. Honestly, you think like a 6 year old."

"Well, this 'six-year-old' doesn't like what you pick out and it's my choice, so _nyah!_" Naruto bit back, sticking his tongue out.

Several more designs were offered up, and several more were shot down by the stubborn blonde. They just didn't resonate with him like the one he had, he would say, much to her annoyance. By the time they were looking through the last rack, Sakura had already given up, and marched outside in a huff.

"Sakura-chan, now what are we supposed to do!" he whined, tugging on her sleeve.

"How am I supposed to know? You didn't like _anything_ I tried to suggest to you! Some of that stuff really looked good on you too…" she replied, angrily averting her gaze.

"N-Naruto-san?" a voice said from behind them, causing the two of them to spin around.

Several weeks ago, Naruto had saved a man from falling from his rooftop as he attempted to move a very heavy wooden beam. Naruto had caught the man before he had slammed into the ground, and he had been very thankful for what he believed had been saving his life. Naruto had been glad to help, but was chased off by the man's belligerent father, who had drunkenly cursed Naruto for his status as a jinchūriki. Now, the man's son was standing there in front of them, looking delighted to see the young man before him.

"It is you, Naruto-san! It is good to see you again!" The man said, bowing to Naruto and Sakura. The two friends returned the gesture happily, though Sakura didn't really know what was going on.

"What brings you here?" he asked, before noticing the rejected yukatas that Sakura had yet to place back on the rack. "Are you looking for something for tonight's festival?"

Naruto nodded sheepishly, scratching his cheek. "Uh-huh. Though, we haven't been having much luck…"

The man smiled. "Yes, it is so hard to find something truly perfect, isn't it?"

"You got that right! I have a date tonight, and I want it to be perfect!" Naruto replied.

The young man smiled, genuinely happy. "That is wonderful to hear, Naruto-san. If I may be so bold, who is the lucky lady?"

Naruto blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "Heh…it's Hinata! Hinata Hyūga."

The man's smiled widened. "She is a wonderful girl, I've heard. I've never met her, but I'm sure what they say about her is true."

"Yeah, she's awesome!"

The two chatted amicably for several minutes, while Sakura lazily browsed to pass the time until the two were finished. She was just looking through some really cute tops when the man's voice caught her interest.

"Of course, how could I forget!" he exclaimed, slapping his hand to his forehead. "Naruto-san, I think I may be able to help you with your dilemma."

Naruto looked overjoyed with the news. "Really! How?"

"Allow me to take you to my home, and I shall show you!," the man replied, gesturing out the door. Naruto shrugged, and after motioning for Sakura to follow them, the three had left for the man's home, which was only a few short minutes away.

"I'm home!" the man called out, placing his things on a countertop as he motioned for Naruto and Sakura to sit down.

"Please wait here a moment." He headed down the hallway, leaving the two friends alone.

"What do you think he has in mind? Sakura whispered, elbowing Naruto to get his attention.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe he has an awesome yukata that he's not using!"

Sakura snorted. "I doubt it. There's no one in the entire ninja village who has the same fashion sense as you." Naruto took this as a compliment, and would have begun a round of bragging, had the man not returned.

"Naruto-san, there's someone here who wishes to speak with you." The man's tone was serious, and Naruto couldn't help but be curious as to whom it was. When the man moved aside, Naruto's body tensed up, his gaze hardening.

The man's father, the one who had cursed him and berated him in the street several weeks ago, stood before Naruto, his expression was blank. From what Naruto could tell, the man had cleaned up quite a bit, no longer looking disheveled and greasy as how he had been that time ago. He also didn't reek of sake, which Naruto took as a good sign, but was still a little cautious.

"Welcome to our home, Naruto-san." The older man said, bowing deeply. Naruto didn't return the gesture this time, merely watching the man with suspicion. Sakura had noticed the look in her teammate's eyes, and had also become distrustful of the man.

"I can imagine you don't want to see me right now, after the things I said…." the man admitted, keeping his gaze averted.

"Hn," was all he got in return from Naruto, the grunt not exactly inviting, but not condemning either.

"To tell the truth, I'm grateful you haven't done anything violent, something I wholly deserve for what I have done. I know you may not accept my apology Naruto-san, but I just want to tell you that I apologize for my actions. I have given this much thought, and have finally realized how foolish I have been after all these years."

Naruto's expression was softening, as he heard the sincerity in the man's voice.

"You are anything but a plague on this village. You are a hero who saved my son's life, saved _all_ of our lives. I was blind to try and ignore that and attempt to see you for what you clearly are not."

The man got down on his knees, and in a very humble manner, bowed his head to the ground.

"You are a better man than I, Naruto-san. I cannot hope for your forgiveness, but I offer my apologies nonetheless."

Naruto said nothing for a few seconds, staring down at the man's head as he remained in his bow. Even Sakura couldn't read his expression, his normally obvious facial expressions absent.

Then suddenly, Naruto cracked a wide smile, before promptly striding over to help the man up.

"Apology accepted."

'_Naruto…'_ Sakura watched in awe as he patted the man on the back, accepting his apology. It was truly amazing to see how kind Naruto could be, since if she had been in his place, she wouldn't have been so accepting. Naruto's ability to empathize with people was in full force, and it never ceased to amaze Sakura to see it.

The older man was even more surprised, unable to speak as Naruto helped him to his feet. He just stared at him, his mouth hanging open.

"Naruto-san, th-this is wonderful!" the man's son exclaimed, clapping both of them on the shoulder. "Your kindness truly knows no bounds."

Naruto grinned sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders. The man turned back to his father, looking very pleased with how things had turned out.

"Otō-san, we must repay Naruto-san's kindness. I believe you are in a unique position to help him with a problem I recently discovered he was having."

Both Naruto and the man's father looked confused. Was this why he had brought Naruto with him in the first place?

The man proudly put both hands on his father's shoulders. "Ahh, of course! Allow me to elaborate; Chichi here is one of the finest tailors in the entire world, making clothing for daimyō and other wealthy patrons! You won't find any finer clothing than through his craftsmanship!"

"Wow….really?" Naruto exclaimed, growing excited. The older man had a sheepish look on his face, embarrassed with his son's praise.

"I take great pride in my work," he said, "And it has allowed me to develop my skills over a very long career. But Musuko, what is this all about?"

The man smiled. "Naruto-san is in need of a fine yukata for tonight's festival, and nothing he has looked at today will do. Otō-san, would you make him a yukata worthy enough for Naruto-san."

The man's father thought about for a bit. It had been quite some time since he had made anything, having taken an enjoyment to his retirement for the past few years. Still, this young man had saved his son's life, and had just accepted his apology for his cruel words.

A fire seemed to light behind the man's eyes, burning with a fierce determination.

"It would be my honor, Naruto-san!" he said proudly. "I will fashion a yukata for you of the highest quality, earning you the jealousy of the entire village!"

Naruto pumped his fist into the air. "That sounds awesome!"

"When will you need it for tonight, Naruto-san?" the man asked with a smile, which Naruto returned.

"3 hours!" he replied happily, oblivious to look of horror in the man's eyes.

"Th-three….hours?" he gasped out, leaning against the door for support. That certainly wasn't an ample time to create another masterpiece, and already the man was regretting having accepted the offer. But the look in Naruto's eyes was of trust and confidence in the man's abilities, and he found himself with a renewed vigor, deciding to treat the miracle as the grand challenge of his career.

"I must start at once then!" he exclaimed, straightening out his back. "Please return to me before you head to the festival, and I will have the yukata ready for you!" he hurried into the back room as his son watched on in amusement.

"It's been a long time since I've seen him that fired up…" the man said, a content tone in his voice. "I think my father will very much enjoy himself tonight making your yukata, Naruto-san."

"Yeah, I can't wait to see it!" Naruto shouted excitedly, already imagining all the cool designs that might be on it.

Naruto and Sakura bid the man goodbye, and left him to the privacy of his own home, returning outside to the streets, where the sun of midday shone brilliantly.

"Glad we got that settled." Sakura said satisfyingly. "Is there anything else you need?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Are you leaving, Sakura-chan? I thought we could hang out until I have to go pick up Hinata."

Sakura shook her head. "That sounds nice, but I need to go get ready for tonight. It takes us girls just a little longer to prepare ourselves, you know."

"I'll say…" Naruto mumbled to himself, sticking a finger down his throat in mock disgust.

The two friends parted ways, and Naruto decided to spend the rest of his time wandering the village, catching up on this and that.

* * *

><p>At the Hyūga compound, Hinata lay underneath the lilac tree, drifting in and out of the space between sleep and reality. It was so peaceful out in the garden, Hinata could stay there all day. The birds chirping, the pleasant-….wait…DAY?<p>

Hinata shot upright, as the realization of what had happened hit her in full force. Instead of finishing her book and returning to her bed like she had planned, Hinata had accidentally stayed outside, having passed out underneath the tree. She shakily got to her feet, letting the last bit of sleepiness fade away.

'_H-how much time has passed…' _she thought worriedly, trying to gauge the time by the position of the sun. Suddenly, she heard giggling behind her, and spun around to find Tenten and Ino standing there, looking very amused. Hinata's hair was disheveled, and her clothing was wrinkled, making the sight even funnier.

"I-Ino-san? Tenten-san? What are you two doing here?" she asked, looking completely lost. How long had they been standing there?

"We came by to see if the rumors were true!" Ino exclaimed, rushing over to smooth over Hinata's clothing, fussing over it like an overprotective mother.

"R-rumors?" Hinata asked, unsure of exactly what they were talking about.

"Don't act like you don't know!" Tenten teased. "We heard that Naruto asked you to the festival last night. Is it true?"

Hinata kept her face blank several moments, drinking in the reaction she got from her friends. Then, she burst into a joyous smile, nodding vigorously as she clasped her hands together. Ino squealed with delight (loud enough for a certain Inuzuka to hear and start snickering), and the two bum-rushed Hinata, almost knocking her off-balance.

"Hinata, that's so good to hear! I'm so happy for you!" Tenten exclaimed in a rare moment of girly-ness.

Ino framed her cheeks with her hands. "*Sigh….It must have been so romantic…"

Hinata giggled. "I c-can tell you what happened, if y-you'd like…" she said quietly, which was hastily accepted by the two other kunoichi.

The Hyūga recounted the events from last night as best as she could. Her initial misunderstanding of what Naruto was doing, his insistence it was her he had wanted to ask out, her father's nosiness…Ino and Tenten lapped it up like newborns, mesmerized by the story.

Tenten looked towards the sky, and whistled. "So he's gonna pick you up at 5:30? That doesn't give you much time to get ready, does it?"

Hinata blinked several times. "What time is it, Tenten-san?"

"A little after 4:30, I think." Tenten said casually. Hinata let out a frightened 'eep', and began hurrying towards the house.

"C-could you two come help me get ready, if that's not too much trouble?" Hinata called out from across the garden.

"Sure thing!" Ino called back. "When I'm done with you, you'll be the prettiest girl in the village! _After me of course…_" she whispered the last part, but Tenten had been close enough to hear, and rolled her eyes.

"Of course, Hinata. We'd be glad too." The weapons expert said, striding across the garden to catch up with her friend, leaving Ino hurrying to not be left outside.

The three girls chatted for a few minutes in Hinata's room, contemplating with possible hairstyles and outfits for the night. Hinata liked the sound of all of them, and had she more time to spare, could have made a whole day out of it. Before they could get started, however, Hinata heard a knock on her door.

"Hinata…" she heard the muffled voice of her father call out to her. "Could you please step out here for a moment? There's something I need to speak to you about."

Cursing his timing, Hinata excused herself to Ino and Tenten, joining her father in the hallway. The two girls that remained, overcome with curiosity, slunk towards the doorway, placing their ears against the wood to better hear what was going on just outside.

They first Hiashi speak, something about visiting Tsunade. His tone was calm and even, so they ruled out that he was mad at Hinata. But after he had finished speaking, the heard Hinata sounding very distressed over what Hiashi had said, stuttering worse than she had in years. Hiashi tried to calm her down, but Hinata only seemed to sound more and more nervous.

Ino frustrated with not being able to make out the words, slipped her head to bottom of the floor, so that she could hear from the crack between the door and the floor.

"Hinata, this is a great honor, one that had been usually been reserved for Hokage-sama and their spouse," she heard him say, sounding almost hopeful, like whatever it was he wanted, it revolved around Hinata accepting, something she didn't sound too keen on doing.

"Y-yes, Otō-san, b-but in f-front of all those p-people…I don't kn-know if I c-can do it!" she squeaked back. From her spot just behind the door, Tenten could have sworn she could feel the heat from Hinata's cheeks.

"I know you are worried, daughter, but this is something I am sure you would excel in. Besides, is this not something you wanted? After all, you would be doing this with Na-"

"I know that!" Hinata hissed back. "It's j-just…what if I make a fool of myself?"

To their surprise, Hiashi actually sounded caring as he spoke again. "Hinata, you could never make a fool of yourself. If you choose to accept the invitation, I will be proud nonetheless. It is on short notice, after all. It would be foolish of me to expect perfection."

For several moments there was silence. Ino and Tenten started to get a little worried for their friend, wondering what Hiashi could have possible requested of her. Then, she spoke.

"Otō-san…I accept." She sounded more confident now, something Hiashi picked up on.

"That is good to hear, daughter. I will make sure Tsunade-sama is informed of this."

They heard footsteps moving away from the door, and knew the conversation was over. But before they could sneak away, Hinata swung the door open, making Tenten lose her balance and tumble right on top of Ino.

"Were…were you two spying?" Hinata questioned, eyeing the two now-sheepish girls below her.

"Hehe…sorry." Ino said weakly, jumping back to her feet. "We were just curious. What did your dad want?"

Having to tell others made Hinata remember just how embarrassing a request it had been, her cheeks flushing a deep scarlet. Ino and Tenten both figured out that that could only mean _one_ thing, and immediately began to bombard her with questions, determined to find out what her father had asked of her.

And why it involved Naruto.

* * *

><p>It was time.<p>

5:20 in the early evening, and Naruto was headed towards the Hyūga compound to pick up Hinata, Sakura walking with him most of the way. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her sneaking a peek at him every now and then, and decided it was time for some teasing.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked lightly, turning he walk into more of a strut.

Sakura rolled her eyes and snorted. "As if. I just can't believe how well you clean up. Honestly, why do you have to wear that god-awful tracksuit when you look so much better without it?"

"Oh, so you _do_ think I look handsome." Naruto said with a smirk, making Sakura blush and turn away.

"Idiot…" she mumbled, kicking a pebble away on her next step. To tell the truth, it felt kind of weird walking Naruto to his date with Hinata. Sakura hadn't really been expecting anyone to ask her, but when no one actually did (even Lee), she couldn't help but feel a little upset, and this time Naruto wouldn't be around to comfort her; he had his own date, and Sakura wasn't about to get in the middle of them with her own problems. She would still go to the festival, sure, but since she didn't have anyone to go with, she wasn't intending on staying very long.

She snuck another quick look at Naruto's appearance, growing increasingly impressed. The tailor had performed a miracle, and now that Naruto was clad in his brand new yukata, Sakura couldn't deny it the fact that he looked pretty damn attractive right now.

Though she sure as hell wouldn't tell him that.

He looked so happy right now, so content with what was going to happen tonight. Sakura felt a warmth in her heart. He deserved to be this happy all the time, and she hoped tonight went as well as Naruto was hoping. As the Hyūga compound became in sight, this look of happiness lessened somewhat, replaced by nervousness.

"What's the matter Naruto? Getting cold feet?" Sakura was merely joking, but if she found out he really was reconsidering, she would make sure he would regret that decision _very _quickly.

"A little…" Naruto mumbled, staring at the large estate further down the road. "Now that I'm actually here, I don't know if I can do this…"

"Sure you can!" Sakura exclaimed, pushing towards the house. "Naruto, I've never been more sure of anything in my life than what I feel about you and Hinata tonight."

"But…I feel like I don't deserve her."

Sakura was taken aback at this. He looked distraught at his own comment, a testament to its gravity.

"D-don't…deserve her?" she managed to ask, her voice filled with confusion.

Naruto sighed. "I mean, think about it! She's a member of the most noble clan in the village, if not the whole shinobi world, and I'm just…_me_. A prankster with a ramen addiction."

"Naruto, if you don't stop talking like that, I'm gonna put you in the damn hospital!"

The anger in Sakura's voice snapped him out his forlorn daze, and he raised his eyes to meet hers.

"Don't you dare think you're not good enough for her, Naruto," she warned, taking several steps towards him. "There's no one in this village who deserves that girl more than you, so shut up."

"Yeah, but…"

"Not buts!" Sakura interrupted. "Now, I'm going to go home now and get ready myself. If I hear you chickened out, so help me I will break your legs and shove them up your ASS. Got that?" She had put her fist underneath Naruto's chin for effect, enjoying the look of primal fear he had in his eyes.

"Yes ma'am," he said simply, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Sakura stepped back, returning to her happy self she had been just a few seconds ago.

"Good! You two have a great time, alright?" she called out, running back to her house to get ready. She waved one last time to Naruto, who returned the wave awkwardly.

He turned around, and was surprised to see that Sakura had somehow put himself right in front of Hinata's door without him noticing.

'_Come on, Uzumaki…you can do this._' he thought to himself, a shaky fist hovering over the door. His breathing became more labored, and he found his vision growing fuzzy.

But then, and image of Hinata appeared within his mind. She was simply standing there, in an endless white space. She looked beautiful, standing there. Her eyes stared into his, filling him with comfort and kindness. He felt his chest lighten, and all of his final doubts melted away.

He took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

Nothing happened for several moments, and Naruto was about to knock for a second time. His hand was about to connect to the door when it swung open. His jaw instantly fell open, and he kept his arm up, unable to move. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him, eliciting a giggle from the recipient of his staring.

"G-good evening, Naruto-kun."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I'M SORRY I'M SORRY DON'T KILL ME!

I know you were expecting the actual festival tonight, but there was just too much I had to get out of the way first! You'll have to wait another week or so before that stuff shows up, but I promise it's because I want it to be the best chapter so far!

That being said, I feel that the highlight of this chapter is the new flashback with Hinata's mother. I really like writing those scenes, and I feel they help develop Hinata really well for this story.

Also, I'd like to thank **OGAFazer89AC **and **jayley** for point out some grammatical errors. **OGA** informed me that I had accidentally been using 'Nee-san' instead of 'Nii-san' when Hinata spoke to Neji, and it won't happen again. **jayley** told me about a word choice error in Iruka's quote about two women, which has been corrected to dissolve any confusion. Thanks for the sharp eyes, guys!

Next time: We _finally_ get some festival action, so stay tuned! If you liked what you read, a review a day keeps me happy, okay? (Durr hurr that rhymed.)


	16. Konoha's Great Festival! First Date!

**Author's Note: **Part 1 of the festival is here for your enjoyment! It was originally going to be only one chapter, but before I knew it the ideas were just piling up. Now, these next two chapters will be nothing else but humor and fluffy goodness, as I wanted to draw away from the drama for a while.

As you can see, there is a new title and summary for the story. **Armageddon Angel **and **OGAFazer89AC **in particular helped me out immensely with devising the new name and summary, so kudos to them. If you guys could give some feedback on what you think, that would be awesome. I may fiddle with it a little more, but I'm much happier with this set than I was with the previous one.

Also, thank you to **a pen name that no one has** for pointing out another one of my grammatical fails. It has been corrected and will not confuse future readers.

Finally, you won't have to wait much longer for Part 2. I'm literally almost done with it already, so expect it in 3-4 days max.

Enjoy the Chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 16: Konoha's Great Festival! Naruto and Hinata's First Date-<strong>

Naruto had never been a particularly superstitious person. Aside from a highly irrational fear of ghosts, things like bad luck and karma were usually scoffed at by the blonde. He didn't believe in omens, fortunes, and visions from the future.

But as he stood there on Hinata's porch, mouth agape, he became a true believer in one particular other-worldly being.

Angels. There was an angel standing right in front of him, and Naruto was in awe by the fact that he knew her by name.

Hinata giggled lightly at his reaction, overjoyed with the help Tenten and Ino had given her in helping her prepare for tonight. Instead of her usual style of simply letting her hair fall into the small of her back, Ino had suggested a loose braid that hung over Hinata's right shoulder, with a pair of simply, but elegant hair sticks holding the braid in place. Hinata had never been a fan of makeup, but Ino had allowed the use of some of her most expensive product, much lighter and more natural than anything you could usually buy. She had initially been concerned with using something so expensive, but Ino insisted that she wouldn't need much, and from Naruto's facial expression, she had been glad the Yamanaka had pressed the matter.

And of course there was the matter of what she had chosen to wear. The other girls had a veritable book of suggestions, but Hinata quietly, but firmly rejected each of them. She already had something in mind. It was another piece of clothing that her mother once owned, something that Hinata had always treasured, but never felt right taking out. It never seemed like an important-enough occasion, but Hinata had known from the moment Naruto had asked her to the festival that this is what she would wear.

The Hyūga clan had always gone to such festivities in attire a little more formal than what was usually expected, for appearance reasons. Hinata's kimono was shared more similarities with a furisode-style kimono than that of a yukata, with long flowing sleeves and vibrant colors. In a bolder move, small parts of the back of her shoulders were visible, peeking out from the top of kimono. Color wise, it was of a pure, untainted white that gently collected all light reflected upon it before reflecting it back in a soft, almost heavenly glow. From the bottom, flowers of striking violet and magenta dotted the fabric, fading into the lighter colors of lavender and pink as they rose higher onto the outfit, before eventually only becoming lightly colored outlines. Embroidered onto the back was the symbol of the Hyūga clan, the Yin and Yang with four trigrams surrounding the corners.

The sash was of the same color as Hinata's hair, a deep, lush blue that complemented the others wonderfully. And, just for herself, Hinata had fastened a tiny orange rope in the middle of the sash, tied in a bow from the back.

"G-Good evening, Naruto-kun," she greeted, blushing deeply as he dumbly nodded in response. She had never felt more beautiful in all her life, and glided out the door to join Naruto. She had been so caught up in watching his reaction to what she was wearing, that it was only now she noticed what _he_ was wearing, and a small gasp escaped from her lips.

Naruto's reputation for fashion sense was the stuff of legend among the women in the village. How someone could walk around so proudly in such bold colors, they'd never figure out. But here stood Naruto Uzumaki, grinning like a fool, and looking sexier than ever.

The tailor had taken inspiration from Naruto's current ensemble, and had incorporated it into the design much as the boy had all those years ago. It's main color was of a deep matte black, that unlike Hinata's, didn't reflect any light shone at it. Regardless, it produced a pleasing effect to the eye, as despite the darker color, felt cozy and warm. It was lined with a burnt orange-colored silk, tracing along the edges of the yukata and complimenting Naruto's tanned skin. Noticing that the usually shy Hyūga was staring at him, Naruto smirked and turned around to give her a view of what had been designed for the back.

Hinata gasped again as the bold orange leapt out at her, in the terrifying form of the Kyūbi. It was only a silhouette, but Hinata still felt the slightest shiver go up her spine, and she wondered why Naruto would be so proud to wear his inner demon upon his body for all to see. A new detail caught Hinata's eye, and suddenly it made sense.

* * *

><p>~Flashback~<p>

_Naruto studied the garment the man had just offered him, carefully looking over every detail. The tailor could tell he was highly pleased with the final result, but could see that something was bothering him._

"_Is there something wrong, Naruto-san?" he had asked, catching the blonde's attention._

_Naruto turned the garment around, and the man understood his concern. The Kyūbi's silhouette in orange against the black had been a strange choice, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable with the idea._

_The man smiled. "Look closer, Naruto-san."_

_Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto attempted to divulge the man's reasoning for implementing such a design. Something behind the demon caught Naruto's eye, and he was beginning to understand._

_Placed even larger behind the Kyūbi was the striking image of the sun. While the center was black to draw attention to the figure in the middle, the outline was colored a bright red, which spiraled into the center before meeting up with one of the Kyūbi's glowing eyes._

"_That symbol is one that I have always seen added to what you wear, Naruto-san," the man explained. "It represents your hold over the demon within. It cages the beast, illustrating the idea that you are in control of it, not the other way around."_

_Naruto said nothing, and kept his gaze focused on the garment. The man was beginning to regret his decision when he was suddenly enveloped into a bear hug, much to his surprise._

"_Thank you…" Naruto whispered, seeing that it also represented the tailor's acceptance of who Naruto really was. It was a gift greater than anything piece of clothing could give him, and Naruto showed his appreciation the only way he knew how._

"_Consider that my gift, and my apology." The tailor said happily, once Naruto had released him. He bowed to the young man in respect, which Naruto enthusiastically returned._

"_You better get going!" he said. "You said your date was at 5:30, correct?"_

_Naruto's eyes widened, and he sprinted out the door, shouting a final thank you as he rushed home to change. He left the tailor with an amused smile on his lips, happy he had finally seen the Uzumaki for what he truly was._

_~End Flashback~_

* * *

><p>Naruto whistled. "Don't the two of us look gooood!" He turned himself around once more, flexing his arms in mock-macho, which elicited another giggle from Hinata. He was only teasing, but if they were to ask any third party, they would have to agree.<p>

"Heh, sorry if I'm a little late!" Naruto said after finishing his little 'show'. "I had to pick this up and go back home to change."

Hinata shook her head. "No, y-you're fine, Naruto-kun. You look…really nice." She had wanted to say _unbelievably sexy with a hotness level of over 1000 suns_, but she wasn't in the mood for a nosebleed. Naruto didn't seem to mind, and seemed overjoyed by the compliment.

"Thanks, Hinata! You look…" he swallowed the lump in his throat, "really nice too!"

"Th-thank you, Naruto-kun."

The two stood there for several moments, unsure of where to go from there. This was the first ever date for the both of them, and to say they were nervous would be an understatement. Every time Naruto would think of something to say, he would decide it sounded stupid and shut his mouth. Finally, the silence became too much for the loudmouth.

"So…you wanna get going?" he asked hopefully, motioning with his arm in the direction they would be traveling. Hinata seemed to hesitate for a moment, rubbing her shoulder nervously.

"Actually Naruto-kun, there's something I need to tell you…"

"Good evening Naruto." A voice from behind Hinata spoke up, scaring the Uzumaki. Hinata moved out of the way to reveal Neji standing behind her, dressed in his own yukata of a simple white and black pattern.

Naruto squinted his eyes, pointing an accusing finger at the elder Hyūga. "Hey, hold on a second! I don't remember asking _you_ on a date!"

Neji rolled his eyes as he joined the others in front of the compound.

"Don't flatter yourself, Uzumaki. Oji-sama requested that I escort you and Hinata to the festival grounds, so stop complaining and let's get going."

Naruto didn't seem very thrilled with the idea of Neji tagging along, but to say Hinata was unhappy about it would be a huge understatement. She almost seemed to be fuming as they started towards the festival grounds. This was supposed to be a date with just her and Naruto, not a group outing with Neji as their chaperone. She was just about to speak her mind when to her surprise, Neji spoke first.

"If you must know, I'm just waiting until we are out of sight of Oji-sama." he muttered under his breath, keeping his voice as quiet as possible. "Considering his Byakugan's abilities, that may be a while."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, louder than Neji was hoping for. He immediately shushed the knucklehead, taking a quick peek behind him.

"I'm not here babysitting you willingly, Naruto." Neji replied evenly once he had decided the coast was clear. "Believe me, I think this whole idea is ridiculous. Oji-sama has no right to interfere with your personal lives, especially on such an occasion."

Hinata noticed the way Neji moved as he spoke, and could tell he was hiding something. Sure, he supported being independent more than anyone in the village, but it was more than a little strange with how supportive he was being of Naruto dating his cousin.

"There's something you're not telling me, Neji-niisan." Hinata muttered, holding him back with her arm. "You seem unusually passionate about this."

Neji looked away and snorted, though if the blush that peeking through his cheeks, she was right in her assumption.

"Of course not! I just think that you should-"

There you are!" a voice called out from the trees, attracting everyone's attention. Tenten stood on one of the larger branches, dressed more casually than the others. It was one of the rare instances she let down her hair out of the buns that it was usually held up in, and Hinata immediately began to compliment her once the weapons expert leapt down to greet them.

"I've been looking for you!" she said, punching Neji on the shoulder. "Did you already forget that you were supposed to pick me up?"

Neji's mouth thinned. "No Tenten, I was merely escorting these two per Oji-sama's request. I was coming by to pick you up right after-"

"What are you doing spying on these two!" Tenten demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "You have no right to interfere, you know!"

Seeing that arguing any further would only make matters worse, Neji submitted to falling silent and nodding obediently, eliciting a snicker from Naruto.

Tenten turned back to Naruto and Hinata, and quickly threw her arms around them both.

"You guys look so cute together! And those outfits…you have no idea how jealous I am! Hinata, Ino and I did a pretty good job, eh?"

Hinata smiled warmly. "Of course, Tenten-san! And you look so p-pretty too!"

Tenten struck a quick pose, sticking her tongue out. "Yeah, it's not really my thing, but you know how _this_ one loves to be formal." She jabbed Neji with her elbow as she spoke, lightly knocking the wind out of him.

"It is not a matter of formality, Tenten." Neji said cooly, straightening his attire. "It is about maintaining a tradition passed down in the clan for-"

"Blah blah blah, no one cares." Tenten continued to tease, much to her date's annoyance. With a wink of an eye, she turned to the other couple present, who had been watching the exchange with great interest.

"How about we just cut the chit-chat and go have some fun, eh?"

Naruto and Hinata nodded happily, while Neji merely 'humphed' and joined Tenten at her side.

The walk through the village was a pleasant enough one. Hinata and Tenten continued to chat about their outfits, and what the others would be wearing at the festival, while Naruto and Neji engaged in a hidden staring match. Neji was making sure Naruto's hands were kept to himself, despite his silent insistence that he would in no way treat Hinata anything less than a princess. The Hyūga remained firm, and Naruto kept his hand stuffed into his pockets, grumbling to himself every now and then.

Slowly, the light from the village began to fade as they headed towards one of the gates of the village, specifically the one that would lead to the festival. Ceremonial bonfires heralded a small dirt path which would lead them to the grounds of the event, and soon the four of them had disappeared into the forest, their excitement growing.

Naruto took a quick peek at Hinata out of the corner of his eye, as a final affirmation that this was in fact happening. He grinned from ear-to-ear like a fool, unbelievably happy that the most beautiful girl in the village was his date to the festival. He wouldn't have even cared if the whole event had been shut down; as long as he could see her like this, knowing that it was because of him, Naruto was happy.

Hinata noticed that her date had been staring at him again, and he could make out a small blush dancing across her cheeks. She kept her gaze forward, but Naruto noticed when she scooted a little closer to him, their shoulders briefly rubbing against one another. Naruto felt butterflies in his stomach once again, and almost tripped over his own sandals, much to the other's amusement.

By now, the only light left in the sky was that of the sunset, long having sunk beneath the horizon, which left brilliant colors of red and purple streaking across the sky. Naruto was beginning to have trouble seeing, when a small light began to shine through the darkness. The light grew brighter ever so slightly as they grew closer, and Naruto had to hold himself back from sprinting to the festival laughing like a child. The bonfires grew more and more frequent, signaling just how close they were. The sounds of the many fires, children laughing, and wonderful music being played filled the four's senses, and for a moment even Neji was smiling like an idiot.

And then, after one last push through some particularly dense forest, the festival in all its glory exploded into their vision. Color and sounds of all kinds exploded in front of them, bombarding and overwhelming them. The people closest by didn't even notice the newcomers' arrival, too wrapped up in their own enjoyment to greet them.

Naruto saw his chance. He grabbed Hinata's hand, and with a rushed farewell and a wave, dashed away from TenTen and Neji with his cousin in tow, blushing as deeply as the reds of the pyres that dotted the grounds.

Neji immediately activated his Byakugan, only to have his extended vision blocked by a thoroughly peeved Tenten.

"If you intend to try and spy on those two the entire night, you should be aware that I'll try and put you _in the hospital_ the entire night, GOT IT?" The tone in her voice dared him speak against her decision, but Neji was no fool. He deactivated his bloodline, and calmly headed in the opposite direction, eager to do a little exploring.

Tenten stood rooted to the spot. "You…you don't just leave your date here, you idiot!" she shouted, racing to catch up to the Hyūga jōnin and give him a piece of her mind.

* * *

><p>Hinata tripped over her kimono, as Naruto continued to drag her through the festival, laughing loudly as they got further and further away from the nosey Neji Hyūga.<p>

"Na-Naruto-kun….slow down!" she called out, as they barely missed knocking over one of the food carts, but she could see Naruto shake his head.

"Not until we completely ditched those guys!" he shouted back, though the worried tone in her voice did make him slow down a great deal. "I want this to be about the two of us, so no interruptions!"

Hinata blushed. Naruto wanted to be…alone? She shuddered with excitement at the thought of how serious he was taking this.

Suddenly Naruto stopped in his tracks, and before Hinata could fly past him and run into someone, he stuck his other arm out, and with surprising gentleness, stopped her momentum. As she was catching her breath, she looked up into his face to see him grinning broadly.

"Guess I got a little carried away! Heh, sorry Hinata!"

It hadn't really bothered Hinata, but the apology was still appreciated. Now that that was settled, Naruto turned around to take a closer look at why he had stopped in the first place. Hinata moved over to his side to see what he was looking at, to find that it was a signpost, one of many she had seen while they were sprinting through the grounds. A scroll had been tacked to it, and written upon seemed to be the events of tonight.

_Three-Legged Race: 6:30_

She could see the competition shining in his eyes, and knew that Naruto would want to take part. Hinata wasn't the fastest of the shinobi in the village, and while she didn't want to let him down, the thought of that much physical contact was too much for her to resist.

_Scavenger Hunt: 7:15_

Now this was something a little more Hinata's speed. She had always had a sharp eye and a quick wit for brain teasers and clues, but the great dōjutsu that is the Byakugan certainly wouldn't help. Naruto picked up on her enthusiasm, and gladly agreed to make time for it.

_Eating Contest: 8:45 Sponsored by Ichiraku Ramen!_

Hinata giggled. She didn't even have to look this time to know that Naruto was practically shaking with excitement. There was no way he was going to lose to anyone in that contest, even if he had to go against the entire Akimichi clan. Hinata would have fun as long as he did, and made sure Naruto knew she wanted him to take part. Naruto's eyes shone with happiness, before he quickly scrawled his name on the sign-up list.

There were various other activities planned for the evening, and Naruto chatted idly about taking part in them if Hinata was up to it. But she wasn't listening. She was too busy paying attention to the event at the very bottom of the page, which had eluded her sight until now.

_Dance of Flame – A traditional ceremony celebrating Konoha's Will of Fire and the brave villagers of past and present who defend it with their lives!_

Hinata gulped, reading over the description again and again. Her palms began to grow sweaty, and she was finally remembering why she had been so nervous before. Neji escorting them through the village was not what Hinata had wanted to tell Naruto, and she had completely forgotten about it until now.

Naruto noticed she was staring at the bottom event, and snorted.

"Sounds lame," he said simply. "I feel bad for whoever has to do that, eh Hinata!"

'_Oh Naruto-kun…if you only knew…'_ Hinata thought to herself. She had to tell Naruto about this now, or when the time came, he would be-

"Hey, I see Chōji over there!" Naruto called out suddenly, pointing through the crowd where Hinata could make out the Akimichi's distinctive shape. "Wanna go say hi? It'll only be for a little while, I promise!"

Hinata sighed. I guess it couldn't hurt to wait just a little longer to tell Naruto about the Dance. He seemed so eager to go say hi to Chōji (mainly to show off his 'kick-ass' yukata), she just couldn't break the news to him just yet. She nodded shyly, and they hurried over to where Chōji was waiting, on Ino as it turned out.

The Akimichi smiled widely. Word had traveled that the Uzumaki had invited Hinata to be his date for the festival pretty quickly, but it warmed his big heart to see it himself. He would have waved at them in greeting, but didn't want to spill the massive amounts of food he was holding, so he was content to call out to them as they drew closer.

"Hinata! Naruto! What's up?" he asked happily, jumping out of the way as Naruto almost knocked him over. "You guys just get here?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah! We would have been a little earlier, but I needed to pick this up first." He pointed to his outfit, and Chōji whistles with appreciation.

"I can see it was worth the wait…" he said breathlessly. Chōji wasn't exactly a man of high fashion, but he knew nice clothes when he saw them.

"Where are my manners? Hinata, you look awesome tonight, too!"

Hinata bowed slightly, giggling a little under the Akimichi's praise, which only served to make Naruto giggle himself.

"So what are you doing here, Chōji?" Naruto asked, taking a look around. "Are you here with anyone?"

Hinata shot Chōji a knowing look, and the heavy-set ninja beamed with pride.

"As a matter of fact…" he began to say, before smiling again and simply pointing behind him. Naruto spun around to see what he was supposed to be looking at, and his jaw dropped.

Ino was making their way towards them, and had cast away the more traditional style yukata for something that could only be described as 'DA-YUM GURL'. Aside from being much more form-fitting, it also revealed a lot more than a yukata was supposed to, not leaving much to the imagination.

"Hey Naruto I think you dropped something!" she said brightly, joining their little group. Naruto looked confused, and began searching the immediate vicinity for what she could have been talking about.

"She's talking about your jaw, dumbass," Chōji said, chuckling. "You might want to pick it up off of the ground."

Realizing he had been ogling, Naruto launched into a series of apologies for the three other members of their little group. Ino, however, just waved him off.

"No need to apologize, Naruto!" she exclaimed, before giving him a half-lidded look. "After all…why apologize for something that's true?"

The other blonde chuckled nervously, not sure how Hinata would take what he considered was Ino flirting with him. But to his surprise, she looked like she was enjoying herself immensely, and went up for a quick hug with the Yamanaka.

"Ino-san, you look wonderful!" she swooned, rubbing her delicate hands over the lush purple fabric that made up Ino's yukata.

"Stop it, Hinata…you know I only look a fraction of how good _you_ look right now! Seriously, I'm jealous!"

Hinata blushed, scurrying back over to Naruto, hiding behind him playfully.

"Th-thank you, Ino-san…" she nearly whispered, making Naruto chuckle.

"So you and Ino, huh? Gotta say, I'm really happy for you guys!"

Ino rushed over and hugged her date tightly, squeezing him much like a child would with their favorite toy.

"Oh, you should have seen it, Naruto!" she said, falling into another one of her hopeless romantic phases. "It was the most romantic thing ever!"

Chōji said nothing, but the way he was rubbing his knuckle against his chest and smirking showed off how proud he was with whatever he had done to ask Ino out.

If those two looked happy, then the only way to describe Naruto would have to be 'ecstatic'. He bounced up and down like a child, giggling incessantly to himself.

"This is just so awesome, guys! I hope you have a lot of fun tonight!"

Ino smiled, genuinely appreciative of her fellow blonde's words.

'Thanks Naruto! I hope you and Hinata have a great time too!" She suddenly smirked, laying a delicate hand on his cheek.

"Don't do anything naughty tonight, okay_..._unless, you_ want to, _that is…"

Both Naruto and Hinata turned a vibrant shade of red, repelled from each other like two magnets of the same pole. Ino only laughed, rolling her eyes.

"You two have fun, okay?" She waved goodbye, and with a slight tug on Chōji's wrist, had disappeared into the crowd.

Naruto tried smiling and making a corny joke to ease the tension, but found Hinata wasn't really listening, instead seemingly muttering to herself.

Unbeknownst to him, it was Hinata's desperate attempt at keeping the _bolder_ side of personality at bay. Ino's comment had stirred a fire that rarely went out in the sweet, innocent Hyūga, but she was trying nonetheless. It was only until he had placed himself right in front of her and began waving his arms like a madman that he got her attention.

"Earth to Hinata? I was asking what you wanna do first."

Hinata took a few more precious seconds to calm herself down, and had soon finally expelled the odd feeling from her stomach.

"Um…wh-why don't we just t-take a look around until the race?" she suggested, wanting to explore every nook and cranny of the festival so that they wouldn't miss anything. Naruto immediately acclimated to the idea, and grabbed on to her wrist again to lead her safely through the hordes of people. He remembered what happened last time, however, and with a deep breath, relaxed his grip and instead slid his hand down to softly grasp ahold of hers.

Hinata felt the cogs slowly understand what was going on. Was Naruto….holding her hand? She dumbly looked down to make sure she just wasn't losing her mind, and nearly fainted to see Naruto's larger, rougher hand gently enclosed around her own. She looked up into Naruto's eyes and saw how shy he was, so to help ease his mind, she released her thump from his hand, and lightly squeezed back. Naruto took the gesture as a sign that he hadn't done anything wrong, and beamed from ear-to-ear. He tugged ever so slightly, and soon the two were exploring everything Konoha's festival had to offer.

* * *

><p>The festival had grown larger and larger over the years, from being able to fit within the village walls to being forced to build an outside grounds area to fit the massive entity. A section of forest would be cleared every year by several shinobi within a few hours, and once the festivities had ended and clean-up had been finished, the forest would be returned to its natural state so as not to disturb the wildlife for more than a day. What had been only a dozen or so stalls of merchants selling their wares at discounted prices had exploded into a combination of a celebration of ancestors, the shinobi of the village, and of the Will of Fire itself, and now covered an absolutely gargantuan area of the forest. People from all over the world would come to join in the festivities, regardless of whether or not they actually believed in the Will of Fire, and even some members of rival villages would be caught sneaking about, if only to enjoy themselves. Those who had seen it for the first time often wandered aimlessly for hours, their mouths agape much like a fish.<p>

Hinata and Naruto were very much like that as they walked, hand in hand, throughout the festival. In their own ways, this was really the first time they had gotten to experience the festival in all its glory. Naruto had avoided the event for years as they tended to serve sake to the older patrons, and if those people weren't fond of Naruto…well, things could get dangerous. Hinata had always wanted to go, but the Hyūga clan had long felt they were above going to what they believed to be such a 'frivolous waste of time." It had taken Hiashi several years to _persuade_ the council to lax their sentiments, but Hinata had been forced to take along Kō as a bodyguard, which made the whole evening feel cautious and cold, not at all lively and spontaneous like it was supposed to be. But now they finally had a chance to experience the legendary event, and it just so happened to be with one another, something they were both grateful for.

Hinata heard someone's stomach growl, and from the intensity of the noise, could tell it was Naruto's. She looked over to see him looking embarrassed his body had announced his hunger so loudly, but Hinata only giggled.

"You w-want to get something to eat, Naruto-kun?" she asked quietly, her mind spinning with the potential choices.

Naruto seemed to appreciate the gesture, but shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll wait until the eating contest. I want to win after all!" He smiled cheekily, brimming with confidence, and Hinata knew he would be able to do it. It _was_ sponsored by Ichiraku, after all.

"Would the good lady like to take her luck for a spin?" a voice from behind them called out. Naruto and Hinata turned around to find one of the game booth workers grinning at them and waving them over.

"Ahh, Hinata-hime of the prestigious Hyūga clan and Naruto Uzumaki, the village hero! I am honored!" the man bowed in genuine respect for the two shinobi, which they gladly returned.

"A challenge for the two shinobi of the Leaf!" the man exclaimed, gesturing to the game that lay behind him. "I have three bowls placed behind me, with a token hidden underneath one of them. You simply have to guess which one the token is hidden under three times in a row and you win!"

Naruto snorted. "That sounds like a piece of cake! Bring it on!"

The man smirked at Naruto's confidence. "It's not that simple, Uzumaki-san! This is a game of luck, not of skill. You must complete this game…blindfolded!" The man's showmanship, coupled with Naruto's semi-celebrity status, had attracted several other people, and a small crowd was beginning to form.

To keep up appearances, Naruto snorted once more. "Like that's going to stop me! I'll beat your game in one go, just wait and see!"

The crowd chuckled at his boasting, which only served to fire the booth operator up.

"Then how about we up the stakes? Usually, I only offer my biggest prizes to those who win the game three times in a row, for a total of 9 rounds, but if you manage to win just one game of three rounds, I'll award you any prize I have here!

The crowd oo-ed and aww-ed at the increased bet, now thoroughly amused. Naruto's competitiveness was beginning to shine through, and Hinata could tell he had already accepted the challenge. He strode up to the man, and held his hand out.

"You're on!" He proclaimed, as the crowd cheered him on.

"Excellent!" the man shouted, trying to draw as many people as he could to his little booth. "Now, some rules: No peeking and you can't have anyone else help you!"

Naruto nodded wordlessly, obviously anxious for the game to start. He grabbed the black cloth was holding out for him, and quickly tied it around his eyes. The man pretended to punch him in the face to make sure Naruto couldn't see through it, and once he was satisfied, began shuffling the three bowls at a blinding speed. Hinata gently patted Naruto on the back, giving him silent encouragement, while the crowd continued to cheer the blonde on.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, Naruto could tell exactly where the token was at all times. Being a jinchūriki had plenty of perks when it came to battle, but some of them also had more practical uses. To be specific, Naruto was tracking where the token was by listening to the sound it made as it slid across the wooden counter. Others would be hard pressed to make out such a tiny detail with a roaring crowd behind him, but years of tuning Sakura out when she began to scold him made Naruto a veritable master at selective hearing.

The shuffling slowly came to a stop. The man removed his hands from the bowls, and began to speak again.

"Okay, Uzumaki-san! Choose which bowl you believe the token to be under, but choose wise-"

"The one on the left." Naruto said silkily, his voice dripping with confidence. The crowd ate it up, and cheered all the louder. When the man lifted up Naruto's bowl of choice to reveal the token glinting underneath, the crowd howled with laughter and applause.

The man bowed in response to Naruto's small victory, but those around could see his confidence was flattering.

"Well done, Uzumaki-san, but this is just the beginning! It's time for round two, and we're going to make it a little more difficult this time!" To make his point, he stuck the token to the roof of one of the bowls, and smirked when he noticed Naruto swallow the lump that had formed in his throat.

"That's right Uzumaki-san, no more hearing it." The crowd chuckled at the banter that the man and Naruto had been shooting back and forth, growing more excited by the minute. Although Naruto was worried about the second round, he wasn't about to let the crowd think that.

"Bring it on!" he shouted, "I'm just warming up!"

The man smiled broadly. "As you wish."

For the second time, and at an even faster pace, the man began shuffling the bowls about, even throwing them up into the air every now and then and juggling them with his free hand. The crowd didn't know who to cheer for more; Naruto in the hopes that he would win, or the man for his splendid showmanship.

Finally, the man began to slow down, and after a few more flashy flips, returned the bowls to the counter. He leaned across the table, smirking at his customer.

"Well, Uzumaki-san? Which is it?"

The crowd began to shout out what they believed to be the answer, with an even number of people seemingly thinking it was each of the three bowls. The man didn't interfere this time, knowing that Naruto was too proud to listen to anyone else but his own gut. He took a significantly longer time thinking this time around, carefully studying each of the bowls for anything that might help him divulge which one the token might be hiding under. He shot Hinata a quick glance, giving her a face of amused confusion. For a second, he almost seemed to be silently asking her for help

Hinata offered him a small smile, but gently shook her head. He may have been asking her to help him cheat a little, but at the least, Hinata was shaking her head simply because she had no idea where the token was herself. Sure, she could have used the Byakugan, but all those veins suddenly appearing on her forehead might be a giveaway.

"Time's running out, Uzumaki-san!" The man teased, pointing to the clock he had nearby. The crowd only yelled louder, and Naruto began to panic. Without out really thinking about it, he shouted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Uhh…left!"

The man smirked. "Are you sure? That's the one you picked last time…maybe you want to change your mind?"

Naruto grimaced. The deal sounded enticing. After all, the man was trying to help him right?

He mentally slapped himself across the face for his foolishness. Of course the man wasn't trying to help him; this was up to Naruto and Naruto alone. The fire reignited, Naruto wasn't about let some stranger change _his_ mind.

"As if! I'm sticking with the left!" As he called this out, several members of the crowd applauded his decision, while others derided him as making the incorrect choice. However, everyone realized what kind of decision Naruto had made once the man began to scowl as he lifted Naruto's chosen bowl, revealing the token for the second time.

Naruto pumped his fist into the air. Luck seemed to be on his side tonight!

After a few seconds of disbelief in the Uzumaki's luck, the man returned to his good mood, shrugging his shoulders. "Well done, Uzumaki-san! You managed to discover the token two times in a row! But there is still one round to go, and I guarantee it will be the most challenging yet!"

To prove his point, the man revealed three additional bowls and placed them aside the others, making the grand total 6 places the token could be hidden under. Several people in the crowd booed this action, claiming the man was making the game far too difficult for Naruto. However, this only served to fire up the blonde even more, his competitive streak in full swing now.

"You think twice as many hiding spots is gonna help you? HA!" Naruto laughed mockingly, thumbing his nose. "I'll beat your game, and claim any prize I want for Hinata-chan!"

Hinata, hearing that Naruto had been planning on winning a prize for her, broke out in a blush of deep scarlet, earning her some amused chuckles from members of the audience. Now that they also knew of Naruto's romantic intentions, the entire crowd began to chant his name, the commotion attracting even more people over to the man's humble booth.

Naruto stretched his neck, even though that would have no effect on his luck, and smirked.

"Well? I haven't got all night, ya know!"

The man smirked as well, and began preparations for the final show. He started off shuffling the 6 bowls at a much slower pace than he had at the beginning of the previous two rounds, but soon began to speed up, twirling them in between masterful fingers. This time around, he would even lift the bowl that was hiding the token into the air, suspending the prize in midair, before transferring it to a brand new bowl, and would then resume his shuffling. Naruto's eyes could barely keep up with the man's movements, growing dizzier by the second. The crowd couldn't get enough of it, laughing and cheering them on louder than ever before. In fact, it had become such an event, that even people on the other side of the festival could hear the merriment, and were wondering what sort of fun activity was going on, making a mental note to head that direction.

Finally, the man's shuffling began to slow down gradually for the final time, placing the 6 bowls in a large circle atop the counter. Naruto hadn't even noticed that the crowd had gone deafly quiet until the man had stopped, and quickly spun around to make sure everything was alright. Deciding they were just as anxious as he was, Naruto turned back to his challenge, and began to think.

The man chuckled softly. "I'll give you as much time as you need on this one, Uzumaki-san." It was a generous gift, one that Naruto would use to its fullest extent. He sat there for the next five minutes, his hand sometimes hovering above one of the bowls, before returning to his side. The crowd, even the most impatient of them, found themselves rooted to the spot, too entranced by what was happening. Normally this kind of game wouldn't warrant this much attention, but the show the booth operator and Naruto had put on for the crowd had made them incredibly curious on the outcome of the game.

Hinata could tell from her spot at his side that Naruto was growing frustrated; he wanted to win her something, to make sure the date started off wonderfully. He breathed in deeply, and exhaled sharply by what he felt brush up against him.

In a move considered nothing short of 'ballsy' for the she Hyūga princess, she had tenderly wrapped her arms around Naruto in a hug, pinning his own to his sides. Standing on tip-toes, Hinata whispered into his ear, her warm breath tickling his ear.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun. Whatever happens, know that I'm already having a wonderful time."

Naruto slowly turned his head to find Hinata's inches away from his own, her chin resting on his shoulder. The look in her eyes as she smiled at him, coupled with the admittedly wonderful feeling of her breath on his skin made Naruto's legs go wobbly. His breath hitched in his throat, and he would have been perfectly happy if this had been the one thing they would get to do tonight, as long as she would look at him like that.

He was so enticed by the beautiful women at his side, that he hadn't even noticed his arm lazily rise up, and pick one of the bowls at random.

"Is that your final decision, Uzumaki-san?" the man asked, snapping Naruto out of his Hinata-induced daze. He realized what had happened, and blinked several times, making sure the decision he was about to make was the one he _wanted_ to make. However, Naruto had long lost sight of which bowl he thought hid the token within it, and shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess it is!" he said happily, before turning to Hinata and giving her one of his most brilliant smiles.

The crowd had begun chanting Naruto's name again, waiting for the man to lift up Naruto's choice, and reveal if whether or not Naruto had won the game. The man was taking his sweet time in this, however, wanting to make the suspense last as long as possible. When one of the more impatient patrons chucked a piece of popcorn at him, barking for him to hurry up, the man smiled in apology and made to lift the bowl. Everyone leaned forward as the bowl rose into the air, revealing….

Nothing.

The crowd erupted into a cacophony of disappointed sounds, lamenting at Naruto's defeat. The shook their heads and threw their hands up into the air, offering Naruto some small words of comfort. However, their disappointment was nothing compared to the Uzumaki's, who looked like something had just run over his dog. He stared blankly at the empty bowl, crushed his luck had gone out on him when he needed it most. He raised his head to find the booth operator laughing at him, wiping away a tear from his eye.

"Let's go, Hinata…" Naruto grumbled, taking Hinata lightly by the hand to lead her away. Hinata felt a great feeling of sadness wash over her at Naruto's misfortune, but said nothing as they began to walk. Before they could get very far, however, the man's voice cut through the crowd.

"Wait, Uzumaki-san! You haven't chosen your prize yet!"

Naruto turned back around, giving the man a disbelieving look.

"What are you talking about? I lost, remember?" Naruto seemed to think the man was further taunting him, but was surprised when the man shook his head, laughing again.

"My dear boy, do you think I wouldn't give you a prize anyway? I'll have hundreds more people visiting my humble little booth thanks to you! Please, come pick out whatever you'd like!"

The remainders of the crowd began to cheer in earnest at the man's generosity, as Naruto's face lit up with joy. He quickly tugged Hinata back to the booth, and began excitedly eyeing his potential reward. He caught himself before he picked whatever most appealed to him, rembering that this would be for Hinata, and snuck a quick peek at his date to see if he could divulge which of the varied toys and prizes tickled her fancy. From the corner of his eye, she could see her almost greedily eyeing something hidden among the largest of the stuffed animals.

"What's that hidden underneath all those stuffed animals?' Naruto asked, pointing towards the pile. The man shuffled over, and began tossing them aside. Naruto wasn't sure which one Hinata had seen, but as the man pulled a particular one of from the very bottom of the pile, the small gasp Hinata let out gave Naruto his answer. Naruto called out for the man to stop, so he could get a better look.

Naruto rolled his eyes in amusement. Hinata had been able to see what was revealed to be a giant stuffed animal in the shape of a fox, much like those that wandered the lowland mountains in the northern parts of the country. It's false fur was a brilliant burnt orange, with deep blacks towards the tip of his comically oversized paws and ears. On his white, tubby belly, the symbol of Konoha could be seen in a bright red color.

The man realized the humor in Hinata's choice, and smirked in Naruto's direction, giving him a knowing look.

"Well, this doesn't remind us of anyone, does it?" he teased, making both Naruto and Hinata blush deeply.

"Here, why don't you leave it here with me while you two go out and enjoy the rest of the festival without having to lug this around? When you're done, you can come by and pick it up right here!"

Hinata nodded shyly. "O-okay...but first…can I see it for a m-moment?"

The man smiled, handing Hinata the giant fox. To Naruto's even greater embarrassment, Hinata squeezed her new friend tightly, before giggling and giving the toy a light peck on the cheek. One last hug, and she returned the toy to the man, and this time it was Naruto whom she hugged.

"Oh, thank you, Naruto-kun! I love it I love it!" her voice was unusually giddy, and Naruto couldn't help but feel the same way, breaking out into his own fit of giggles as he hugged her back.

Finally, Hinata relinquished her grip, and was soon back to her shy self.

"W-what do y-you want to do now, Naruto-kun?" she asked quietly, hiding her arms behind her back.

Naruto shrugged, taking a quick peek at the clock nearby. "I dunno. The race isn't for another 30 minutes or so. Wanna just look around and see what's what?"

Not having any other ideas, Hinata readily agreed, thanking the man one last time for his generosity. The two left the humble booth operator with masses of potential customers, now all wanting to see if their luck could best the village hero's. The man wiped a tear of joy from his eye as the line for his game got longer and longer, and silently gave a little prayer for Naruto and Hinata, wishing them a perfect evening.

* * *

><p>After fiddling with a few more games and booths to kill some time, Naruto and Hinata decided to take a little break. Naruto still refused to eat anything to save his hunger for the eating contest, but offered to get something for Hinata while they relaxed on one of the benches that adorned the sides of the walkways. This time it was Naruto's keen sense of smell (when it came to food, anyway) that came in handy, as Naruto was able to sniff out an unassuming booth serving frozen red bean soup popsicles, a variation of one of Hinata's favorite treats. They sat side by side, enjoying each other's company while Hinata hungrily dove into her dessert. The sounds of one of the roaring fires relaxed lulled them into a semi-unconscious state, the crackling of the wood soothing to their ears.<p>

Naruto lazily dragged his eyes through the crowd, searching for anything that might catch his interest. Occasionally, a particularly vibrant yukata or a loud noise would snap him out of this half-asleep daze, but for the most part Naruto was in danger of falling asleep right there, drooling on Hinata's shoulder. Before this could happen, however, he noticed something through the rows upon rows of booths. It appeared to a figure in the distance, covered with some green substance. The cogs in Naruto's head slowly began to turn, and his eyes suddenly widened with the realization.

"Hinata, we have to go, now!" he said suddenly, leaping to his feet and offering a hand to Hinata.

"Na-Naruto-kun?" she asked, only halfway through her treat. "Is something wrong?"

Naruto shook his head, before erupting into a gigantic smile.

"No no, it's nothing like that. Just…follow me. You _have_ to see this!"

Hinata nearly dropped her popsicle, Naruto had pulled her up so fast. They began weaving through the crowd, heading towards some unknown destination. As they got closer to whatever Naruto wanted Hinata to see, he started giggling to himself, covering his mouth with his free hand. As they took the final corner, Hinata could see what Naruto found so funny, and started giggling to herself as well.

There, perched on a small seat hoisted above a large tank filled with what they assumed to be freezing water, sat a wet, shivering, Guy. To the left of his precarious perch, Lee called out to patrons urging them to try their luck. If they managed to throw a ball at a small target, The seat holding Guy out of the water would collapse, sending him into the frigid water. Guy was attempting to give Naruto and Hinata his trademark smile as they approached, but his teeth were chattering so bad that it looked more like he was sneering at them.

"Ahhh, Naruto-kun! Hinata-san!" Lee called out, waving them over. "It is wonderful to see you this fine evening!"

"Heya Lee!" Naruto answered, running up to the taijutsu expert, Hinata in tow. He pointed towards Guy, who had tried to verbally greet the pair, but had only succeeding in grunting.

"What's with him? He lose a bet or something?"

Lee rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, chuckling. "Ahhh, no…it's nothing like that. Tsunade-sama had been getting complaints of Guy-sensei's youthful energy during his shifts on night watch, so she decided to 'volunteer' him for this game. It is for a good cause though! The proceeds we earn go towards helping the shops struggling to get back on their feet within the village, a noble idea indeed!"

Naruto nodded excitedly, bobbing up and down. "Yeah yeah, that sounds awesome. So can I take a whack at it?"

To his surprise, Lee shook his head. "I am sorry Naruto-kun, but shinobi are not allowed to participate. Tsunade-sama believed it might be dangerous for Guy-sensei's wellbeing if every shinobi played, since they would most certainly be able to hit the target."

Naruto pouted, folding his arms in a huff. "Awww, come on Lee! Give me one round…I'll pay double what the cost is!"

"That is very generous of you, Naruto-kun, but still…." Lee answered, still sounding apprehensive about the whole idea.

"L-l-l-let h-him t-try it, Lee!" a voice called out. Naruto, Lee, and Hinata looked over to see Guy giving them his famous thumbs-up, managing a slight smile through the shivering.

"N-N-Naruto's y-youthful energy m-musn't go to w-waste, Lee!" he said, giving his student a scolding voice. "H-h-his generous o-offer m-m-must be a-accepted!"

Lee looked torn. He didn't want to disobey his great sensei, but he was also afraid for the man's health. He had been sniffling every so often, and a bad cold was just around the corner.

"Are…you sure, Guy-sensei?"

The older man gave his student another thumbs-up, winking at them. "I-I've n-n-never been m-more sure of anything in m-m-my life!"

Lee gave his teacher a salute. "YOSH! OF COURSE GUY-SENSEI!" He turned to Naruto and Hinata, bowing before them.

"Naruto-kun, it would be an honor for you to participate!"

The blonde looked overjoyed, practically leaping into the air and hollering in joy. Hinata felt a little worried for Guy, but he looked just as happy as Naruto did, so she decided to put her worries behind her.

Lee handed them a simple red ball, pointing towards the target.

"You have three tries to hit the target and knock Guy-sensei into the water. No more, no less. Good luck, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto grinned, stretching out his arm in preparation. He took a few steps back, aimed the ball, and chucked it as hard as he could. The ball went flying directly towards the target…

Which then moved out of the way, sending the ball flying into the forest.

Naruto looked dumbfounded, as Lee leaped into the trees to retrieve the ball. When he returned, naruto immediately began complaining.

"What's the deal?" he exclaimed, gesturing with his arms. "Why the hell did the target move out of the way?"

Lee shrugged his shoulders. "We didn't want to make it too easy for anyone, Naruto-kun. It was Tsunade-sama's idea; this way, more tries will be taken by patrons, and more money for the cause can be earned."

Naruto snorted. Of course it was Tsunade's idea. That old bat would just love to cheat some people out of some of their money, like some sort of cruel revenge against her own terrible luck when it came to gambling.

"I was just taken by surprise, is all!" he defended, stepping back to take his second try. "I'm not gonna miss this time!"

He missed again.

"Dammit!" naruto cursed, this time storming off himself to retrieve the ball. Hinata giggled as he came shuffling back like a dog with his tail tucked in between his legs.

"man, luck just isn't on my side tonight!" he commented, tossing the ball up and down. "…hey Hinata, do you wanna take my last try?"

Hinata seemed appalled by the idea. "But Naruto-kun…I c-couldn't do that to Guy-sensei!"

"I-I-It's alright, H-Hinata!" Guy called out from his perch. "P-p-prove to m-me your y-youthf-ful p-p-power!"

The Hyūga considered it for a moment. She didn't want to have him shivering up there again, but perhaps it was for the best. He could maybe get used to the water's temperature, and not be so cold for the rest of the night. Plus, it _was_ for charity…

"O-okay…I'll do it!" Hinata finally said, much to Naruto's excitement.

"Yeah! Way to go, Hinata!" He handed his date the ball, who carefully examined it in her hand. As she looked over the small object, and idea popped into her mind, and Hinata offered them a rare, mischievous smile. She activated her Byakugan, and began to study the machine.

At one point she had become satisfied with whatever she was looking for, because she took a few steps back to where Naruto had taken his two throws, and moved her arm through the motions several times to get the feel right. She took a deep breath, and threw it. The ball began shooting towards the target, but it became obvious to everyone there that it wouldn't connect.

But that's alright; that's what Hinata wanted.

You see, she hadn't intended to hit the target at all. Instead, she had used her Byakugan to study the machine until she could divulge where the mechanism was from within the machine that dropped Guy into the icy water below. She put a little chakra into both her arm and the ball, to give it enough 'oomph' to trigger the mechanism from the impact.

Hinata's aim was dead-on. It slammed into the side of the small machine, making it produce a horrible rattling sound. Guy listened to the sound uneasily, not liking the sound of it at all. Suddenly, the chair underneath him suddenly dropped out, and sent him plummeting down into the water, shrieking like a little girl.

"YEEEAAAHHHH!" Naruto shouted, laughing as Guy emerged from the tank, sputtering and his teeth chattering once more. Even Lee looked excited, staring wide-eyed at Hinata, who took her victory humbly.

"Congratulations, Hinata-san! A most excellent throw, even if it was unorthodox!"

Guy nodded in agreement. "Y-y-y-y-y-yessssss…..g-g-great th-th-th-throw, H-H-Hinata-san!"

Hinata wasn't about to deny the fact that she had a lot of fun doing that, but she still felt bad that Guy was in such a predicament. She quickly excused herself, and returned several moments later with some warm tea. She hurried over to Guy and handed him the beverage, who was overjoyed by the gesture, even if he was spilling more than half of it in the tank due to his shivering.

"Th-th-thank you, H-Hinata-san!" he managed to say, having taken a small sip of what was left. The others could practically see the color return to his face as he gulped down the rest of what was left, sighing in relief.

"Ahh, there's nothing like a warm beverage to reignite the fires of youth!" he exclaimed, returning to his usual self. "You have my utmost gratitude, young lady!"

Hinata bowed in response. "Of course, Guy-sensei. I was g-glad to help."

"Hey Lee, the race is gonna start pretty soon. Are you gonna be there?" Naruto asked, eager for the competition. He huffed a little when Lee shook his head sadly.

"Unfortunately Naruto-kun, I will not. I have to stay here for a little longer, but I should be able to attend some of the later events if that is any consolation!"

It was better than nothing, and Naruto was glad he would see him later on that night. Wanting to show up for the race a little early, he and Hinata decided to go ahead and head out, waving goodbye to Guy and his faithful student. Naruto reached out his hand to shyly hold Hinata's once more, and soon they were off.

Hinata sighed in contentment. This was going better than she could have possibly imagined, and it had barely been an hour! There was still so much to see, so much to experience…and the fact that was doing it all with Naruto made it feel like heaven on earth.

Naruto heard her little sigh, and craned his neck to take a look at her, amusement evident in his brilliant eyes.

"What are you so happy about?" he teased, giving her hand a light squeeze.

Hinata blushed, returning the gesture. In fact, she took it one step further and moved Naruto's arm to drape across her shoulders, cuddling up against him.

"N-nothing!" she replied hurriedly, still colored a bright red. "I'm j-just having a wonderful time, is all."

Naruto knew she had wanted to say more, but decided not to press the matter, instead merely grinning at her as the continued on their way, his arm holding her close.

* * *

><p>The location for the start of the race was near the edge of the festival, so by the time Hinata and Naruto had arrived, most of the others were already there, pairing up with one another. They could see Tenten arguing with Neji about which legs they should tie together, Kiba hoisting Akamaru up on his hind legs, and many others. At a small table towards the starting line, Shizune was accepting the people who wanted to sign-up, as well as offer them their rope to tie their legs together.<p>

"Heya!" Naruto greeted warmly, running up to her.

Shizune smiled in return, looking over the two. "My my, don't you two look adorable right now!" she teased, causing Naruto and Hinata to blush in embarrassment.

"Are we too late for the race?" Naruto inquired, looking around at all the other people getting ready. To his relief, Shizune shook her head.

"You just made it, actually. Sign right here, and you guys can join everyone else at the starting line."

Naruto scribble down his name as quickly as he could, Hinata brilliantly weaved her own signature, and soon the two had joined the others with their own rope tied around Naruto's left leg, and Hinata's right.

A few more late entries showed up, and in a few minutes Shizune took her place at a small podium near the starting line.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" she barked, catching everyone's attention. "This is the three-legged race, and we're about to get started!"

She gestured to her right, pointing at small candles that framed what Naruto assumed to be the pathway for the race. The beginning seemed pretty straight forward, but Naruto could make out the start of some nasty twists and turns later on, before the track disappeared into the forest.

"Those candles are tracing the pathway you'll be following during the race. It'll go through the forest for some time, and you'll find several obstacles put in place by several of our shinobi. To make it fair, there will be two pairs of winners; one pair of civilians, and one pair of ninja. We have people placed periodically throughout the race, so don't even think of trying to cheat! If you sabotage any of the other racers, you will be disqualified. If your own rope comes undone and you retie it, you will be disqualified. Does everyone understand?" Shizune eyed through the crowd, checking to see if anybody looked like they might still try and cheat. She took an extra-long look at Naruto to tease him, who returned the gesture by sticking his tongue out.

Satisfied with everyone's response, Shizune raised a small firework in the air with her arm.

"Once this goes off, the race has begun!" she called out, before pulling out a small lighter. The firework was ignited, and Shizune chucked it high into the air, making all of the racers tense up. At the height of its ascent, the firework exploded in a small burst of bright red sparks, and they were off, shuffling awkwardly along the raceway. Various people had gathered towards the edge of the pathway, laughing raucously as shinobi and civilians alike tripped all over themselves.

Hinata and Naruto were faring no better. Shinobi were coordinated by nature, but once you add another person into the mix, things can become very confusing. Currently, Naruto was attempting to run like normal, forcing Hinata to hop on one foot so she didn't fall flat on her face.

"Na-Naruto-kun…!" she called out, almost tripping over a rock. "You n-need…to slow down!"

Even though he looked like he was having the time of his life, Naruto heard her plea, and to her relief, slowed down considerably, allowing some of the other groups to pass them.

"What we need to do is work out a rhythm," he said out loud, noticing Kiba and Akamaru were doing quite well, despite the anatomical differences between the two. "Once we figure that out, this'll be a piece of cake!"

The next few moments were spent attempting to achieve this 'rhythm'. Naruto would take a step, and Hinata would try to put her foot down at the same time. The inner shinobi in them wanted to just take off running during their early attempts, sending either one or both of them to the ground. But they kept at it, and soon were up and running again, albeit at a clunky pace. Still it was better than most of the people, who hoped that just moving as fast as they could would work the best.

One such pair was, surprisingly enough, Konohamaru and Hinata's sister, Hanabi. Confused as to what those two were doing together, Hinata was able to work with Naruto to increase their pace enough to catch up to them.

"Imōto? What are you doing with Konohamaru-kun?" Hinata called out, once they were within earshot. Hinata's younger sister craned her neck over her shoulder, and the look on her face screamed that she wasn't enjoying herself. However, it was Konohamaru, who instead looked like he was having a great time, who answered.

"I saw her walking alone in the festival, and since Moegi and Udon could just team up with each other, I decided to bring her with me!" he shouted back, laughing as they almost ran headfirst into a tree.

"Watch where you're going, you idiot!" Hanabi complained, brushing some leaves from her shoulders. "We're not going to win if you just run recklessly like that!"

Konohamaru seemed confused. "Huh? Who cares about winning? This is fun just the way it is!"

"Good to hear, Konohamaru!" Naruto exclaimed, giving his on/off student a thumbs up. Hinata, however, was still on Konohamaru's previous comment.

"Imōto, why were you by yourself? I thought Otō-san had sent Kō to accompany you?"

Hanabi snorted, turning her nose up. "How am I supposed to have any fun with him breathing down my neck all the time? Though…_this_ isn't what I had in mind!"

Unfortunately for them, Hanabi's complaining caused a lapse in her concentration. She attempted to take a step with the wrong foot, and sent the both of them tumbling down a small hill into a small pond. While Naruto was busy laughing his ass of, Hinata craned her neck, concerned for their well-being. She relaxed once she saw Hanabi fine and well, if not flustered at the fact that Konohamaru had fallen on top of her. She couldn't make it out very well, but she could have sworn her little sister was blushing.

"Look what you did!" Konohamaru called out, laughing. "Now Nii-chan and your sister are going to beat us!"

Hinata giggled to herself as she heard her little sister attempt to justify herself, their voices slowly fading away as Naruto and Hinata continued to hobble down the path. By now, they had improved their rhythm, and their long strides were helping them catch up to the other racers. At some point during their trek, they happened to pass Kiba, who was being officially disqualified for trying to ride on Akamaru to catch up to the others. Naruto had called out a passing jab at him while he and Hinata passed him, and Kiba responded with some rather _colorful_ language, prompting Naruto to cover Hinata's ears before she fainted from embarrassment.

And then they turned the final corner. A larger crowd had assembled towards the finish line, and because a good deal of them had seen Naruto's 'show' with the booth operator earlier on that night, he and his date received quite the welcome. Naruto seemed taken aback by all the attention he was receiving, but was appreciative nonetheless, waving back at them happily. Hinata was glad she was on his other side, not used to so many people staring at her. It was this that made her realize just how close to coming in first they were.

"Naruto-kun…look!" she called out, pointing at the finish line. Naruto squinted ahead of him, eyes widening when he too realized that there were only two pair of shinobi in front of them: Chōji and Ino, and Neji and Tenten.

"Hinata, let's see if we can't catch up!" Naruto said excitedly, to which Hinata nodded wordlessly. They dug in their heels, and to the amazement of the crowd, were almost sprinting towards the finish line. They were already out of breath, but the proximity they were in with the other groups kept the adrenaline pumping. It didn't look like it would be enough, so Naruto quickly devised a little scheme.

"Hey Ino!" he shouted ahead of them, making the platinum blond turn her head around. "I think you broke a nail back here!"

"What?" Ino shrieked, lifting her foot to make sure. This also happened to be when Chōji attempted to bring their collective foot _down_ sending the pair to the ground with a crash, much to the amusement of the crowd. Naruto and Hinata hobbled past them, drowning out the promised bodily harm and concentrating on the prize ahead.

Tenten quickly checked behind her, and seeing Naruto and Hinata hot on their tails, urged Neji to increase his pace. The older Hyūga looked winded as it was, and his more formal kimono wasn't exactly helping things.

"Well well well, lookie what we have here!" Naruto shouted out, having caught up to the two. "You guys ready to lose?"

"As if!" Tenten retorted back, kicking some dirt in their direction playfully. "I saw what you did with Ino back there. Shame on you for taking advantage of her like that, Naruto!"

The blonde winked. "Meh, it was her fault for falling for something like that. You can always use people's weaknesses' to your advanta-"

"Wow Neji, look at all that ramen that guy has!" Tenten called out, making Naruto hungrily turn around.

"Where? What flavor is it?" he demanded, small amounts of drool pooling at the corners of his mouth. By the time he had realized his utter, utter stupidity, it was too late. He and Hinata tumbled to the ground, with Naruto earning a big mouthful of dirt for thinking with his stomach.

"Thanks for the advice Naruto!" Tenten taunted back. "It sure came in handy!"

The crowd was nearly in tears as a very flustered Hinata, and an extremely annoyed Naruto hobbled towards the finish line, crossing it to claim second place. Naruto immediately untied the rope, and pointed an accusing finger at Tenten and Neji.

"That's not fair! You guys cheated!"

Neji rolled his eyes. "Really, Naruto? Is that not what you had _just_ done to Ino moments ago?"

His once perfect argument now full of holes, Naruto decided it was best to suck in his mouth and shut up. Second place was better than last, anyway. Shizune, having already given the winning teams their prize, a voucher for a free meal at any of Konoha's restaurants, made her way over to Naruto and Hinata for theirs.

"Sorry you guys didn't win, but hey, second is still pretty good!" she said with a smile, and Naruto grunting in response. Hinata giggled softly at his childishness, and accepted Shizune's gift with a bow. 50% off wasn't a free meal, but the plus one she was allowed to bring made her happy nonetheless.

"50% off, eh?" Naruto said out loud, peeking over Hinata's shoulder to see what they had received. He looked at Hinata and gave her a cheeky grin. "Maybe if I'm a good date tonight, you'll bring me along?"

Hinata, feeling in a mischievous mood, hid the voucher from view, scurrying away.

"Maybe…" she said with a husky tone in her voice, before breaking out into a fit of giggles. She turned around, and started running away, Naruto hot on her heels with his usual goofy grin.

Tenten sighed dreamily as they raced away, grabbing onto Neji's shoulder.

"Don't those two just make the sweetest couple?" she asked, squeezing the Hyūga's arm ever so slightly.

"Hn." Neji grunted in response. "Yes, it does seem that Lady Hinata is having a good time with Naruto."

His date rolled her eyes. "jeez Neji, you're about as romantic as Kiba sometimes."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> If you think that ended a little abruptly, it's because you'll have part 2 within 3-4 days, and it'll pick up right where part 1 left off. I still have several more tricks up my sleeve before the grand finale of the festival!

If you liked what you read, a review just brightens the hell out of my day, and helps get this story to more people. Feedback of any kind is appreciated, and if you want to keep it private, I always respond to PM's the day of them being sent (unless timezones make it weird or something.)

See you next time!


	17. Konoha's Great Festival! (Part 2)

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry I'm later with the update than I said I would be! A bunch of stuff came up during the week that really left me with little to no time to write. But there's also another reason for my tardiness, one that I feel may redeem me from your wrath;

You've got another chapter coming in 2 days. As I continued writing the second part of the festival, it expanded more and more until it was almost as long as two whole chapters, a whopping 21,000 words. I decided it would be best to split this up into Part two and PART THREE, so hooray for that! I can _promise_ you that it will be put up Sunday, so have no fear.

I want to answer a quick question that someone posed in a review. No, the character of Ushiwaka can not be found in either the anime or manga. His name and attire were a direct homage to, and his fighting style was inspired by the character of the same name in the PS2 game _Okami_, a fantastic adventure game that will always be one of my favorites. If you have access, I urge you to play through it.

As always, thank you so much for the reviews. There are days where I'm just having a really shitty time, and they just brighten my day the hell up. I love to know that you guys are getting such a kick out of my little story, and I can promise you that it'll only get better and longer from here!

Enjoy the chapter, and keep an eye out for Chapter 18, Part three of the festival, on Sunday!

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 17: Konoha's Great Festival! Naruto and Hinata's First Date (Part 2)-<strong>

"Hurry up Hinata, we're gonna be late!" Naruto exclaimed, tugging a little harder on Hinata's hand.

The three-legged race had ended later than they had anticipated, and because of little mishap of Naruto forgetting which was South and which way was North, they had gone the wrong way, and now only had a few minutes to get there before they would be unable to take part.

Hinata picked up the pace as much as she could, picking up her kimono for larger strides. This scavenger hunt would be something she would excel in, and she and Naruto hadn't been having the best luck when it came to the other events being held at the festival.

Thankfully, they were able to arrive just as Tsunade was welcoming everyone to the event.

The Godaime spied the two latecomers, rolling her eyes as they caught their breath.

"Look who decided to show up!" she called out, and because it was through a microphone, everyone turned around and stared at the two. Naruto managed an awkward wave, while Hinata shrunk behind him, hiding behind his shoulder.

"Honestly Naruto, I would have hoped you wouldn't inherit Kakashi's bad habits," Tsunade continued, eliciting some laughter from the audience members who were aware of the jōnin's constant tardiness. "But now that you're here, we can get started."

Tsunade cleared her throat. "Now, this event here is the Scavenger Hunt. If this isn't what you were looking for, learn how to read, because that sign clearly says "Scavenger Hunt".

Another chuckle went through those present, even more so when some people actually realized their mistake, and quietly left without a word.

"Okay, now that we got that out of the way, I can explain the rules. You can separate yourselves into groups of whatever size you like, up to 4. I'll be giving each group a copy of this list, which has clues and riddles for what you'll be looking for tonight. You have an hour and a half to complete the list, and if you're even a second late you'll be disqualified. No asking others for help discerning the clues, unless they're members of your own team. The first civilian and shinobi team to bring me a completed list with every item wins the event, and will receive a special surprise!"

"Knowing you it'll just be used lottery tickets!" a voice called out from the crowd, making everyone laugh. Tsunade didn't seem the least bit amused, and fixated on a particular member of the crowd.

"Say something like that again, Kiba, and I guarantee you'll be on garbage duty for the next twenty years."

Not expecting to be found out as the source of the comment, Kiba slunk down underneath Akamaru, trying to make himself as unnoticeable as possible as the crowd turned the laughter to him. Naruto merely rolled his eyes at the dog ninja's big mouth, but couldn't help but mentally agree with him.

And in his defense, that is what Tsunade had planned to be the prize. She had purchased several tickets for the winners, but according to her, "accidentally" scratched them all off, forcing Shizune to come up with another prize idea. They had eventually decided on a prize similar to the race, only this time it was a coupon for a free day at Konoha's Bathhouse, complete with an ultimate relaxation package. Truth be told, Tsunade had attempted to weasel that prize for herself as well, but Shizune had caught her in the act of redeeming the coupon, and had kept it on her own person for the rest of the time until the festival.

"Everyone make a line with your groups to receive your list, and you can all start looking on my command!" Tsunade barked, snapping everyone into action. Within seconds a neat line had formed, the patrons patiently awaiting their lists. Tsunade leisurely made her way down the line, stopping for a moment for a quick word with Naruto and Hinata.

"Are you two having a nice time?" she asked happily, seeming genuinely interested. Naruto nodded vigorously, and Hinata gave the Godaime a small smile.

Tsunade grinned. "That's wonderful to hear! Keep your hands in appropriate places, Naruto; Hinata is a member of one of the village's noble clans, after all."

A vein in Naruto's forehead began pulsing, obviously not amused.

"Ahh, shuddup, Baa-chan!" he retorted, face lit up a bright red. "I wouldn't do that to Hinata!"

Hinata was also blushing furiously, embarrassed the Hokage would say such a thing in front of all these people (Though to be fair, Hinata loved the idea). Tsunade chuckled, placing her hands on both of their shoulders.

"You two have fun tonight." She handed them their list, gave them a playful wink, and continued down the line. Naruto attempted to take a quick peek at the list, but found a small seal barred him from opening the letter. He looked up to find Tsunade shooting him a knowing glance, before continuing her task of distributing the lists.

Finally, once every team had received their list, Tsunade returned to the podium.

"On your mark, everyone!" she called out, as the people taking part prepared themselves. "Get set!"

Naruto placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder, giving her a wide grin.

"GO!" Tsunade shouted, releasing the seal on the lists at the same time. People immediately began running in random directions, reading the first clue as they went.

"Let's see what we got here…" Naruto muttered out loud, unrolling the scroll. There seemed to be about 5 or 6 items to be found, with no indication of difficulty.

As Naruto and Hinata raced off to solve the first clue, Tsunade watched them go, a devilish smile on her face. Always with a shrewd business mind, Tsunade had carefully planned for the items to be hunted for, could be found throughout the festival in hidden areas if the people taking part wished to do so. If they wanted to take the quick way, like she knew most of them would, they would simply search the shops for the answers. It gave people a reason to visit more of the booths, which generated income for the village as a whole. It was an ingenious idea, neatly wrapped up in a fun little diversion for the people of Konoha.

'Knowing Naruto, he won't be able to get past the first question…' she thought amusingly to herself, wondering how much help his date would have to provide if they wanted to even finish, let alone win.

"Here Hinata, read out the first clue. I was never able to read Baa-chan's handwriting anyway," said Naruto, handing Hinata the scroll. She squinted carefully at the chicken scrawl that was the Fifth Hokage's handwriting, and were it not for her upbringing, it would have taken them some time to divulge the information from it.

"The first clue reads…"

* * *

><p>"I love to dance and twist and prance, I shake my tail, as away I sail, wingless I fly into the sky.'"<p>

Hinata raised her gaze from the writing to Naruto, who within a matter of seconds looked completely lost.

"How the hell are we supposed to figure that out!" he exclaimed, plopping down into the dirt. "This is like, harder than the Chūnin Exams or something!"

Hinata giggled at his slight exaggeration. "It's easier thank you think, Naruto-kun. You j-just have to think outside the box."

"I didn't even know we were in a box…" Naruto grumbled, returning to his feet. "So how do we 'think outside the box'?"

"Naruto-kun, you should know better than anyone. How you came up with all those pranks when we were younger must have taken some creativity, right?"

Naruto shrugged. "Meh, not really. That was just me thinking of stuff that people wouldn't expect. It has nothing to do with any box or whatever."

For a second, Hinata could only stare at Naruto, an amazed expression on her face. Not wanting to seem rude, Hinata quickly broke the eye contact.

"Naruto-kun…thinking outside the box is what you were doing when you devised all those pranks. Thinking outside the box means using your imagination in unexpected ways."

The blonde seemed intrigued. "Really? Then why don't they just say that instead of coming up with some stupid phrase about boxes?"

While Hinata wanted to say "Because they were thinking out of the box when coming up with a way to describe it.", she again held her tongue.

"Let's just worry about the first clue. N-now, what do we already know about this mystery object?"

Naruto's face scrunched up in concentration, staring off into the distance as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"We don't what it is!" he finally said, proud with this discovery.

Hinata sighed.

"We know it dances, it has a tail, and it flies without the need for wings," she explained, underlining the key words with her finger.

"How does that help us?" Naruto asked, craning his neck from behind her shoulder to get a better look.

"Well, let's start with that last one. We know it can fly without needing any wings. What do we know of that doesn't require wings to fly?"

"Birds! Oh wait…nevermind." Naruto thought about it for a second more, suddenly holding his finger in the air in triumph. "I got it! It's dragons!"

"D-dragons?" Hinata asked, raising one eyebrow carefully. Misunderstanding her skepticism as not knowing what a dragon was, Naruto attempted to explain everything he knew about the giant lizards, specifically how some can fly without the use of wings, instead just slithering through the air like snakes.

"That does m-make sense, Naruto-kun…but how on earth would we bring back a dragon?" At Hinata's question, Naruto realized how silly his idea had sounded in hindsight, and promptly clammed up.

Hinata pursed her lips. They had already ruled out birds, since they needed the use of wings to fly. That also ruled out insects, which also used the appendages. Because the covered pretty much everything in the world that was even capable of flight, Hinata was now thoroughly stumped. This was supposed to be what Hinata was good at, but if they couldn't get past the clues, how could they expect to collect the items?

"Does it have to be alive?" she heard Naruto ask, snapping her out of her slump.

"What did you say, Naruto-kun?"

"I said 'Does it have to be alive?'. You see, I remember in the academy that Kiba would fold up these pieces of paper, and when he threw them across the room, they flew all the way into Iruka-sensei's ear. I thought it was hilarious, but he never seemed to like it."

"Naruto-kun, that's it!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed, clapping Naruto on the shoulder in her excitement.

"Huh? What is?"

"What's something that we say flies, has a tail, and dances?"

"Birds?"

"No, Naruto-kun…a kite!"

Naruto furrowed his brow. "A kite? How?"

"Think about it! It flies without wings, because the wind carries it into the air. It dances and twists when the air currents change, and many people tie decorative tails to them!"

Naruto's face li up as he caught on. "Hinata, I think you're right! But how are we supposed to find one?"

Catching some of Naruto's competitive spirit, Hinata smirked.

"Just leave that to me!"

She quickly activated her Byakugan, and began using her 360' vision to scan the entire festival. During the summer, the warmer air currents made kite flying a popular activity in Konoha, and there were bound to be several people selling them to children. It was just a matter of finding them, and luckily for Naruto, they wouldn't have to wait very long.

"I found one!" she exclaimed. "There's a man selling them about half a kilometre Southeast from here. There's already some of the other groups there, so we need to hurry!"

For the first time that night, it was actually Hinata who latched onto Naruto's hand, and began dragging him though the walkways of the festival, using her Byakugan to find the path of least resistance through the crowd. Naruto, not one to be outdone, put on a burst of speed, and quickly scooped up the Hyūga princess into his arms, before leaping a great distance into the air, covering the last of their distance instantly. Hinata blushed deeply as Naruto held her tightly to his chest, keeping a sure but gentle grip. They landed amongst some people right next to the kite booth, who jumped in surprise at the sudden arrival of the village's hero.

"Naruto-dono!" the man exclaimed, "How can I be of service?"

"We need one of your kites, pronto!" Naruto said quickly, breath slightly heavier.

"Ahhh, you are taking part in Tsunade-sama's scavenger hunt, yes?"

"You bet! And in we're in a hurry, so…"

The man realized that he had been taking up their valuable time chatting, and quickly scurried to the back of his booth, grabbing a random kite for the pair to use. It wasn't anything too fancy; after all, if he gave them his most finely-crafted kite, it would no longer be available to sell.

"Thanks, old man!" Naruto called back, as they had already began running, forcing the man to throw his kite over. As they ran, Naruto pulled the list back out.

"Alrighty then…the next clue is…"

'Alive without breath, As cold as death, Never thirsty, ever drinking, All in mail never clinking.'

"Well that sounds a little morbid, doesn't it?" Naruto said, chuckling.

"It's a fish." Hinata said simply, and turned direction so quickly, Naruto ended up running into a pole. As he caught up, rubbing his nose, his curiosity caught the better of him.

"How the heck did you figure out that one so fast?" he asked, still trying to wrap his head around it. Now that he thought about it, a fish didn't need to breath, was always surrounded by water (drinking),and it's scales did resemble a kind of armor.

Hinata winked. "I had heard that one before. We j-just got lucky, that's all."

She continued to hurry through the crowd, eventually arriving at their destination, a food stand selling cooked fish, roasted over a fire and then placed onto a stick. This apparently wasn't where they were supposed to get the answer to this riddle, as the man had no idea what they were talking about when they mentioned they were taking part in the scavenger hunt. He didn't offer any of his fish for free, but did give them one at a cheaper price when they explained the situation to him. Now, as they hurried to finish the rest of the hunt, Naruto was attempting to keep himself from eating the fish he was holding, the delicious smells wafting directly into his nostrils. He was about to take a massive bite, before Hinata noticed what he was doing, and deftly snatched the treat away from him.

"I'll be holding onto this, Naruto-kun. If you want to save room for that eating contest, we have to make sure you don't eat anything until then, especially what we need to complete the scavenger hunt with."

Naruto giggled at her motherly, scolding tone, but agreed with what she was saying. He held back the urge to devour their fishy friend, and helped Hinata continue on down the list.

The last four riddles got easier as they went along, the two of them understanding the thought pattern needed to quickly divulge the true nature of the object they were seeking. The clues they solved were as follows:

Weight in my belly, Trees on my back, Nails in my ribs, Feet I do lack.

This one had started out a little tricky, as Naruto was sure it was some kind of animal since it had a back, ribs, and a belly. He was so stubborn on this thought that Hinata began to feel stumped, absentmindedly perusing through the shops, hoping for a clue. As they passed a small game where people had to throw small hoops onto tiny boats' masts, it dawned on Hinata.

They needed a boat. It carried supplies inside the hull, it's masts were made of massive tree trunks, thick iron nails held it together, and it certainly didn't have any feet. Naruto admired Hinata's cleverness, while at th same time feeling foolish for not having thought 'outside of the box', like he was supposed to. They had kindly asked the man for one of his boats, who parted with one that had received a hole in the bottom, and therefore was no longer useful in the game.

Now that they had that riddle out of the way, they then moved on to…

You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside.

This had been a rather easy one for Naruto, who noticed it when they had run into Chōji earlier that night. He had been carrying a huge amount of food from what was most likely every food stand in the festival, and bundled up in his arms had been a roasted ear of corn. As Naruto described, you discard the leaves of the corn and cook the kernels. Then, once it's cooked, you eat those and leave the core alone. Outside to inside. Inside, then outside. It made perfect sense to Hinata, and this time it was her turn to praise Naruto for his cleverness.

Hinata had been about to use her Byakugan to find a stand where they could claim this next item, but surprisingly enough, it was Naruto's nose that located it first. His ever growing hunger made smells seem all the more potent, and within a matter of seconds they had found a small stand run by a farmer that lived in a small village just outside Konoha. The man was selling roasted corn, and once again Hinata had to snatch away the food from Naruto before his stomach did all the thinking for him and ruined their chances at winning. They quickly moved onto the next item, whose clue was…

'My life can be measured in hours, I serve by being devoured. Thin, I am quick… Fat, I am slow. Wind is my foe.'

Both Naruto and Hinata had to do some clever thinking to solve this one. The idea that being thin made you quick and being fat made it slow wasn't something that was that far off, so it kept the two of them from considering the rest of the clue. As they walked through the festival, they could tell other people were having the same problem, spotting various other people taking part in the hunt discussing the same problems.

It was from the end of the clue, that wind is the object's enemy, that they got their start in solving it. At first, Naruto assumed it meant something electrical, since Lightning was weak against Fire. But Hinata insisted that Tsunade wouldn't put in things only a shinobi would know, since the hunt was available to everyone. Since it didn't like wind, she came to the conclusion that it was something that went out or blew away once it was hit by wind. Naruto thought that it would be some kind of food for some time, since it was served by being devoured, and the wind part could possibly mean it was a hot meal that cooled off when it was blown on. For a while, Hinata felt that that was their best bet, but began to doubt the idea more and more as time went on, and eventually they decided to reopen the idea.

They might not have solved the puzzle at all, had a couple not walked past them, discussing the crafts booth they had just visited. They were both carrying what appeared to be hand-made candles, and the husband was complaining that because his was too thin, it would flare out much quicker than his wife's larger candle. After about twenty seconds of digesting that information, the both of them realized at the same time that a candle is what they were looking for. It burned up within a matter of hours, burned faster the skinnier it was, and could be snuffed out with a strong breeze. They had quickly caught up to the couple to find out where the booth was, and were soon headed in that direction.

Now, they had every item except the last one, and Naruto unrolled the list to see what the clue was.

* * *

><p>"No legs have I to dance, No lungs have I to breathe, No life have I to live or die, And yet I do all three," he read aloud as they took a break on a bench nearby.<p>

"What on earth is that supposed to mean?" Hinata wondered, enjoying another small treat Naruto had bought for her to enjoy while they attempted to figure out the last clue.

"Well, we know it dances, it breathes, and it lives...but not in the way we think."

"And we already had an item where the term 'dancing' was used," Hinata added. "That means it's not what we consider to be true 'dancing', but more of just swaying back and forth."

And there they sat, devoting all of their energy to figuring out Tsunade's final riddle. Every time they thought they were close to the answer, something popped up in the way to send them back to square one. It could be frustrating at times, but they certainly weren't about to give up.

Suddenly, they saw a group of three people running in their direction. As they got closer, Naruto could make them out to be Ino and Chōji, dragging along an unwilling Shikamaru.

"Hey, where are you guys going?" Naruto called out, catching their attention.

Ino shot him a triumphant smirk. "Oh, us? We're just on our way back to Tsunade-sama. We've beaten the Scavenger hunt, you see, and we want to collect our prize!"

Naruto sat up in his seat. "You guys figured out the last one? What's the answer?"

"As If we would tell you! Sorry Naruto, but you're way faster than me, and I'm not about to risk a day at the spa. See you later!"

The three continued on their way, leaving Naruto and Hinata coughing in a cloud of dust. Before Hinata had even finished clearing her throat, Naruto had (once again) scooped her up into his arms, and they were soon in pursuit of the rival group. Hinata didn't exactly mind Naruto picking her up like this all the time, but she had just finished her treat, and didn't want to throw up.

"Wh-what're you doing, Naruto-kun?" she asked as he leapt over crowds of people, keeping his distance from Ino and the others.

"We're gonna follow them and try to figure out what the answer to the last clue is. If we can do that before they get there, we still might have a chance at beating them. Hinata, what can you see?"

Hinata activated her dōjutsu again, and began to carefully study what Chōji and Ino had scooped up into their arms.

"They have the roasted corn like we do, the boat, the candle, a firework, and the fish," stated Hinata, listing off what she could see.

"A firework? How is that the last answer?" Naruto wondered aloud, trying to draw a comparison to what the clue had said and what Ino's group had believed to be the answer.

"I don't think it is, Naruto-kun. They don't have a kite like we do, so either they're wrong about that one, or we were."

Naruto snorted. "There's no way we could be wrong! That was the first one we got!" he said indignantly, having stopped sprinting as they drew closer back to the start. He gently set Hinata back on the ground, and the two of them slunk behind a nearby tree, waiting to see what would happen.

"Ahh, I was expecting you three back first!" said Tsunade, rising from her chair to greet Ino's group. "Have you three already finished?"

Ino gestured towards the things she carried, looking proud. "You bet! After we got stuck on the first one, we persuaded Shikamaru to help us out! Once he tagged along, we were done in no time!"

Shikamaru merely rolled his eyes, grumbling something about scavenger hunts being 'troublesome'. From their hiding place, Naruto cursed under his breath.

"Dammit! Why didn't we think of taking Shikamaru along with us? We would have had the answers in seconds if he had been with us!" He watched with minor annoyance, waiting for Tsunade to make sure they had all the correct items.

"Okay, let's see here…" Tsunade began, looking over what Chōji and Ino were holding. "You have the fish, the boat, the corn, the candle and the fire in the same item…"

"Fire!" Naruto whispered. "That's what the last item was?"

"It d-does make sense when you think about it, Naruto-kun." Hinata said quietly, trying to calm him down. "It breathes, or uses Oxygen just like we do, it can 'live' or 'die', and dancing is a way to describe the flickering of the flames." Inwardly, she was also cursing herself. She had seen that the candle Ino was holding had been lit, but had simply dismissed it instead of thinking that it could have been the answer to the last clue.

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, that does make sense. I just wish we had won something for on-"

"Hold on a second…what's this?" they heard Tsunade say, catching their attention. They could see her holding up the firework Ino had been holding, looking over it carefully.

"That the answer to the first question, right? It flies without wings, and when you light it they have tails!" Ino said matter-of-factly, wanting to hurry up and claim her prize. Naruto winced; that sounded just as good as they kite idea, and was sure now that they had lost.

"Sorry, but no dice."

"WHAT?" Ino shrieked, giving Tsunade a look of pure disbelief. "What do you mean? This isn't the right item?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Sorry, but it isn't. You'll need to head back out and try to find it before another group shows up."

Ino turned to Shikamaru, looking positively livid. "Why didn't you tell us we had the wrong item, you idiot!"

"You brought me on after you guys solved that one. It was too troublesome to answer one I didn't have to. I gave you guys every other one, so don't get mad at me." Shikamaru replied lazily, yawning deeply.

"He's right, Ino." Chōji added. "We can't get mad at him. Let's just get back out there and see if we can't figure it out before another group gets back."

Ino still didn't seem at all happy, but calmed down enough to let Chōji lead her away. From their hiding place, Naruto was positively giddy.

"Do you know what this means! All we have to do is light our candle and we win!" He quickly rose to his feet, summoned a shadow clone and grabbed everything they had.

"Heeeyy, Baa-chan!" he called out, quickly sprinting towards the stage. Hinata shyly stood from their hiding place, and rushed over to join him. Before Naruto said anything to Tsunade, he quickly stuck a candle in one of the fires nearby, setting it aflame.

"Naruto?" Tsunade exclaimed, surprised to see him. "Gotta say, I didn't expect you to get here so fast, if at all."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm gonna ignore that insult because I'm in a good mood. Now, look over our stuff, and declare us the winner!"

"We'll see about that, Naruto…" retorted Tsunade, who began to examine the items Naruto had with him and his clone.

"Let's see…the boat, the candle and the fire, the corn, the fish…and the kite! Congratulations!"

Naruto jumped almost four feet into the air, whooping and hollering. He noticed Hinata out of the corner of his eye, and with the help of his clone, hoisted her into the air on their shoulders, before parading her about the area.

"Okay okay, Naruto…no need to show off." Tsunade teased, gesturing for the two Naruto's to put down the poor girl, who was now blushing furiously. As Naruto dispersed his clone, Tsunade handed him their prize, and all expenses-paid day at the spa.

"Feel free to use this whenever it suits you two. It doesn't have an expiration date, so you can wait as long as you like. Though if you wait too long, you might find me sneaking in and nicking it."

Naruto looked horrified at the idea of Tsunade sneaking into his house, and decided to give it to Hinata for safekeeping, since her house had actual guards and whatnot.

"Congratulations, you two. You earned it! Now, there's about twenty minutes left before the eating contest, which I'll also be overseeing, so take it easy until it's time to start, okay?" Tsunade waved goodbye, and started off in the direction of where the eating contest will be held.

"Looks like we've got another date planned ahead of us," said Naruto, chuckling. Hinata didn't show it, but the thought of her and Naruto spending the day at such a place, getting massages and enjoying the hot springs…she had to turn away so she could hide the rampant nosebleed that was forming in her nostrils.

"So what do you want to do until it's time for the eating contest, Hinata?' Naruto asked, holding out his arm for her to latch onto. "There's not really a lot of time left until it starts, but we could probably find something to do to take up the time."

Hinata was about to answer him, when suddenly a stranger came hurrying up to them, looking thoroughly relieved.

"Thank goodness I found you, Naruto-san. You and Hinata-san are both prepared, correct?"

Naruto squinted in confusion. "Uhhhh…what are you talking about?"

"The Dance of the Flame, of course. You and Hinata-san are performing the dance this year, are you not?"

Naruto stared at the man for several seconds, before bursting into raucous laughter.

"Hahah, as if! You must have the wrong guy!"

"Actually, Naruto-kun…" he heard Hinata start quietly, ceasing his merriment.

"Actually what, Hinata? What is this guy talking about?"

The man cleared his throat. "I was told by Tsunade-sama that one Naruto Uzumaki and one Hinata Hyūga would be performing the traditional Dance of the Flame this year. Hinata was informed earlier today. Were you not told of this?"

Naruto was eyeing Hinata with disappointment. "No…I wasn't."

The man began to sound worried. "Then, you must take the necessary preparations to make sure tonight is performed flawlessly. I will not have the dance ruined under my watch. I'll come to collect you for costume in a few hours, you have until then to prepare." And with that, the man scurried off, leaving a very annoyed Naruto, and a very embarrassed Hinata.

"Why didn't you tell me about this!" Naruto demanded. "This would have been something I would have liked to be informed of, ya know!"

"Of course, Naruto-kun, and you have every right to be mad at me." Hinata responded, sinking into her kimono as her gaze fell to the ground. " I w-wanted to tell you, I really did, but things just kept coming up to distract me!"

Naruto's gaze softened when he notice how upset Hinata was. He could understand why she hadn't wanted to tell him; after all, dancing in front of a crowd for tradition was about as far from Naruto Uzumaki as you could get.

"I'm not angry, Hinata.," he said softly, bringing Hinata's eyes back up to meet his.

"You-you're not?" she said in disbelief.

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, not really. I mean, I'm scared and anxious that I'll make a complete ass of out us, but I think that as long as I can do it with you…I'll be okay!"

Hinata smiled broadly as she rushed over to hug Naruto, eternally grateful for his patience with her.

"Sooo…how am I supposed to learn this dance in just a few hours?" he asked, his tone lightly teasing.

"W-well, I am already familiar with the dance," Hinata explained. "Such a thing was an important part of my home studies when I was a child so…I guess I could teach you, if that's alright?"

Naruto took a liking to the idea almost immediately. "That sounds like a great idea….but how are we still gonna learn something like that in so short a time? I don't exactly have the best memory….wait!, I've got it!"

"Na-Naruto-kun?" Hinata said dumbly. Had Naruto devised a way for them to learn this incredibly complex, traditional dance within the span of a few hours?

"Hinata, how many shadow clones can you make?" Naruto asked.

The Hyūga was surprised by the question, but caught on to the idea quickly. I was one of Naruto's signatures techniques, and he had told her during their time together that he could use shadow clones to learn months' worth of knowledge within the span of a few weeks. If they could make enough, surely this could be learned in time for the event?

"Ummm…I guess I can make a few. I haven't really ever used the technique before, but I'll do my best!"

She formed the famous hand-sign, and with a few quick lessons, began concentrating the necessary chakra needed for the technique. Naruto had used it so often, he had forgotten how much of a toll it could take on the body, as he watched Hinata struggle to stand. He suggested she could stop if she wanted to, but Hinata continued, not willing to give up just yet. Naruto was about to force her to stop when a small trickle of blood dripped from her noise, but a sudden poof of smoke stopped him.

Three Hinata clones emerged from the smoke. They looked a little cartoonish, but seemed to fit the bill well enough. Suddenly, two of the clones fell over, and disappeared, leaving only clone left.

"I guess I'm not that good at it yet…" Hinata said, feeling a little down that she couldn't make more than one.

Naruto smiled broadly. "It's okay, Hinata! The only reason I could make so many at the beginning was because I've got like infinite chakra. You have way better chakra control than I do, so I'm sure you'll have it down in no time!"

Hinata didn't seem too sure of herself, but Naruto had enough confidence for the both of them, and she nodded shyly, taking his word.

"Now, we'll leave these two out in the woods to practice what you know, as well as working on making more clones to make the process easier," said Naruto, after summoning a few clones of his own. "When the time comes, we'll hopefully have had enough practice in our clones to do a good job once we disperse them."

"I s-sure hope so…" Hinata said meekly, waving goodbye to their clones.

"Don't' worry about it, Hinata! Everything will be fine! Now come on, let's get going so we aren't late for the eating contest. I'm starving!"

Hinata giggled as Naruto's stomach growled for effect, and after accepting his outstretched arm, they began making their way towards the Eating Contest, Naruto already boiling over with excitement.

* * *

><p>The largest crowd so far was gathering here, as this was something they could just sit and watch, instead of actively having to take part in. In front of them, a large stage stood erected, with a long table and chairs placed along it. Various banners advertising the contest, as well as the sponsor Ichiraku Ramen, hung in several places about the stage. The people were talking in hushed tones, making secret bets as to whom they thought would take home the prize. While some people believed that Chōji Akimichi would emerge victorious, the vast majority of the people there knew that a certain blonde wasn't about to let himself be beaten in an eating contest with his favorite dish.<p>

Right on cue, Naruto arrived to take his seat with the other contestants, and when someone in the crowd recognized him, the rest of the audience went wild, knowing that if Naruto was involved, they were in for a good show. Naruto gave them an embarrassed wave, surprised by the vast amounts of attention he was receiving. From his left, Chōji was watching him, and entertained look in his eye.

"Someone's become quite the celebrity, haven't they?" he said jovially, patting Naruto on the back once he had sat down.

"Yeah, it's kind of weird…" Naruto replied. "I mean, I've been getting more attention for weeks now, but this is different. I don't really know what I did to make them like this."

Chōji smiled. "Have you ever considered that they're just happy for you? Naruto, you've done so much for this village…I think seeing you have fun with Hinata just makes them happy!"

Naruto stared down into the table, a strange smile gracing his whiskered features. "You really….think so?"

"I know so. Now, you better be prepared, because I still need to get you back for beating us at the scavenger hunt. I still haven't heard the end of it from Ino."

The blonde chuckled. "Hey, it's not my fault I'm such a genius!" he exclaimed, earning a rolling of the eyes from Chōji. Some of the audience whom were sitting closer to the stage also heard the comment, and a low snicker spread throughout the crowd, making Naruto blush with embarrassment.

"DEAR FRIENDS, IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU!" Lee called out, suddenly leaping from above into his seat. The crowd jumped in surprise, but clapped once they realized who it was.

Naruto grinned. "Lee! I didn't know you were taking part in this!"

The taijutsu master bowed in greeting. "Yes, Naruto-kun, it is most fortunate. I was unable to sign up due to my commitment with Guy-sensei, but Tsunade-sama was passing by, and graciously allowed me to leave and take part, leaving someone else in my stead for the time being."

The Akimichi smiled, rubbing his sizeable stomach. "Well, I hope you're ready to get beaten, the both of you. I haven't eaten anything all night in preparation for this!"

Naruto shot him a disbelieving look. "Then what was all that food I saw you with earlier?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chōji seemed to have forgotten about all that, judging from the way he averted his gaze.

"That was just urr….a light snack is all."

"A light snack!" Naruto exclaimed, "That was more like an entire-"

"Alright you two, settle down," said a voice from behind them. Lee, Chōji, and Naruto turned around to find Tsunade standing there, hands on her hips.

"Honestly, you three….you squabble like academy students sometimes."

The three tried to protest, but Tsunade ignored them, taking large strides towards the podium in front of the table.

"Good evening everyone!" she called out, getting the crowd's attention. "I hope everyone's having a good time tonight?"

The crowd cheered in response, clapping and whistling.

Tsunade held her hand up, quieting everyone down. "It's just about time to get started with our next event, the eating contest. All the contestants have arrived, so I can start explaining the rules."

Hearing what she said, Naruto looked around to find that the other contestants besides the three of them had indeed arrived. There looked to be one or two more shinobi that Naruto recognized but didn't know by name, and the others with civilians. None of them really looked confident about winning, more interested in just the fun of it. Naruto, however, was determined to win this event. It was his favorite food at his favorite restaurant; there was no way he was going to let Chōji or Lee beat any of them.

Tsunade cleared her throat, ready to speak again. "Now, this is an eating contest sponsored by Ichiraku ramen, so the rules are pretty straight-forward. We bring out bowls of various flavors of ramen, and you try and eat as much as possible. We'll also be throwing you a few curveballs now and then, to shake things up. Whoever is the last person eating without having thrown up or passing out wins the prize, free ramen for a month!"

Chōji began to drool in the corners of his mouth, and Lee looked ready to hop out of his seat, but it was Naruto everyone was worried about. Once Tsunade revealed the prize, they had been expecting a massive outburst from the blonde, loudly proclaiming his assured victory. But none came. Instead, Naruto merely sat there, shivering. He was keeping his face obscured, and people were beginning to get a little worried.

Hinata meanwhile, only giggled with amusement. The smallest facial twitches hinted at just how happy he was, and Hinata hoped with all her heart that he would emerge victorious.

Meanwhile, Tsunade spread her arms wide. "Now that I've explained the rules, how about we meet our contestants?" The crowd cheered in response, and the Godaime started with introducing the civilians taking part, as well as the other shinobi.

"Next up, we have the Gentle Giant, Chōji Akimichi!" she exclaimed, pointing at the stocky chūnin as the crowd cheered. Several members of his family could be heard above everyone else, chanting his name excitedly.

"Kick their asses, Chōji!" they heard a female voice shout out, revealed to be a still indignant Ino.

Tsunade chuckled. "And in this chair we have our own taijutsu legend. Let's hear a warm welcome for the self-titled 'Konoha's Beautiful Green Wild Beast', Rock Lee!"

The eccentric chūnin leaped to the top of the table, striking his signature pose as the crowd laughed at his antics, cheering him on. As he retook his seat, the crowd grew quiet, knowing there was only one contestant left to announce.

Tsunade smiled to herself, knowing what was to come. "And last, but certainly not least, the one person in this village who probably doesn't need an introduction…the hero of the village, the one and only, the Number One Unpredictably Hyperactive, Knuckleheaded Ninja, NARUTO UZUMAKI!"

The crowd went absolutely bonkers, leaping from their seats and waving their arms erratically. They whooped and hollered, yelled and shouted, jumped up and down and stamped their feet. The other contestants were taken aback by the strong support from the crowd, growing a little nervous as they looked over to where Naruto was sitting to see how he would react. To their surprise, while he seemed happy enough, it looked as if he was waiting for something…

"NARUTO-KUN, DO YOUR BEST! YOU CAN DO IT!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs, piercing through the rest of the crowd's cheering like a hot knife through butter. The others immediately shut up, and the entire crowd turned around to see where the source of the voice was.

There, standing in the back, was shy, quiet little Hinata, coughing from the exertion on her voice. She looked up to find half the village staring at her, and blushed so deeply it looked as if a splash of red paint had been thrown on her. She gave the crowd a small wave, before quickly hiding behind Ino's shoulder, whom she was standing next to.

Everyone turned back to Naruto, patiently waiting to see what his reaction would be. For a while, it looked as if he hadn't even heard her, still keeping his head down. But then suddenly, his face shot back up to the light, a massive ear-to-ear grin split across his face. Without warning he rose to his feet at such a speed it sent the chair behind him flying back. He threw both of his hands into the air, and howled.

'YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" His shouting could be heard by almost every single villager, some of them all the way back in the village. He propped one foot on the table, point at himself with is thumb.

"The name's Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna win this for Hinata-chan!"

'That's more like it…' Tsunade thought to herself, as the crowd went nuts once more. Even the other contestants were cheering this time around, not even caring about winning or losing for a few moments.

Tsunade held her hand into the air to quiet everyone down.

"Okay okay, everyone, settle down. We've stated the rules, introduced our participants, and revealed our grand prize…who's ready to get this show on the road?"

The crowd cheered one last time as Hinata pointed behind her at a curtain, which swung aside to reveal Teuchi, Ayame, and several other workers with an absolutely massive amount of ramen cooking behind them.

"Now, this first round is all about speed. Whoever finishes 10 bowls first will get a head start in the next round, as well as have the option to skip one of our surprise ingredients. On your mark…get ready….GO!"

Teuchi and the others leaped into action, quickly pouring the first helpings into their bowls, before handing them off to the others who rushed them over to the contestants. They made sure to set the bowls down at the same time, but found that nearly as soon as they had done so, one person was already holding up his empty bowl.

"Come on, I thought you were gonna give me a challenge!" Naruto exclaimed, wiping his mouth. The crowd couldn't get enough of it, laughing as the assisstant hurried over to Teuchi to get Naruto's next bowl ready. Chōji finished nearly seconds after Naruto did, and Lee was not far behind the two of them. In other act of showing off, Naruto was able to grab every single noodle into his chopsticks, before flinging them high into the air. He gulped down the broth in mere moments, caught all the noodles in the now empty bowl, and slurped those down as well. The crowd went wild at his display of eating skills, and even Hinata felt herself jump up and down a little.

Chōji, not one to be outdone, demanded that he get his next two bowls at the same time, since he was now almost three behind Naruto. His mouth opened wider than anyone had ever seen it, and he chomped down the entire portions in 3-4 bites. One of the civilians next to him witnesses the act, and immediately leaned over and barfed, taking him out of the competition.

"Looks like we're already down a contestant!" exclaimed Tsunade, as they led the poor man away. "How about a round of applause for his bravery?"

The crowd quickly cheered the man off, before returning their attention to the contest at hand. In just a few minutes, Naruto was on his last bowl needed to win the round, with Chōji at 8 due to him choking when he tried to repeat his two-portion feat, and Lee was just about halfway through his ninth.

Suddenly, Naruto slammed his bowl onto the table, flipping it over to reveal it empty. The crowd went crazy as he lazily leaned back in his chair, letting out a loud belch to signal his victory.

"Geez, you're boyfriend doesn't have the best table manners, does he?" Ino said aloud, her face scrunching up in slight mock disgust. It was kind of a hypocritical statement, as Chōji was currently in the midst of sending broth across the entire stage, as he attempted to finish his tenth bowl before Lee did, and claim second place. Unfortunately for him, his last mouthful slipped from his hand back into his bowl, and Lee was able to finish his last bowl, putting Chōji in third among the three shinobi favored to win.

"Well wasn't that an impressive display of…eating!" Tsunade called out, once the others had finished their final bowls. Only two of the other civilians managed to down 10 bowls, with the rest of them pushing the food away, or puking right off the side of the stage. The other two shinobi had also been removed from the competition, with one of them unable to watch Naruto, Lee, and Chōji devour that much ramen, while the other was dragged off by his wife who didn't know he had been participating.

"It seems the winner here is obvious…congratulations, Naruto Uzumaki!"

As expected the crowd cheered and hollered for the jinchūriki, who took his minor victory quite humbly, only offering them a happy wave in return. Chōji, now ready to kick it into high gear, loosened the sash that held his yukata in place, and as his belly expanded, it pushed the table back several inches, forcing the others to scoot back up.

"Now, this next round will be a little different," explained Tsunade. "There won't be a limit on how many bowls you can consume, but each bowl will have a secret ingredient, and if you want to succeed, you'll have stomach whatever we've added into the ramen, which could be anything from chocolate to spicy curry!"

The crowd seemed a little horrified by the sound of that, especially weaker stomached people, which prompted them to get up and walk out so they wouldn't vomit themselves. Hinata, while feeling a little queasy at the idea, shoved the feeling even further down into her stomach, wanting to stay so she could support Naruto.

"Keep going, Naruto-kun!" she called out, a little quieter than the first time. "Y-you're doing great!"

Even though the rest of the crowd was chattering about what the next round might hold, Hinata could tell that Naruto had heard her by the way his ears perked up at the sound of her voice. He turned his eyes to her, and with a broad smile, gave her a thumbs-up.

"Are the remaining contestants ready to begin?" Tsunade asked, looking each of them in the eye. Chōji, Lee, and Naruto all returned her gaze with their own, determination flaring up in their eyes.

The Godaime smirked, eager to see what would happen next. "In that case…let the second round begin!"

The assistants were once again shooting into action, delivering fresh portions to the contestants that remained. The first few bowls, Tsunade explained, would merely be different flavors of ramen that Ichiraku already served, such as pork and miso. As time went on, however, the special additives would get more and more outlandish, and Tsunade even hinted that they put in things that could make someone sick or things that weren't exactly edible, just to 'shake things up', as she put it. Naruto had begun the second round once again in the lead, but Chōji actually leaped ahead of him for several bowls when Naruto's chopsticks snapped in half after a spirited mouthful, forcing Naruto to use his hands until someone could bring him a new pair. Lee remained in a solid third place, not having the endless stamina as Naruto or the depthless stomach of Chōji, but through sheer will.

"Come on, Lee…" Tenten muttered to herself from the crowd. "You're gonna make yourself sick if you keep this pace up."

But to hers and everyone else's surprise, Lee actually jumped in the lead for quite some time when the first secret ingredient was added, which was the spicy curry that Tsunade had mentioned. Because Lee had built up the highest tolerance to the veritable magma that was shooting down his throat, he was able to gain the first place while Naruto and Chōji were busy shooting fire out of their mouths, nearly singing some of the audience in the front rows.

Naruto shot a quick glance over at the other two, too busy eating to notice.

'Lee has that lead because of the curry, but it doesn't look like he can keep it up much longer…' Naruto thought to himself, trying to devise a strategy. Suddenly, an idea did come into his head, and at first Naruto was unsure. It was completely psychotic, not to mention dangerous, but hey…nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Naruto closed his eyes, and gently set his chopsticks down, shocking the audience.

"Naruto seems to have stopped eating!" Tsunade exclaimed, having noticed Naruto was no longer moving. "Has the great Uzumaki reached his limit?"

She hadn't really meant what had just come out of her mouth, knowing that the blonde was nowhere near his limit, and was instead intrigued as to what he had up his sleeve…

* * *

><p>"Oi! Get your ass out here!" Naruto shouted into the dark, tapping his foot impatiently. For several moments, nothing happened, but a dull thud began to sound out in the black. It grew louder and louder, closer and closer, until the terrifying form of the Kyūbi came into view, sneering at the small human before him.<p>

**"What do you want, brat?"** the demon demanded, his tails waving menacingly. It had looked as though the giant creature had just woken up from a nap, and was in an even worse mood than usual.

"I'm gonna need to borrow some of your chakra, right now!" Naruto said in a firm tone, holding his hand out as if chakra could just be handed over like money.

The Kyūbi eyed Naruto with confusion. earth **"What on Earth are you blabbering about? There is no danger that I am aware of…"**

"Good observation!" Naruto mocked, eliciting a snarl from the demon within the massive cage. "You're right, there is no danger. But I need your chakra to win this eating contest I'm in, so hurry it up with the chakra!"

Silence. Not a sound could be heard except for the occasional dripping of water into the pool that dampened Naruto's feet.

**"…you have to be joking,"** the fox finally said, his tone of utter disbelief. **"You want me, the Great Kyūbi, scourge of the mortal world, to use my endless supplies of chakra to help you win…an eating contest?"**

His host, not catching onto the demon's sarcasm, nodded happily.

"You bet! If I win, I get free Ichiraku for a mon-"

Naruto was interrupted by a massive claw shooting through the cage, nearly tearing Naruto's chest cavity open.

**"HOW DARE YOU ASK ME FOR SUCH A PETTY REQUEST!"** the fox roared, eyes glowing red. **"I WOULD SOONER DIE A THOUSAND TIMES OVER, THAN BESTOW YOU MY MAGNIFICENT CHAKRA FOR SUCH A FOOLISH REASON!"**

"Jeez, you don't have to yell…" Naruto muttered under his breath, further taunting the beast. "Come on, it's not like you're using it or anything! I'm doing this for Hinata-chan too!"

It was something Naruto shouldn't have mentioned. The Kyūbi had actually been considering giving Naruto the slightest amount of chakra for him to use, in hopes that he could take advantage of the situation and exert his influence onto Naruto. But at the mention of the Hyūga princess, the creature flew into a fury, smashing his many tails against the bars of the cage that held him from slaughtering the object of his hatred.

**"Be gone from here, before I tear down this pitiful cage and rip you to shreds!"** he bellowed, lowering his massive head to Naruto's eye level, glaring at him. **"Why don't you use that ridiculous Sage Mode instead? A worthless jutsu for a worthless cause..."**

But to the Kyūbi's surprise, Naruto didn't leap to defend his master's treasured technique, instead widening his eyes, before a massive smile split across his face.

"Hey, you're right! Because I'm not fighting anyone, a few seconds of collecting natural energy should be enough to help give me an edge. Huh, who would've thought you would have actually helped me!"

The monster cursed himself over and over, for having actually helped his jailor for such a frivolous thing. He turned around, and began to stomp back into the darkness.

**"I hope your stomach explodes…"** the beast offered as a last insult, before disappearing from view. Naruto waved the comment off, still giddy he had actually one-upped the demon.

* * *

><p>Naruto's consciousness returned the real world, though in order to gain sage chakra for his use, he remained perfectly still, a feat harder than it seemed due to the crowd.<p>

Chōji and Lee had jumped many, many bowls in front of the round, and many people had begun yelling at Naruto, urging for him to catch up. Some of the more fickle members, whom had placed bets on who would win, were particularly violent in the pleading for Naruto to return to them.

Hinata watched from afar, knowing that nothing was wrong with Naruto, but was still worried as to why he suddenly stopped eating. She activated her Byakugan to see if something was wrong with his chakra system, and it was at that moment Naruto opened his eyes, meeting hers. He gave her a playful wink, and it was then that Hinata noticed the change in his pupils, evidence he had entered Sage Mode. Hinata stared at him for several precious seconds, before bursting into a loud fit of giggles at Naruto's creativity. Her giggling became such a problem, that she leaned over on Ino for support, whom looked at her friend with worry.

"Hinata…? What's going on?" she asked, shaking Hinata gently. Her companion couldn't answer, still overcome by her merriment, but was able to manage pointing in Naruto's direction, prompting Ino to see what was up with the blonde.

"Hey, Naruto's using Sage mode!" Ino called out, catching the attention of everyone present. It broke through Lee and Chōji's concentration, to check and see if Ino's claim was true. Indeed, Naruto had the orange coloration around his eyes as he did when in Sage Mode, and it was then that they noticed he had caught up to them in a matter of seconds, and had now regained the lead. Several of the audience asked out loud if that sort of thing was allowed, but Tsunade quickly calmed them down.

"Hold on, everyone…this is an interesting development! From now on, jutsu are allowed! Let's see what happens from here!"

The other two shinobi remaining leaped into action. Chōji used his family's techniques to enlarge both his hands and his head, demanding he be brought 6 bowls instead of one at a time.

Not to be outdone, Lee placed his fists at his side, before an explosion of chakra erupted from his body, producing a terrible wind around him.

"FIRST FIVE CHAKRA GATES, OF OPENING, HEALING, LIFE, PAIN, AND LIMIT…OPEN!"

His skin began to glow red, and whirling typhoon of chakra began to spiral around him, forcing Chōji and Naruto to scoot further over. At this point, Tenten stood in her seat, furious with Lee's reckless use of such a dangerous technique.

"Lee, stop that right now or I'll beat the shit out of you!" she yelled, shaking her fist and practically foaming at the mouth.

Neji tried to get her to sit back down, tugging gently on her arm. "Tenten, please sit down. It is Lee's choice to do so if he-"

"THE HELL IT IS!" Tenten interrupted, pulling a kunai out of nowhere and slashing erratically in front of her. "I thought he wasn't supposed to use that unless it was a life-or-death situation!"

"it's alright Tenten. Lee has my permission." A voice from behind them said. Neji and Tenten spun around to fine their sensei standing behind them, soaking wet.

"When I first heard all the commotion, I thought something was wrong," he continued, walking up to his students. "But even though Lee isn't in any danger, what he is doing falls under the circumstances when he can utilize the Gates."

"You have to be joking!" Tenten insisted, gesturing towards her teammate. "He's not fighting anyone!"

Guy shook his head. "You're right about that, but there are other reasons when he can be permitted to use the Gates. In this instance, to defend his way of the ninja."

A small vein in Neji's head began pulsating. He would have been fine with Lee using the Gates simply because it was his choice, but his sensei claiming it was to defend his way of the ninja just seemed to a little ridiculous.

"Lee's nindo involves never backing down from a challenge. If he hadn't found a way to keep up with Naruto's Sage Mode, he would have failed his ninja way."

Tenten stared at her sensei in disbelief. "That…that is so completely stupid! You have to be making this up!"

Again, the taijutsu master shook his head. "Of course not, Tenten, I would never allow such a frivolous use of the-…Wow, look at Lee go!"

They turned back around to watch Lee flying at an absolutely inhuman pace, devouring massive amounts of ramen in seconds. The assistants were shooting back and forth trying to keep up with the three shinobi, but had to stop and take quick breaks. In order to rectify th situation, Tsunade graciously dismissed them, and summoned several shinobi known for their speed and reflexes to temporarily help with the contest until a winner could be declared.

Rock Lee. Chōji Akimichi. Naruto Uzumaki. The only three left in the competition were showing no signs of slowing down, which only served to fire the crowd up even more. The bets had become more evened out as Lee and Chōji utilized their own jutsu to keep up with Naruto's Sage Mode, with more people believing that they might have a chance at dethroning Konoha's Ramen King. But those who stayed confident with Naruto were smarter than that; that young man could pack away those noodles infinitely.

And suddenly, it began to start. Chōji had been slowing down over the past 10 minutes, simply not having the chakra reserves like either Lee or Naruto. He was bringing another mouthful up to his mouth when he stopped. He blinked several times, unsure of why his arm wasn't obeying his commands. He had his question answered for him when his chair began to let out a worrying creaking sound. Before he could react, the husky chūnin felt the chair crack from underneath him, the four legs unable to hold up the increased weight any longer. His arms flailed wildly at his side as he tried to keep himself from falling, but to no avail. Time seemed to slow down as Chōji plummeted the short distance to the stage, landing on it with a resounding crash. The wood that the stage had composed of hadn't expected such a large increase in weight at that particular spot, and cracked quite a bit as well. Chōji, already thoroughly embarrassed by his situation, attempted to free himself from the small hole he had made for himself, only to find…

"Uhhh…I think I'm stuck." he said simply, heaving with all his might. Still he stayed rooted to the spot, the planks having made a forceful pinch into his backside, as well as into his clothing. A few of the ruder members of the audience began to snicker at the poor Akimichi's situation, but soon ceased by what followed.

Naruto wanted to win. That was a given. But he was all too familiar with the idea of being laughed at then laughed with. And so, to help his friend out, Naruto pushed himself away from the table, and rose to help his friend. He summoned two shadow clones to help get the proper leverage, and with the help of Tsunade's monstrous strength, they were able to free Chōji from his wooden prison, as the audience cheered for Naruto's generosity.

"Thanks for the help, Naruto," Chōji said, patting his friend on the shoulder as he took a deep breath. "That was…more than a little embarrassing."

Naruto smiled brightly. "No problem! So, do you wanna keep going? This is pretty fun!"

To Naruto's slight disappointment, Chōji actually shook his head.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Not all of us have your kind of stamina!" Chōji teased, rubbing his now massive belly. "I think I'm just gonna call it right here. And you still have Lee, anyway."

Naruto's face lit up as he remembered Lee was still in the competition. "That's right! Hey Lee, do you wanna-"

When Naruto turned around to face Lee, he found Tsunade and another shinobi inspecting the taijutsu expert closely. As Naruto himself took another look, he noticed that Lee's movements were rather robotic, and that he had a glazed look in his eye.

Tsunade arched her back, sighing heavily.

"Rock Lee needs to be taken out of the competition. He passed out about 5 minutes ago, and has continued eating solely through muscle memory. He would have kept this up until his stomach burst had we not noticed it."

The crowd didn't make a sound, amazed as Lee's arms continued to move even as he was being carried away by several shinobi. From the back, they could hear what sounded like Tenten going into another fit, inflicting her wrath on Guy and Neji for what she called 'f*cking boneheaded-ness'.

Tsunade turned to Chōji. "And you're taking yourself out of the competition, yes?"

The Akimichi nodded, prompting Tsunade to return the microphone.

"Listen up, everyone! Chōji Akimichi has willingly taken himself out of the competition, and Rock Lee was forced to stop for medical reasons, which means we have a winner. The winner of the ramen eating contests, with an astounding number of bowls, is none other than the Ramen King, Naruto Uzumaki!"

The crowd went wild as Chōji and Tsunade lifted the blonde into the air, hoisting him up and down for his victory. Naruto felt a little queasy as his chair went up and down, up and down, and he leaped to the stage to soothe his belly. He took a little bow, before waving to the crowd happily. He may have looked like he was addressing everybody, but there was only person whom Naruto wanted to see.

Hinata's eyes locked with his once again, and she giggled softly to herself as Naruto smiled from ear-to-ear at her, wiping away some of the gratuitous amounts of broth that had accumulated on his face. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as Tsunade handed him a small trophy, of a bowl of ramen held atop a pedestal, the coupon for the Ichiraku ramen on an envelope attached to the trophy.

"I'm amazed your boyfriend is still standing…" Ino said breathlessly. Hinata only smile din response, before rushing over to congratulate her date, Ino following shortly behind to do the same with Chōji.

"Naruto-kun, you did wonderful!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in an unusual display of affection. Naruto was surprised at first, but quickly returned the gesture, a light blush decorating his cheeks.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan!" he replied, grinning at her. "Now, we can eat for free at Ichiraku for a whole month!"

"Congratulations, Naruto!" Chōji said, nodding at Hinata. "Me and Ino are getting out of here. Hopefully we'll run into each other later tonight, okay?"

Naruto nodded in response. "You bet! Later Ino!"

At first, the platinum blonde made it seem as if she was still sore about the scavenger hunt issue, before ticking her tongue out playfully as her and Chōji walked away.

Hinata turned back to face Naruto. Feeling cute, she put her arms behind her back and began to sway in front of him.

"So what would you like to do now?" she said with a cheeky smile.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Haha, another chapter out of the way! And guess what...I'm still not done! As I explained above, there will be the finale of the festival coming out on Sunday. If you liked the fluff in the past two chapters, get ready to have your socks knocked off come Chapter 18, because I have some big stuff in store for you guys!

Those riddles were a bitch, let me tell you. I didn't come up with them, mind you, but finding decent riddles that would make sense for the story (which still aren't even that good) was much harder than I originally thought. I hope you enjoy them, as well as the rest of the antics in this chapter. Personally, Naruto asking the Kyūbi for help in the eating contest is my favorite part. I lol'd when I wrote that.

If you liked what you read, please drop a review in the box at the bottom of the screen. It helps get this story out there, and really pumps me up for the next chapter! If you have something you want to talk about, I'll always answer a PM.

Until next time!


	18. Konoha's Great Festival! (Finale)

**Author's Note: **And here it is, folks, the stunning conclusion to the Festival! I've got some great surprises in store for you, so prepare yourselves!

Thank you so much for all the feedback about the eating contest. That was one my favorite scenes to write, and I guess that showed in how much you guys enjoyed it. If you liked that, I can promise you that the humor in this story will only be upped from here, as we have a loooong way to go before this story will be finished. To tell the truth, I'm expecting another twenty chapters before I'm even HALFWAY, and that's just a rough guesstimate.

Now, I do have some news that some of you aren't going to like, so it is imperative that you **READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM ONCE YOU'VE FINISHED THE**** CHAPTER. **It's not like I'm dying or anything, but still I strongly suggest you **READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM ONCE YOU'VE FINISHED ****TH****E**** CHAPTER.**

Okay, I won't use up anymore of your time with my rambling other than thanking ALL of you for your reviews and readership. It warms a stranger on the internet's heart.

Blah blah, on to the chapter!

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><p><strong>-Chapter 18: Konoha's Great Festival! Naruto and Hinata's First Date (Finale!)-<strong>

"So what would you like to do now?" she giggled, blowing on his face when she got especially close. Naruto's nose scrunched up, her warm breath tickling his nostrils. Her little act of bravery helped Naruto gather his own courage, and he quickly slipped behind his date, sliding his arms underneath hers, before wrapping them around her stomach.

"Someone's getting a little confident…" he whispered teasingly, his breath blowing softly into Hinata's ear. She shuddered at the husky tone in Naruto's voice, goosebumps shooting up and down her arms. It was contact she hadn't been expecting, but _thoroughly _enjoyed nonetheless. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she could hear a throaty chuckle from her date behind her.

"I think I could get used to this," he said, slowly pulling away from her. She couldn't see him, but could tell he was smirking. By the time she turned back around to face him, however, he was back to his usual goofy self.

"Well, wandering around has seemed to work pretty well for us so far. Want to just see what else we can find until it's time for that Dance thingy?"

Hinata was still blushing furiously from moments earlier, and found her mouth unable to make any words. Naruto tenderly grabbed her hand, and began to pull her along.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said with a smile on his face, giving her a playful wink before they set off to explore some more.

Hinata knew she was walking, could see things moving past her, but wasn't in control of her own legs, as they felt like jelly. It felt like she was gliding along, floating in mid-air as the young man of her dreams was pulling her along. Had Naruto just…flirted with her? Before tonight, he had of course teased her and flirted in his goofy way, but this felt…different. It felt like…

Like he _wanted_ her. Not in _that_ way (which would have Hinata fainting right there had she thought about it), but in a way that he wanted to be romantically linked to her. It was the first hint of that from Naruto that she had received the entire night, the rest of their little moments able to easily be considered just a good friend being playful. It was different, unexpected…

And oh so wonderful.

Hinata pulled him further back towards her, wrapping her own arms around his left once again, leaning into his shoulder. Naruto didn't say anything, but she could feel his body heat up, and knew it excited him as much as it did her. They walked on and on, completely oblivious to what surrounded them, only in tune with one another. Before they even knew what had happened, Hinata had let her head rest on Naruto's shoulder, and Naruto had let his droop onto hers. They played with each other's fingers, finding new ways to intertwine them with one another. The world could have been coming down on top of them, and they wouldn't have cared.

"Well don't you two look like an adorable couple?" someone called out from their left, snapping them out of their lovey-dovey faze. Standing there, with her hands on her hips, stood Sakura Haruno. She was clad in a yukata of a deep, vibrant red with pink petals cascading down in greater volume from the obi, which was the same emerald color of her eyes. She had put up her hair in a short bun, but allowed several strands in front of her face. Sakura closed her eyes in triumph as Naruto's eyes widened, waiting for the cascade of praise to fall.

But a "Hey, Sakura-chan!" was all that came out of the Uzumaki's mouth, waving at her with his free arm. Sakura was caught off-guard for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders and walking over to join them.

"Hinata…you look absolutely gorgeous!" said Sakura, not trying very hard to hide the envy in her voice. Hinata smiled shyly, and spun around once so Sakura could see the entire ensemble.

"Th-thank, you, Sakura-san," she replied gratefully, bowing slightly. Naruto attempted the same motion as his date had just performed, turning around so Sakura could, as he put it, "feast her eyes on this!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at his antics. He _did_ clean up well, she wasn't going to deny that. She just wasn't going to let Naruto know she thought that.

"So when did you get here, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked her excitedly.

The medic-nin shrugged. "Just about an hour and a half ago, maybe more. I've been looking for the others, but it seemed like you two are the first people that I know that I've found."

Naruto cocked his head, confused. "If you got here an hour ago, why didn't you come to the eating contest? Neji, Tenten, Chōji, Ino, and we were there!"

"Like I haven't seen you gorge on ramen every time we come back from a mission. Thanks, but no thanks." Sakura retorted, teasingly. Naruto stuck his tongue out at her, but dropped the matter.

* * *

><p>Sakura decided to join Naruto and Hinata on their aimless wandering throughout the festival, and it was only then that they had realized just how <em>affectionate<em> they had been getting before Sakura had appeared. They were blushing a bright red as Sakura asked them what all had happened while she wasn't there, which helped put the awkwardness of the situation behind them.

As Naruto was describing the currently describing the scavenger hunt in great detail, Hinata was busy struggling with something. Naruto could be perceptive when it was really needed, but even Hinata was surprised that he hadn't noticed the flaw in Sakura's story. Even though the medic-nin claimed she had been there for close to two hours, her hair was still damp from what was most likely a shower she had taken before putting on her yukata. That could only mean that Sakura had only just arrived a few minutes ago, and for some reason didn't want people to know that. Why would Sakura want to hide something as trivial as that?

The Hyūga princess studied the other female's face carefully, in a small hope she could gain some insight into Sakura's mind. For a brief moment, the pink-haired kunoichi broke eye contact with Naruto and her eyes met with Hinata's, and revealed to her that while she was right in her assumption that Sakura was hiding something, she was in no mood to discuss it. Hinata didn't seem all that willing to drop the matter, more worried for Sakura's well-being, but decided to drop it for her sake.

"Hey, check it out!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, pointing in front of them. Hinata and Sakura turned to where his finger was pointing to find a small tent that had been pitched up in between some of the larger stands.

They saw a camera placed on a simple stand, pointed at a colorful background, of which there seemed to be many of placed to the side. The tent was occupied by a very elderly man, with thick white eyebrows that obscured his eyes. He had a pleasant look about him, and Hinata felt like he was a kind, gentle man.

"Hey Gramps! Can you get your photo taken here?" Naruto asked exuberantly, having rushed over to the tent.

The man nodded sagely. "Of course, young man. A commemorative photo for people who enjoyed their time at the festival. Would you like one?"

Naruto nodded eagerly, and motioned for Hinata and Sakura to join him. While Hinata scurried over, Sakura remained in her spot.

"That's okay, you guys go ahead. This is a date after all, so it should be of just the two of you!" she said happily, interrupting Naruto's protests softly.

"Are you sure, Sakura-san?" Hinata asked, still concerned for her friend. "We would love for you to join us."

"Nah, that's okay! I can get one later tonight if I want one!" she insisted, putting her hands up defensively. Naruto's face scrunched up in disappointment, and for a moment he looked like he would drag her over, but decided against it when Hinata plopped down next to him in the small bench that sat in front of the background.

"What color would you two like?" the man asked, gesturing towards the many options they had.

"Orange!" Naruto exclaimed almost instantaneously. Sakura rolled her eyes, and Hinata just giggled softly before nodding. The man quickly set up the bright orange background, before returning to his camera.

"Now, this is _your_ photo, so feel free to do anything you like!" the man said, putting the curtain over his head as he put the camera in zoom.

"Is it okay if I put my arm around you?" Naruto asked his date, unusually shy. The light blush covering his face made Hinata turn a similar shade of red, but she nodded. Naruto gently draped his arm across the Hyūga's shoulders, but kept his other motionless at his side.

As the man made the final preparations for the photo, Sakura watched the pair of them patiently wait. They certainly looked happy, but something just seemed…off. Both of their bodies seemed to be a little tensed up, and Sakura was worried that they were acting this way because of her. She was just about to take her leave, when the man held up his, signifying he was about to take the picture.

Quicker than lightning, Naruto revealed his scheme. His arm that had been coldly lying across Hinata's shoulder suddenly pulled her into his body, almost up into his lap as his other arm hugged her around the front. He smashed his cheek against hers, making the goofiest face he could possible make. Hinata had a split second to see what he was doing, and when she saw the expression on Naruto's face, began giggling uncontrollably.

That was the moment the man happened to capture them on film; Naruto sticking his lop-sided tongue out of his toothy grin, and Hinata smiling sweetly to herself, one hand near her mouth. The utter adorable-ness of the photo made even the usually tomboyish Sakura almost squeal with girlish delight. She was able to hold back the urge at the last seconds, however, and only let a slight gasp of air through.

The man reappeared from re-underneath the curtain with a broad smile.

"It came out wonderfully. I'm sure you two will love it!"

"Really!" Naruto exclaimed, rushing over to take a peek. "Can I see it?"

"No, I'm afraid it'll need some time to finish developing. It should be ready by the end of the night, so you can come by again and pick it up. Will you two be staying the entire night?"

Naruto shot his date a teasingly scolding look, a look that said 'Well, we _weren't_ going to be staying the entire night, but now that you dragged me into this, I guess we are'.

"Yes," they both said at the same time, earning a strange look from both the man and Sakura.

"What're you two talking ab"- Sakura began to say, before she found herself surrounded by Naruto's shadow clones.

"Let's get one with Sakura-chan, now!" They all said, surprising Sakura by hoisting her and hauling her in front of the camera, despite her rather ferocious kicking and protesting. When fists began flying, several of the clones perished, but enough had managed long enough for the man to snap another Picture of Sakura, three Narutos, and one Hinata Hyūga watching the chaos unfold. Sakura wasn't exactly smiling, but after the picture had already been taken and the only Naruto remaining was the real one, she had to admit that she looked forward to seeing it.

"So what was that look you two shared?" Sakura asked once they had begun walking again, curiosity overcoming her manners. "It looked like something was going between you two when that guy asked if you were staying for the entire festival."

Naruto and Hinata shared another look, and the blonde began relaying how Hinata had _forgotten_ to mention that they had been asked to perform the Dance of the Flame for the festival, and had shadow clones currently learning the performance. Naruto didn't seem as against the idea as he had been earlier that night, but his mood was re-soured when Sakura fell onto the ground laughing.

"Hahahaah, I can't believe this! I wasn't going to stay for that, but now I _have _to! This is gonna be so hilarious!"

Naruto scowled lightly. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up. You're just jealous that it's not _you_ up there!"

Sakura's snickering cut off immediately, replaced with an indignant tone.

"As if! Like I would want to be up there with Naruto Uzumaki making a complete fool out of myself!"

Hinata lowered her head in shame. If the others thought it was an embarrassing thing to do, did that mean Naruto did as well, and just didn't want to say anything?

"I-I'm sorry for getting you into this, Naruto-kun…" she said softly, breaking up Naruto's and Sakura's little spat.

"Huh? Hinata, it's not your fault!" Naruto protested, walking up to her. "I mean, sure you didn't tell me, but it wasn't literally you who forced me to do this. Knowing my luck, that was probably Baa-chan."

"Besides..." he said, taking her hands in his, "I think that if it's with you, it won't be so bad, y'know?"

Hinata almost didn't believe him, but the look in his eyes screamed honesty, and she could only smile and give him a brief hug. When they broke apart, Sakura was mockingly sticking a finger down her throat, making gagging noises.

"Get a room, you two," she said playfully, making the two blush and sputter excuses.

Well, I think I'm gonna head out," Sakura said finally, turning to leave.

"Sakura-chan? You're not leaving, are you? What happened to making fun of me and Hinata?"

Sakura turned back around to give them a mischievous wink. "Oh, I wasn't planning on leaving the festival. No, I'm just gonna go look for Ino so I can go get a good seat when the time comes."

Naruto felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead, not exactly sure he wanted those two sitting together when he and Hinata did their thing. But before he could protest, Sakura had bid them farewell and disappeared into the crowd.

"I hope I don't see her when we get up there…" Naruto muttered under his breath. He turned to his date. "We still have some time left. Do you wanna go meet up with the clones and see what we learned?"

Hinata smiled. "That sounds nice, Naruto-kun!"

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Naruto and Hinata emerged into the clearing where they had sent the clones to practice the dance. One of the Naruto clones had been clever enough to bring along some torches to light up the area, so that there wouldn't be any tripping over any feet. As Hinata and Naruto made their way into the small area, their mouths dropped open at the sight before them, with Hinata then starting to laugh.<p>

Because Hinata had only been able to make one shadow clone as opposed to the hundreds Naruto could, it had paired up with one of the Naruto clones, while the others had paired up with themselves and mimicked their moves. It was a strange sight to see Naruto and Hinata dancing, even stranger when there were at least 10 copies of Naruto doing the same thing.

"Hey look, Boss is back!" one of them yelled out, catching everyone's attention. The other clones waved happily at their original, before returning to their task.

"So whaddya think, Hinata? Am I ready for tonight?" Naruto asked, looking to his date for answers on his skills. To her surprise, the Narutos seemed to be doing quite well, keeping up with the Hinata clone 90% of the time, as every now and then they stepped on each other's feet, stringing out a chorus of swears.

"Yes, Naruto-kun…I think you are, actually…" Hinata replied. Naruto rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Awesome! Now, we can go ahead and disperse them, but I have to warn you; along with the cumulative knowledge you gain, you also gain their exhaustion, so don't be surprised if your feet really, really hurt."

Hinata nodded carefully, a little worried about what was to come. Her and Naruto formed the necessary hand-sign, and spoke aloud.

"Release!" they both exclaimed, making all the clones in the area disappear in a cloud of smoke. To Hinata, the effect was something similar to suddenly getting a boost of energy, and then surge of exhaustion. Her feet wobbled a bit, and she would have fallen over had Naruto not reached out and caught her.

"Told ya," he teased, holding her up until she felt she could stand on her own. "Wow, this dance thing is a lot weirder than I thought it was going to be."

Hinata too was going through her new memories, making sure to check if there was anything she needed Naruto to practice with a little more. To her relief, however, she found that he would be able to hold his own quite well, something that made her slightly suspicious.

"Naruto-kun…have you done something like this before?" she asked, eying her date with a slight hint of suspicion. Naruto immediately looked away, whistling a random memory, which only served to cement Hinata's guess.

Smirking, she tapped her foot, put her hands on her hips, and waited for Naruto to spill the beans on why he didn't have two left feet. For several moments, Naruto attempted to change the subject, leave the clearing, or just act like Hinata wasn't even there. But the Hyūga wouldn't budge, and Naruto groaned in defeat.

"Okay, you got me! Ero-sennin would do _anything_ to impress women on our trip, and there were times when he wanted me to pretend to be his high-society son to help woo some rich airhead. I never wanted to do it, but he usually promised to teach me a new technique in return. Which he rarely came through on, now that I think about it…"

"Does that mean Naruto-kun is a gentleman?" Hinata asked, giggling for a moment. "is there anything else you can do that you haven't told me about?"

Naruto gave her a cheeky grin, shaking his head.

"Now where's the fun in just telling you? I'd much rather you find out for yourself than just me tell you all at once."

Hinata pouted for a moment, but liked the sound of that better, as it was another hint from Naruto that he wanted to go on another date. Hinata was swooning with the possibilities of what she could do with the Naruto Uzumaki, when he suddenly spoke.

"We might want to get back to the festival," he cautioned. "I think that guy's gonna be looking for us pretty soon."

Hinata gasped. "Y-you're right! We should hurry!"

The two leaped into the trees to make the short distance back to the festival even shorter, showing surprising agility for people dressed in such loose-fitting attire.

* * *

><p>The man who had been pestering Naruto and Hinata to practice their routine for the dance was currently pacing back and forth, worried sick. It was just about 10-15 minutes until the performance was scheduled to begin, and neither Naruto Uzumaki nor Hinata Hyūga could be found. The man was about to engage in a very unpleasant conversation with Tsunade, when the two aforementioned shinobi suddenly appeared, much to his relief.<p>

"Thank heavens!" the man said, hurrying over to greet them. "I was afraid you had disappeared on me!"

Naruto smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Heh…sorry about that! We were just making sure we weren't going to mess up, that's all!"

The man nodded briskly. "That's a good thing to hear, because it would be a complete disaster for the entire village if this didn't go absolutely perfectly."

Naruto heard Hinata audibly swallow the lump that had accumulated in her throat, unnerved by the man's tone. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving her one of his trademark grins to help lighten her mood.

"Where do you need us?" Naruto asked, hoping to get the man concentrated on them, instead of hurrying around trying to handle everything on his own.

"Ahh, yes. Please just head into the back and there will be others to help you get dressed," the man said, waving them off as he continued to check things off in a massive list posted to a clipboard he was carrying with him. Taking the hint, Naruto and Hinata slunk off towards the back of the stage. On the way there, Naruto was able to catch of glimpse of the people present for the event, and his jaw dropped. He tapped on Hinata's shoulder, who matched his facial expression when she looked where she was pointing.

A gargantuan mob was seated in front of the stage, what looked to be the entire festival. Naruto was able to make out several of the nearby booths having been abandoned completely for the event, showing just how important the village thought of this event.

"There's a lot more people here than I thought there was going to be…" Naruto said, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. Hinata didn't reply, but let out a frightened 'eep'.

They continued on their way towards the back of the stage, more hesitantly. Once they got back there, several people were scurrying about, looking just as preoccupied as the man they had just finished dealing with. One person, a young woman, noticed them out of the corner of her eye and recognized them as the two performing the dance.

"It's so wonderful to meet you! Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyūga, right?" the girl said happily, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Yep! That's us for sure!" Naruto replied, giving a playful salute.

"Okay then. Naruto, if you would just follow that person over there, they'll lead you to your changing room, and Hinata can follow me to hers. You two will meet back up in a few minutes once you have changed.

Naruto let go of Hinata's hand, and with a small wave, she headed in the opposite direction with the woman. Naruto turned back around to find that the person the woman had directed him too, was in fact Shizune, looking the most stressed out of all of them. She relaxed somewhat when she saw Naruto approaching, taking off the headset she was using to communicate with the others.

"Naruto! Are you nervous?" she asked, concerned with the expression on his face.

"Hehe…a little!" Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't expect so many people to show up!"

"Well, it's the biggest event for the entire festival, and I'm sure it's spread by now that it will be you and Hinata performing the dance, so some people showed up just for that. And I don't want to make you even more nervous, but that's not even half of the people that are expected to be here."

Naruto let out an involuntary whine, a lump forming in his throat. Shizune chuckled softly, before leading towards a changing room.

"Now, you're familiar with the performance, but I don't think you know anything of the premise. You are performing the part of the Will of Fire, personified. You're movements need to be passionate, and strong-willed; just like the Will of Fire itself."

Naruto rolled his eyes in mock disgust. "Yeesh, don't get all frilly on me. I learned what I need to do alright?"

Shizune gave him a stern look. "I know you think you understand _what_ you need to do, but you also need to understand the _why_. This is a very important ritual describing the relationship between the village and the Will of Fire. You have to feel it within your heart, or the performance will suffer. I need to know you're committed to this, to take it seriously."

The blonde's expression hardened, and he nodded without a word.

"That's good to hear!" Shizune said happily. "Now, opposite to you will be Hinata, who represents the village; the civilians and rich history of our people. Her movements will be much more graceful compared to yours, but you needn't adjust, as that's the way it's supposed to be."

Shizune continued to give minor details to Naruto as he began to dress himself in the ceremonial garb from inside the changing room. At first, he was a little apprehensive about the look of the outfit, not really suiting his style, but as he remembered Shizune's words to take it seriously, he swallowed his petty complaints and began to change.

The more he looked at it, the more outfit seemed pretty badass. It was entirely comprised of bright reds, oranges, and yellows, in thousands of different shades that made Naruto look like a veritable light show with every movement. The outfit was a large coat of the lighter tones, while a long robe on the inside used the darker reds and oranges. What might have been the coolest part of the entire ensemble was the staff he was to carry with him during the performance. It was a simple wooden staff, with several sashes tied to it of the same colors as the outfit. But was the most interesting aspect was the tip, which held an ever-burning flame into the tip, which exploded into a massive fireball whenever Naruto slammed the bottom part of the staff into the ground. Like a child just given a potentially dangerous toy, Naruto began hitting the staff against the ground over and over, giggling every time a fireball erupted from the top, until he almost caught the curtain that surrounded him on fire. He decided he better finish getting dressed, and quickly slipped on his sandals and stepped outside.

Evidently, Hinata was faster than he was at changing clothes despite her being a girl, and it was when Naruto first saw Hinata earlier that night all over again. He stared at her with his mouth agape, admiring her beauty.

Because Hinata was representative of the village, her outfit was of a soft green, with a leaf pattern embroidered into it of a darker shade. She held a large fan in her hands, that when unfolded, revealed the symbol of the village. Her hair had been pinned up into a loose bun, with several soft strands framing her cheeks.

"I t-take it you like it…" Hinata teased quietly, giving him a slight smile. She didn't mind that Naruto was shamelessly staring at her; it was the all the others that made her a little uncomfortable.

"'Like' is an understatement…" Naruto said breathlessly. An odd feeling began to grow in his stomach as she looked at him; it felt like a knot was slowly growing tighter and tighter, threatening to snap loose at any moment. He had been feeling this sporadically throughout the entire night, but right now it was so strong Naruto was worried what might happen. She just looked so flawless right now; her hair, her eyes…her lips. They looked so full, so soft…

It was then that Naruto noticed that he had been moving towards Hinata subconsciously. She didn't seem to know what he had been intending, but if the light blush decorating her pale cheeks was any indication, Naruto had been about to take a _very_ big step forward. He stood there, incredibly embarrassed and with nothing to say. Luckily, Shizune came to his rescue.

"Oh good Hinata, you're already dressed. Now, you guys know what to do, right?"

The two nodded silently. Shizune seemed to be hiding something, her grin looking a little mischievous.

"Well then…good luck!" she said suddenly, pushing Naruto and Hinata backward. Their training kept them from falling over, but they stumbled up a small set of stairs through a curtain, and almost passed out from surprise when thousands of villagers suddenly cheered for their arrival. Shizune was right; more people _had_ shown up, and Naruto wouldn't be surprised if the entire village was present. And naturally, right in the front row with the rest of their gang, were Sakura and Ino, giggling to themselves as Naruto and Hinata stood on stage, frozen.

Tsunade, who had been further to the side of the stage, walked over to them, microphone in hand.

"And there they are, the guests of honor!" she proclaimed, gesturing towards the new arrivals as the massive crowd cheered once more. Hinata let out a small squeak of fright, before shuffling behind Naruto, her face as red as a tomato.

"That's right folks, the two special guests performing the Dance this year, is none other than our own hero, Naruto Uzumaki and the princess of the Hyūga clan, Hinata Hyūga! Now, it has been a tradition for the Hokage and his or her spouse to perform the ceremony, but I felt that this year we would shake things up and honor two of the village's bravest souls!"

Naruto couldn't help but roll his eyes at that obvious bullshit. Tsunade simply wanted to get out of doing it herself, and just used the 'hero' thing to make him and Hinata her scapegoats. Still, the attention he was currently receiving was quite nice, though Hinata seemed to be a little more adverse to it. He chuckled softly as she buried her face into the back of his clothing, and stepped out the way before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Several audible 'awwws' could be heard from the audience (mainly Ino), and this only made Hinata even redder.

Tsunade strode over to them, putting her hand over the microphone.

"I'm sure you two will be great! Just don't worry about the thousands of people watching you perform an incredibly important ceremony, okay?"

Her teasing didn't seem to amuse either Naruto or Hinata, but Tsunade either didn't notice, or didn't care.

"It's time to begin the performance! Please be respectful of the performers, as this ceremony dates back the first Hokage and his wife; it would be wise for you to treat it with the level of respect it deserves."

The crowd picked up on the Godaime's serious tone, and almost instantaneously quieted down, leaving all attention focused on Naruto and Hinata. Tsunade quietly slunk off stage as the lights dimmed.

"Naruto-kun…I'm scared…" Hinata confessed quietly, shaking so much she could barely hold onto her fan. She couldn't see all that well, but she felt a warm pair of hands grasp her own, rubbing them gently.

"Everything will be alright! I'm sure you'll knock it out of the park!" she heard Naruto whisper back. She could see his outline grow closer to her face, and her cheeks heated up immensely. But Naruto seemed to hesitate, and withdrew back, taking his place on the opposite side of the stage.

And just like that, all of Hinata's doubts and fears just melted away. She felt her body relax, and she quickly gathered herself into the pose just as two bright spotlights illuminated where she and Naruto stood. She could make out Naruto giving her a playful wink before the music slowly began to come alive.

* * *

><p>( watch?v=8XOV2L-eM38)<p>

The song began with a mysterious and soulful sound, as Naruto and Hinata wandered about the stage, seemingly aimless in their movements. Hinata would twirl and bow gently, performing intricate flashes with her fan, while Naruto's movements were much sparser, yet more powerful. He stamped his feet as he let small amounts of sparks shoot off from his staff. As the music approached the recurring theme, Naruto and Hinata suddenly acted as if they noticed each other, and began to move as one. Hinata spun around Naruto, and was supposed to stop directly in front of his arms so that he could lift her into the air. However, she took a slight misstep, and would have fallen over had Naruto not caught her. Without missing a beat, he added in extra spin in for her, before continuing on with the routine. As she landed back on her feet, Hinata turned around and quickly mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to Naruto, who silently replied with an 'It's okay, you're doing great.'

While Naruto and Hinata continued with the performance, they were both worried with how much their friends were snickering at them, getting a huge kick out seeing their friends in such elaborate get ups and prancing about. However, if they could see through the darkness, they would see it was actually quite the opposite.\

The entire front row was comprised almost completely of people who knew the pair personally. But instead of laughing or mimicking their friends' performance, they could only watch in complete amazement, almost entranced by Naruto's and Hinata's movements. Even Kiba was enjoying it, and was currently attempting to hide the fact that his eyes were tearing up.

A soft break in the music occurred, the cue for Hinata's solo. Naruto's light slowly dimmed out as she began to twist and contort her body much like a leaf caught in an immense breeze. Her natural flexibility was coming in handy, and even the usually humble Hinata knew she was nailing every move.

Suddenly, Naruto's staff burst into flame as the music came thundering back, making the crowd gasp in surprise. For those who had seen it before, it shouldn't have come as a surprise; but the performance was so pungent this year, that they had been taken completely off guard. Naruto began his portion of the solo, leaping wildly across the stage, doing his best to personify the fiery passion that surrounds the will of all people within the Land of Fire.

Naruto's and Hinata's movements grew more passionate, stamping feet harder and spinning around faster. Neither of the two was ever flashier than the other, maintaining a perfect balance that left people unable to decide which person to watch. It was like watching Yin and Yang on the stage, and to call it an amazing sight would be the understatement of the century.

Every so often as they performed, Naruto would catch a glimpse of Hinata, and vice versa. They would smile or wink at one another, just being playful. But something else was happening, something that neither of them were aware of: a bond between the two was forming. A little smile here, a passing glance there, they all added up to strengthen this blossoming connection.

The music was reaching its end, and Naruto and Hinata actually felt themselves feeling a little sad; this had been much more fun than they had originally anticipated. Naruto was enjoying the feeling of knowing everyone's eyes were on him, and Hinata was just happy that she was with Naruto. The music began to grow softer and softer, and the two's dancing became more subdued as they drew closer to one another. Finally, Hinata stepped into Naruto's arms, and they stood in the middle of the stage, completely motionless. The lights flashed off, returning the two to darkness.

"You were awesome!" Naruto whispered, tickling Hinata's ear with his breath.

"Thank you!" she muttered back. "You w-were amazing, too…"

They remained in that position, not actually having been informed on what to do once they had finished. They were about to silently sneak back behind the curtain when the stage lights slowly flickered back on. But that wasn't what surprised them.

No, that was the thousands of people leaping to their feet and cheering louder than they ever had before. They whistled and hollered, and clapped their hands off, completely blown away by what they had just seen. Kiba was now openly crying, which wasn't such a big deal considering half of the Konoha 11 was currently doing the same thing. Even the notoriously stoic Shino was trying to convince Chōji that he merely had an itch in his eye.

But it was Naruto and Hinata that felt it the most. What had started as something they hadn't wanted to do had turned into something beautiful they would remember forever. They both stood there, amazed by everyone's reaction, but just as amazed by the feeling within their own hearts. They felt a closer connection to their friends and family, and to the village.

And _especially_ to each other.

Tsunade stood in the back, peeking out from behind the curtain. She too had become so enthralled with Naruto's and Hinata's dancing that she had forgotten she was supposed to retake the stage once the performance was over. But instead she could just stand there, a cheek-splitting across her face as the two received a much deserved round of applause.

Eventually, Tsunade remembered her task, and as she announced her own impressment with the two, another round of applause erupted from the crowd, forcing Naruto and Hinata to take yet another bow. They were afraid that they would never get to leave, and that might have certainly happened, had Tsunade not reminded the audience that the grand finale of the festival, a massive fireworks display, was due to begin in 20 minutes, and that everyone should head towards a nearby clearing where seating had been set up. The huge crowd began to slowly file out of the stage area, eager to get a good seat. Sakura and the others remained, wanting to speak with the two performers.

"Hey, Naruto!" Sakura called out, motioning for the two to join them. "That was…amazing! I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting much, but you guys…you blew it out of the park!"

Lee gave them a famous toothy smile. "I agree with Sakura-san! That was a beautiful display of youthfulness, probably the most beautiful I've seen in years!"

Neji said nothing, but the smile he wore on his face showed that he felt nothing but pride for his cousin, who blushed under all the praise the others were showering upon them.

"You guys wanna go get a seat for the fireworks before they all run out?" asked Ino, motioning towards where everyone else was going. The others readily accepted and began to follow her, but as Hinata made to as well, she felt herself being held back. Sakura noticed this out of the corner of her eye, and saw that Naruto was staying put, holding Hinata back with him.

"Are you guys coming?" she asked, making everyone else stop for a moment. To their surprise, Naruto shook his head.

"Thanks guys, but I kinda want to be alone with Hinata for this. Is that okay?"

Some of the others chuckled as Hinata turned beet red at Naruto's request, but they gladly accepted, and bid their friends a fond farewell. Sakura was the last to leave, and she had a strange look on her eye s as she wished the two a good night, before catching up with the rest of them.

"What's the matter, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. "D-don't you want to watch the fireworks?"

Naruto smiled. "Of course I do! I just know of a better place to watch them, that's all."

Before Hinata could even ask where this place was, Naruto had thrown her on top of his back piggyback style, and soon they were leaping through the trees, in the direction of the village. Hinata was in such a good mood, she couldn't help but joyously laugh just for the fun of it, wrapping her arms around Naruto's neck as she nuzzled into his back.

Before they arrived at Naruto's mystery destination, there were some things they needed to take care of. First off, they had forgotten to change out of their dance garb, and were forced to run back. After that, Naruto stopped by both the photo booth and the small game booth, and received his prizes. Hinata insisted on snuggling with the giant stuffed fox she was now squeezing in her arms, so Naruto had to make due with a giant fuzzball separating them as they continued on their way.

* * *

><p>"Okay, we're almost there." Naruto said, as they reached the village walls. "I want you to close your eyes, and only open them when I say so, okay?"<p>

"Okay…" Hinata giggled, shutting her eyes. In a moment of cheekiness, she activated her Byakugan silently, only to hear Naruto's voice again.

"And no Byakugan, got it?"

Hinata quoted quietly, but accepted his terms and returned to being able to see nothing. She could feel the cool breeze brush against her cheeks as Naruto continued to leap from rooftop to rooftop, making the trip as gentle as possible.

Finally, Hinata felt Naruto come to a stop, and she could feel the wind was stronger than before, letting her know that wherever they were, it had some altitude.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now.." Naruto whispered, setting his date down onto her feet. Hinata quickly opened her eyes, and gasped.

They were standing right on the edge of the Hokage Monument, the massive stone faces visible at Hinata's feet. At first she felt a little nervous being this close to the edge, but her heart calmed down as she took in the village's beauty from their perch. She had never come up her that often, and now she understood why Naruto had chosen this spot. To their left, the clearing where the festival had been held could be seen, glinting like a wildfire in the distance.

Naruto traced his finger in the sky a short ways away.

"That's where the fireworks should be going off," he explained, taking a seat in the grass. "Up here, you don't have to crane your neck, and you don't have to deal with any little kids yelling or stuff like that!"

"Naruto-kun…how did you find out about this?" Hinata asked, joining him on the ground.

The blonde rubbed the back of his head, his expression hardening.

"Well, to tell the truth…it was because back then, people would chase me away when they saw me. I found this place when I was looking for a spot to be alone and watch them without having to worry about some of the villagers."

Hinata regretted asking the question, and nestled into his shoulder as a way of apology. Naruto seemed to accept this wholeheartedly, gently taking her hand into his own.

It was then that the fireworks began, starting off with the smaller rockets. However, Konoha was kind of addicted to _FIRE_works, so even though they were called 'little', that was only a matter of perspective, as they were actually gargantuan displays of light and color. They thundered and boomed even from this distance, and Hinata gasped in amazement whenever a particularly large one went off.

Naruto looked over at Hinata, who was giggling like a small child as the explosions of vivid colors reflected off of her pale flesh. He felt that same knot in his stomach again, and his whole body was heating up in a way he had no control over.

"Hinata-chan…" he said softly, sighing in pure contentment. "I had a really awesome time tonight."

Hinata, even though she was enthralled with fireworks display, broke eye contact when she heard the tone in Naruto's voice. He was giving he such a sweet look, she felt a similar knot begin to grow inside her own stomach.

"Me too, Naruto-kun…this is the most fun I've ever had. I c-can't thank you enough for asking me to join you."

Naruto grinned widely. "No problem. This was definitely the most fun I've ever had too!"

And right then, just like something out of a cheesy romance flick, the last firework launched into the air. At 10 feet across and 35 feet tall, there were many that were afraid such a large collection of flammable material might set the entire forest on fire. But Tsunade wouldn't budge, insisting it would launch high enough into the air to avoid such a disaster. And she was right; it climbed higher and higher, so much that even Hinata had to crane her neck to see it.

And when it reached the peak of its ascent, it burst into the most impressive display either of them had ever seen. Huge showers of red, orange, and white danced across the nighttime sky, giving off such a strong light that for a few seconds, people might have mistaken it for day. The explosions continued for almost a minute solid, the massive rocket splitting up into smaller and smaller halves until a massive shower of golden sparks rained down the from the sky, spreading much further than either Naruto or Hinata had expected. A small amount even almost reached as far as the Hokage monument, nearly close enough for Hinata to reach out with a delicate hand to try and catch them much like a child would with the first snow of the season.

Hinata sighed in a serene joy. "…I love fireworks."

Naruto froze. Something she had said had felt weird to him; he couldn't describe it, but a very strange feeling was beginning to well up within the blonde.

"Hinata…what did you say?" he asked tentatively, catching her attention. Hinata turned to her date, and with the sweetest smile on her face she said:

"I said I love fireworks."

_Love…_

_LOVE…_

It hit Naruto like a thunderbolt. A memory so vivid it flooded all five of his senses, transporting him within the confines of his own mind.

* * *

><p><em>~Flashback~<em>

_Naruto howled in pain as the chakra rods used by the leader of the Akatsuki pierced his flesh, being driven through his limbs and trapping him against the earth. He attempted to free his arms, but found that his body rejected his commands._

'_Dammit…what's going on!' he thought to himself, sweat pouring down his forehead. 'His chakra…I can feel it flowing it into me!'_

"_You'll no longer be able to move on your own…" Pain announced, snapping the last of the rods off into Naruto's leg. "But I've kept the wounds shallow, and have avoided vital organs. I want to keep the Kyūbi alive, after all…"_

_Naruto felt all hop leave him at his words. It truly was over. No one would be able to help him now. The Akatsuki had beaten him, and there was nothing he could do but resign himself to his failure._

_But then, out of the corner of his eye, something leaped into view, smashing into the ground where Pain had only seconds ago stood. As the dust cleared, Naruto's eyes widened in fear…_

_Hinata was there. And she was standing in between him and Pain._

"_I won't let you lay another finger on Naruto-kun!" she cried, her voice laden with a fierce determination._

"_What're you doing here!" Naruto yelled out, a desperate plea. "Get out of here while you can! You're no match for-"_

"_I know…" she interrupted, her voice soft and serene despite the destruction that surrounded them. "I guess I'm just being selfish…"_

_Naruto couldn't believe the words he was hearing. Hinata…shy, quiet Hinata had come to his aid?_

"_What're you talking about!" he shouted. "What are you doing here? Please, it's dangerous!"_

_She nodded at his words, but refused to move._

"_I'm here of my own free will, Naruto-kun…" She activated her Byakugan, and stood proudly before what Naruto was horrified would be her certain death._

_"I used to always cry and give up… I made many wrong turns… But you… You helped me find the right path… I always chased after you… wanting to catch up to you… I just wanted to walk beside you all the time… I just wanted to be with you… You changed me! Your smile is what saved me! That is why I'm not afraid to die protecting you!"_

_Naruto couldn't believe his ears. Hinata was willing…to die for him? But nothing could have prepared him for what came next._

"_Because….I…"_

"_Love you."_

_._

_._

_._

_Love you…_

_._

_._

_._

_I love you._

_~End Flashback~_

* * *

><p>Hinata cocked her head in Naruto's direction; she could have sworn she heard him say something. As she watched his features, still obscured by his hair hanging down in front of his face, a strange sound began to emit from the blonde's throat. It was quiet at first, and Hinata had to strain to hear it, but as it got louder, Hinata realized that Naruto was…laughing?<p>

The poor girl yelped in terror as Naruto suddenly scooped her up into his arms, spinning her around like a top. He was laughing almost manically at this point, and Hinata couldn't help but feel a little worried for him.

"Naruto-kun? What's wrong?"

The blonde realized how dizzy he was making the poor girl, and he gently set her down. Still, he looked as if he was about to explode with happiness, his eyes brighter than ever before.

"Hinata…I remembered! I remembered I remembered!" he shouted, laughing again as he danced about the area. Now Hinata was really concerned for him.

"Remembered what? Naruto-kun…what're you talking about?" she asked hesitantly, giving him an odd look.

Naruto's smile softened, but continued to hold the level of unbridled joy it had from earlier. He took Hinata's hands in his own, and looked like he was about to cry.

"I remembered what you said, Hinata…you said, you…"

"Loved me."

Hinata had been so caught up in Naruto's words, that she hadn't noticed how close he had gotten to her. He was just inches away from her body, and she could hear his heartbeat, thumping wildly in his chest. Her own heart began to beat faster and faster, and the look in his eye made it seem like he was about to…

He gave her one last smile, looked into those beautiful, soft lavender eyes of hers, and gently pressed his lips to her forehead, unable to hold himself back any longer. The knot that had been growing in his stomach just seemed to fade away, and Naruto felt himself smirking through his kiss. He had realized that that knot in his stomach was his body's way of telling him that he had wanted to do that nearly all night long.

There was complete silence as Naruto held the girl he had just kissed in his arms, rocking her back and forth. He was so happy he wanted to sing and dance and scream it to the world. It had been the first time someone in his life had ever said those words to him, and even though he felt bad that he had forgotten them for some time, he was even happier that he now remembered her words. She had confessed her love for him in the face of certain death, and now everything made sense. Her stuttering, her blushing, her…

Naruto felt the warm body in arms suddenly go limp, and he could only giggle to himself. He felt silly for letting it slip his mind until now, but now that it had happened, there was nothing he could do about it.

Poor Hinata, overcome with emotion, had fainted.

"Guess I'm going to have to get used to that…" Naruto chuckled to himself, scooping up the girl bridal style as he had so many times in the past month or so. He quickly summoned some shadow clones, who picked up her new stuffed animal, as well as their other things so that the original Naruto could be free to hold Hinata in his arms.

* * *

><p>The walk back to Hinata's home was one of the best Naruto had ever taken. Sure, the weather was nice, but it was more of because of the beautiful women in his arms, sleeping soundly as he carried her.<p>

As Naruto walked, he went through every memory he had of the Hyūga princess, now fully able to understand why she had been so dodgy around him, stuttering and hiding whenever he came nearby. How long had this been going on, how long had she loved him this way?

Naruto didn't care, at least not right now. Someone loved him, and it was the girl he had just spent the most wonderful night in his life with. He looked down at her, smiling like an idiot to himself. Even though she was unconscious, Naruto could have sworn she was smiling, and desperately hoped she awoke before he would have to leave her at home.

His hope grew more and more desperate the closer they got to the Hyūga compound. Naruto tried speaking to her, shaking her gently, even pretending to drop her in attempts to wake her, but nothing seemed to work. He had just about given up hope when he heard a soft sigh come from the girl in his arms. As he looked down, smiling, the shy face of Hinata Hyūga stared back at him.

"…Hey," was all he could say, still too happy to say anything else.

"H-hey…" Hinata replied, giving her date a small smile.

Naruto gently set her down, acting as a brace while Hinata fully came to.

"Wh-where…am I?" she asked lazily, holding her head as she tried to wash that sleepy feeling away.

"just outside your house. I had to carry you home after you fainted," he replied, rubbing the back of his head as he laughed nervously. Hinata cocked her head in confusion.

"Fainted?...what happened?" she asked.

"Well uhh…you fainted right after I uhhh…told you…" Naruto stammered, blushing a furiously bright shade of red.

"T-told me? Naruto-kun, what did you tell me?"

Naruto took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

"I told you that I remembered what you said when you defended me from Pain. I remember _all_ of it. You said you….loved me."

Hinata froze as everything came rushing back to her in vivid detail. Naruto acting strange, him revealing his memory to her, his kiss…

Her hand flew to her forehead, and she could have sworn she still felt some remedial warmth from the spot Naruto had pressed his lips against. Her breathing became labored, and she was finding it hard to stand. She wobbled dangerously to the side, and would have fallen over had Naruto not reached out and caught her.

"Hinata, I'm sorry I did that!" he said, worried that his kiss might have upset her somehow. "I just…it just came over me… and I'm sorry that I-"

"I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried out, grasping against his clothes. Naruto could hear her begin to sob, and instantly became worried.

"Hinata, what's wron-"

"I should have told you!" Hinata interrupted. "I should have told you how I felt from the moment I knew! I was just…just so scared! And I never did anything about it and I feel so bad for doing that to you and…and…"

"Hinata, calm down!" Naruto exclaimed, shaking the almost hysterical girl gently.

"No, it's not okay!" she sobbed. "I could have been there for you, helped you through all that pain, but I was too cowardly! But I finally told you I loved you and I almost died and…I meant it Naruto-kun…I love you! I love you…"

She had said it. It may have been for the second time, but Hinata still felt as if it had been the first. All her stress and tension just eased out of her body, and she slumped into his arms, her cries slowly dying down.

"I meant what I said, Naruto-kun…" she muttered into his clothing. "I…love you…"

She heard nothing for several minutes, and was scared to lift her head. What if this was what ruined their relationship before it even started? The feeling of not knowing became so overpowering that Hinata could no longer take it; she jerked her head away from Naruto's chest, to find him…

Smiling. Naruto had the widest smile she had ever seen, and his eyes looked so happy…she felt her heart begin to do backflips as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Hinata…you don't have to apologize for anything…really! You're the…first person to ever say that to me. I should be the one who is sorry…for forgetting about it and all."

"B-but Naruto-kun…"

"I'm not done." Naruto said sternly, but with a gentle look in his eyes. "I _am _sorry of what I did, regardless of whether or not it was my fault. But me being sorry doesn't even come close to how happy I am right now! Hinata, that was the best night I've ever had, and I really like you."

He ran a hand through his thick, matted hair, looking lost for words.

"I'm not going to lie and say that I love you back, but…I _really_ like you, Hinata. If you'd let me, I really want to see where this goes…"

Hinata's mouth hung open like a fish. "Na-Na…Naruto-kun…are you…asking…"

Naruto smiled softly, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Hinata…would you be my girlfr-"

That was as far as the blonde got, as the ability to speak had left him.

That tends to happen when someone's collides their mouth with yours.

It was clumsy, silly, and spontaneous. But It was also the most wonderful thing either of them had ever experienced.

Naruto had first been surprised by Hinata's sudden bravery, his eyes widening. But his mind cranked slower and slower, and Naruto closed his eyes as he felt her lips hungrily press themselves even further against his. Their bodies smashed into one another, Hinata's hands seeking out to frame Naruto's whiskered face. Meanwhile, his arms had found their way into the small of her back, gently pulling her closer.

Finally, the need for air became too great, and Naruto and Hinata were forced to separate. They looked into each other's eyes, their breathing ragged, and their hands hanging awkwardly at their side. But they were both smiling, the happiest they had ever been.

"You have _n_-_no_ idea how long I've been wanting to do that…" Hinata muttered, pressing her fingertips to her mouth as she calmed down.

Naruto smiled. "You have no idea how long _I've _been waiting to do that…" Naruto retorted, giving her a cheeky grin. "Soo…is that a yes?"

Hinata giggled at his joke, before leaping into his arms, wrapping them around his neck.

"Y-yes, Naruto-kun…there's nothing I would love more than to be your girlfriend."

"R-really!" Naruto said, making sure he wasn't just hearing things. "You really want to?"

Hinata practically beamed as she nodded over and over again, tearing up again, this time from joy.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. Yes yes yes….yes…"

The newly-christened couple stayed in each other's arms for what seemed like an eternity. They both felt so warm, so safe standing there, that when the time came for Naruto to be heading home, neither of them wanted to leave.

"I guess we'll be able to have that second date sooner than I thought, huh?" Naruto said teasingly, making Hinata laugh.

"If I'm with you, Naruto-kun…I don't care where we go…" Hinata replied, grasping onto his hand as she weakly held him back from walking away.

Naruto suddenly got an idea. And a good one at that.

"Hey… why not tomorrow! Everyone has the day off tomorrow, we could do it then!"

Hinata was overjoyed at the idea, and promised to leave her day open. Now that they had a second date planned, Naruto was feeling a little bolder.

"Well I guess I'll see my _girlfriend_ tomorrow then, okay?" he said in a low voice, before quickly sneaking in one last kiss. It felt like his head was swimming, and Naruto found it nearly impossible to break the contact, his senses completely abandoning him. Finally, he regained control over his body, and separated from Hinata, before he leaped to the rooftops to head home. He turned around one last time to smile at his girlfriend, and then disappeared.

Hinata stood in front of the complex, her lips still pursed together as if Naruto was still there. But when she felt nothing there, she embarrassingly realized Naruto had left.

"I'm…Naruto-kun's girlfriend…" she muttered to herself, as if she was trying to make sure that what she was saying was the truth. And then suddenly…

"Naruto-kun…IS MY BOYFRIEND! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she squealed at a volume thought impossible to be produced by human lungs, alarming any and all of the villagers that had remained in the village.

And somewhere in the village, a certain blonde had heard her. He continued down his way back home…

And grinned.

**END OF BOOK ONE**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: It's with a heavy heart that I have to inform you that I have to stop writing this story...

PSYCHE. But seriously though, I kind of DO have to stop writing, at least for a little while. My schedule has become very very cramped for the rest of the summer, leaving me with nearly no time to write. Until the fall, or at least sometime in August, the story won't be updated. Now, that doesn't meant I won't be writing anything, but it'll be more of like preparations for the next story arc covering all of the chapters, instead of working on completing one. I MAY be able to put in another omake chapter because they're shorter, but don't hold your breath. I still have the weekends, but that's not a lot of time.

I want to thank you guys for the absolutely gargantuan amount of support I've gotten from you guys. I want to tell you that you've hitched a ride on what I will try my hardest to make one of the best stories this site has ever seen. If it takes a MILLION WORDS, so be it. I've got so much more in store for you, and I can't wait to get started once I have the time. But before I bid farewell for now, I would like to ask of you two things:

**1):** I would like all of you to leave a review. ALL OF YOU. I'm not _demanding one_, but if you've done it every chapter (like the awesome person you are), or if it'll be your first time, please leave a review if you liked my story, of any length or content. Tell me what you like, what you loved, what you hope to see in the future! I take all of it into account, and you may be surprised to see what makes it in future chapters. While I'm obviously not crazy about negative feedback, since I want more people to read this story, if you have something that you absolutely want me to address or fix in the future, it is perfectly your right to do so, and I will take the criticism humbly and happily, as long as it's not shameless bashing.

I love reading you guys' reviews, and I may just have use my entire weekend now and then to write a full chapter. ;]

**2):** Help get this story out there. Have a forum you frequent? A friend who you know would like it? Put it out there! Let's make this story spread like wildfire, as the more people there are, the merrier!

Writing for you guys has been one of the highlights of my life since I joined this site back in March. I can't wait to get back into the swing of things, so here's a little sneak preview at just what's to come.

* * *

><p><strong>"Are you sure this is the right place?"<strong>Zetsu growled, lazily trailing behind his superior in the vast desert that blanketed the Land of Wind. It was a windless, moonless night, a perfect environment for the two monstrosities traversing over the endless dunes.

"Of course I am," Tobi replied as he continued walking. "All of our information networks point to this place. To make up for recent events, we will need to bring on some extra help to accomplish our goals."

"But are you sure _he's_ the right man for the job?" White Zetsu questioned. "He _did_ use to be a member of the Sand Village, after all."

Tobi inclined his head slightly in Zetsu's direction, annoyance evident in his body language "He will join our cause whether he wants to or not. Have you forgotten whom you are speaking with, Zetsu?"

The gigantic man/plant hybrid, didn't reply, only muttering to himself as Tobi picked up the pace across the desert. They crossed over the top of what was an unusually large dune, and their destination revealed itself in the distance.

A massive mountain loomed across the sand, jutting out of the earth like an exposed bone, to a massive body. It grew larger and larger until Tobi and Zetsu felt consumed by it's shadow, intimidating them silently. As they approached the base of the mountain, the sand began to disappear, replaced by stone and rock. Some might have called this place a haven for those seeking to escape the blasting winds and endless expanse of sand, but if the landslides and teetering boulders were any indication, this mountain was far from safe.

"It will be somewhere around the Western side of the mountain." Tobi announced, leaping atop one of the boulders to begin his mysterious search. "The area is most likely covered with traps, so proceed with caution."

"I'll be just fine, Tobi." White Zetsu jeered back, taking another route to the other side of the mountain. He began peeking under all rocks and behind crevices, joining Tobi in his search.

The masked leader of the Akatsuki, leaped to the top of particularly large boulder, surveying the surrounding area. Everything looked like it was in its place, and that it had been unmoved for centuries.

Which is exactly what he was looking for.

"Zetsu!" he called out. "I've found it."

Within a matter of seconds his subordinate had joined him, and from the look in his eyes, he wasn't impressed.

**"Found what?" **Black Zetsu grunted. **"This place looks like it hasn't been touched in centuries."**

"That's exactly the point." Tobi retorted, as if it were obvious. "This place is one of the few areas in this stretch of the desert that can provide shelter from sandstorms. Do you really think _no one_ has ever been here? A place such as this would have been visited by humans by now, and they always leave evidence of their time spent here, regardless of the quantity. This place looks to natural...this is the spot, I'm sure of it."

To prove his point, Tobi began lifting the boulders out of the way, pulverizing them if they were too large to be shifted from their positions. Zetsu merely watched from a short distance away, shifting his body impatiently. But when Tobi destroyed one of the larger boulders, something glinted at them in the moonlight.

"At last..." Tobi breathed through his mask, approaching the small symbol that had been revealed. The crest was a plain black diamond, with some sort of trigram pattern seated in the middle. Zetsu couldn't see it, but Tobi was smiling from underneath his mask.

And that can only spell disaster for the shinobi world.

* * *

><p>I've given you the clues needed to figure out what's in store, but if you solve the puzzle, try not to spoil it for the others.<p>

Until next time, Codaram out.


	19. Book Two: A Storm Rises

**Author's Note:** I'm back, bitches.

I hope there wasn't anyone who thought I was never coming back. I fully intend to stand by what I said just about a month ago; this story WILL be finished, even if it takes me years.

I want to thank all of you for the absolutely gargantuan amount of support you guys gave me during my absence. Words can't really describe how thankful I am to have brought entertainment for so many people, and I hope to continue to do so for a long time. I've saved every single one of my e-mail alerts, to serve as a reminder of just how many people I'm writing for now.

Onto other business. My schedule has, as promised, opened up, and I will most likely start putting up chapters about every week for quite some time. This won't change too much, but it _will_ change every now and then.

One reader has asked for me to put up summaries for the previous chapters, so that if your forget something, you don't have to hunt through 10,000+ words to find it. I will do so, at least for him, but only in a PM. If enough people want them, however, I can put it up here. If you'd like something like this, I encourage you to tell me.

I also want to share something with you. I don't know who you are, what you look like, or what you enjoy outside of this site. What I do know, or can at least take a guess at, is that a great deal of you like to write. I've seen too many profiles where people explain they tried their hand at writing, but stopped because they felt their skill wasn't up to snuff.

Bollocks.

Everyone deserves to do what they love, and you shouldn't stop just because you feel you're not good enough, or some asshole points that out to you. I was much the same way, until I saw something that changed my outlook. I want to show it to you, and hope that you see the same thing I did. Take from it what you will, but I hope it encourages you to keep writing.

**Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography - Language (watch?v=J7E-aoXLZGY)**

Okay, enough of my blabbing. You have some reading you want to do, yes? On with Book Two!

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><p><strong>BOOK TWO: Chapter 1 - The Storm Rises<strong>

There were some days that Gaara just _hated_ living in the desert.

A fan spun lazily around and around above his head, doing little to hold back the stuffy heat that had now fully permeated the room that was his office. He had tried everything to cool himself down; glasses of water, a damp rag, he even tried opening the window in hopes that the Land of _Wind_ would give him a much-needed breeze. Yet with everything he tried, he still found beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, dripping down onto the paperwork he was working on.

He sighed. It had been his proudest moment when they elected him Kazekage, knowing that he would be able to protect the village he had come to care for so dearly, but sometimes he wished he could just _not_ be the Kazekage for a day or two, and spend entire days huddled in the darkness of his room, blissfully unaware of all the problems Suna had to deal with every day. Being surrounded by rock and sand left you with little natural resources to trade with other nations, and their less-than-ideal weather kept most travelers at bay. This left very little money to spread around the entire village, and it wasn't uncommon for Gaara to have to take funds away from one essential enterprise to fuel another.

Currently choosing to divide money to either the hospital or the academy was becoming too stressful for the young man, so he decided a short break wouldn't hurt. Perhaps just getting to his feet would help cool him down.

He pushed himself away from his desk, rising to his feet. He felt the robes of the Kage cling to his armor underneath, damp with the sweat of midday. He strode over to the door of his office, making sure there wasn't anyone around to see what he was about to do. Satisfied he wouldn't be interrupted, Gaara shut the door…

And began flapping his robes against his body, unceremoniously scratching at his crotch as he did so. Were anyone to see him acting in such an Un-Gaara-like matter, especially his siblings, he would never hear the end of it. But he needed to cool down, and this was often the only way to do so.

It was beginning to work, and Gaara smiled ever so slightly as his body cooled down from the air flow. It felt so nice to have _any_ air moving through his clothes, that he became a little preoccupied in his activity, and rammed into his desk in his enthusiasm.

The jolt brought him back to reality, and returned him to his usual stoic self. He bent over to pick what had fallen over, and felt his smile grow a little wider.

Some time ago, Naruto and the rest of Team Kakashi had arrived to meet with him in helping the effort to rebuild the Leaf Village through offering extra supplies. The council had protested, as its resources stretched thin as it was, but Gaara wouldn't hear of it. After all, he had explained, wasn't it because of Naruto that Gaara was even here in the first place?

It was a picture the Kazekage was holding, one that someone had insisted upon taking as Naruto and Gaara agreed upon the terms of the deal. Everything had been going smoothly, but Naruto had begun to pitch a fit when asked to act more 'respectable' since he was around the Kazekage. The blonde hadn't taken kindly to that comment since he and Gaara were friends, and once the time for the photo came around, Naruto promptly turned around, and bared his ass for the camera.

Gaara couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. Kankurō had almost fainted from embarrassment, and Temari had spent the next 20 minutes chasing after the laughing Uzumaki, foaming at the mouth. The council had suggested they take another photo, but for some reason that they would most likely never be able to figure out, Gaara insisted they keep the original photo, which now took a special place at his desk. There were some who thought it helped keep him light-hearted during all the gloomy work of being a Kage, while others suggested that Gaara was keeping it because it was the only copy, and it would never be seen by the public if he kept it himself.

Naturally, none of these rumors were true. Gaara had kept the photo simply because Naruto was a dear friend, and he wanted a memento of nothing other than who Naruto really was.

He returned the photograph to its rightful place on his desk, before making his way over to the window. He felt a little happier as he watched the citizens of his village go about their business, more carefree than they had been for months. The war had been almost the only thing on their minds, but even though Gaara had not revealed that he and the other Kage had officially 'called off' the war, the villagers seemed to pick up on it nonetheless, and morale had gradually improved.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gaara noticed something heading for his office. Ever since his kidnapping, security around the village border had become immensely sharper, so whatever it was, it couldn't be anything hostile. Still, he felt his muscles tense up for a moment, before relaxing considerably once he could make out what it was.

He stepped aside as he opened the window as Pakkun leaped onto the floor, carrying on his back a very exhausted, and _very _dehydrated toad, gasping for air.

"Wa…wa…ter…" The toad managed to croak out, in between dry gasps. Gaara reached over to his desk and grabbed the pitcher he had used to refill his own glass. He handed it to the toad, who instead of drinking it, simply dumped its contents onto his body, soaking Pakkun as well.

"Hey, what the hell!?" the ninja hound yelped out in surprise as the cool liquid soaked his fur. The unnamed toad didn't seem to understand what he had done, but was in a much better mood now that he had some water in his system.

"Ahhh, that is so much better!" he exclaimed, rubbing his clammy hands all over his now-damp body. He noticed the Kazekage looking at him curiously, and this seemed to remind the toad of his manners.

"Gaara-sama! I apologize for my manners! Allow me to introduce myself. I am-"

"You are one of Naruto's summons." Gaara finished for him, returning to his full height. "And you are Pakkun, one of Kakashi's ninja hounds?"

The dog grunted in response, shaking himself off of any excess water.

Gaara sat down behind his desk, interlacing his fingers as he eyed his new guests carefully. It was curious that they should show up, unannounced, and Gaara waited patiently until the toad was ready to speak.

"Gaara-sama, you are probably wondering why I have braved the desert heat and sun to reach you," the toad said dramatically, much to Pakkun's chagrin.

"_Braved_ my ass," he muttered under his breath. "We were only a third of the way here before I needed to carry you the rest of the way."

"_As I was saying"_ Naruto's summon continued, "I am here to bring a message from Naruto-dono. He wishes to discuss a matter of great importance with you."

Gaara raised an eyebrow. "And why did he not use one of Konoha's messenger birds? Surely they would have gotten the message here just as well."

The toad folded his arms, nodding sagely. "An excellent point, Gaara-sama. Truly your wisdom knows no bounds. But Naruto-dono was aware that hawks and such are monitored more carefully by prying eyes, and wished for the message to remain private. He requested I bring the message as my kind isn't tracked like official channels."

The Kazekage grew slightly worried. There was a very short list of subjects Naruto would wish to talk with him about that could be considered important, and as the toad handed him the small scroll which contained the message, Gaara understood. He quickly released the seal barring the message from being read, and quickly glanced through the contents.

"I see…." he said simply, leaning back in his chair. "Naruto is…having nightmares?"

The toad nodded. "Yes. Naruto-dono's sleep is plagued by these dreams, and has been for several weeks now, and he rarely finds respite. For some reason, the Kyūbi has seen fit to torture Naruto-dono with horrifying images. He informed me that you once too suffered from something like this?"

Gaara shut his eyes. It wasn't really a memory he wanted to revisit. The Shukaku's presence within his body had taken its toll, and the vivid images of death and blood he was shown caused the Kazekage to shudder slightly.

"Yes…I did. Bus that was a long time ago. What does Naruto need from me?"

"He was wondering if you could help him out." Pakkun answered. "He thought that since you had improved so much over the years, you must have done something to help the tension between you and…well, you know."

Gaara considered their words. His heart went out to Naruto, all too aware of the effects such a thing could have on someone.

"You are right, Pakkun-san, but only partially so."

"Oh?" Pakkun answered, raising his brow.

"The relationship between the Shukaku and I did change, but it was nothing I did."

"G-Gaara-sama? What do you mean?" the toad asked, worrying he would come back with nothing for Naruto.

"The nightmares simply… stopped one day. I was never able to discern why, and the only reason I have been able to come up with was that the Shukaku simply became bored since I had started ignoring him. I am sorry I can't offer anything else to you."

His apology was sincere, but the toad mortified anyway. He threw himself onto the floor, sobbing deeply.

"Oh, what will I do!?" he cried. "How can I return to Naruto-dono without a solution to his suffering? Oh, he will be so disappointed with me!"

Pakkun rolled his eyes at how dramatic his companion was acting, turning back to Gaara.

"Is there anything that may have happened the day before? It might help us come up with the reason he stopped, something we can take to Naruto."

Gaara considered it for several moments. His memory of so long ago was hazy at best, but mismatched memories and voices began to return to him, slowly. He could remember a rather boring mission he was assigned, returning for the report, and Temari congratulating him on his progress…

He remained on that thought for a few seconds longer, letting the memory become stronger. It hadn't been a particularly memorable day, but he was able to remember that it had been one of the first times he had considered aspiring to become the Kazekage, in order to protect the people he was becoming increasingly fond of. Could that…

Gaara reached over, grabbing a blank scroll before carefully writing down his thoughts on Naruto's dilemma. It wasn't much, but it was all he could do right now. Naruto's summon attempted to grab a peek at whatever Gaara was writing, hopping up onto his shoulder, but Pakkun jumped after him, yanking him back down to his desk with a quick nip on the leg.

"Have some respect, will ya?" Pakkun scolded, "If he wanted us to see what he had written, he would have told us."

The toad pouted for a bit, folding his arms in a huff before he accepted Pakkun's reasoning, and patiently waited for Gaara to finish.

"Here, please return this to Naruto when you get the chance." Gaara spoke up, handing the scroll to the toad. "I'm afraid it won't be helpful, but it's truly the best I can do."

The toad accepted the scroll, bowing deeply as he fumbled with tying it to his back.

"It would be wise to wait a few hours before making the return journey," Gaara continued, folding his arms. "The sun will have set by then, and it will be much cooler."

"Re-return journey?" The toad croaked, a horrified look on his face. "You mean…we have to go back out there!?"

Pakkun gritted his teeth, his reserves of tolerance nearly drained. "Of course we have to. How else did you expect the message to return to Naruto?"

The toad stuttered for a response, but found himself unable to say anything. He hung his head dejectedly, shambling over to the window where Pakkun was tapping his paw impatiently. Without another word, the toad took his place aside his companion, sobbing quietly as he looked out into the endless expanse of desert.

"Please give Naruto my regards upon your return." Gaara requested quietly, holding the window open. Just before the two summons leaped back outside, Gaara suddenly remembered something.

"I don't think I ever heard your name," the Kazekage observed, speaking to the toad. He outstretched his hand to the small amphibian, who seemed honored someone so important would want to shake his hand.

"My name is Asoko, Gaara-sama," he replied happily, only able to grab ahold of two of the Kazekage's fingers as he returned the handshake. Gaara offered him a small smile, before bidding them a quiet farewell. The two summons leapt to a nearby rooftop, ready to begin the long journey back to Naruto. Gaara watched them go, smiling softly as they grew smaller and smaller in the distance. He silently wished them an easy journey, before returning to his desk.

Time sped by after their little meeting, and Gaara found himself through his work for the day faster than he had ever done. It was a welcome relief, and Gaara was looking forward to spending the free time he now had wandering about the village, walking with his people and enjoying the cooling weather. A distant rumble broke him out of his daydreaming, and he turned in the direction of the window to seek out the source of the noise.

He once again approached the window, and to his surprise, saw sizable storm clouds in the distance, growing larger with each passing minute. Gaara would have to cancel his walk, but he was glad for the rain. The village would appreciate the storm as well, able to refresh their stores of drinkable water without having to worry about finding one of the underground springs they usually relied on. From what he was told, Pakkun wasn't too fond of getting wet, but he was sure that Asoko would enjoy the downpour at least, and smiled slightly, another distant boom sounding in the distance.

* * *

><p><strong>2 days earlier<strong>

A man slept soundly in his room, a lopsided grin on his face as he snored peacefully in his bed. This man was no one important, just a simple villager content with his simple job and simple life. Even though he was fast asleep, he was in a very good mood. You see, it had been the first time in months that he had been able to get a decent night's sleep.

That tends to happen when you're upstairs neighbor is none other than Naruto Uzumaki.

The blonde was in fact sharing this wonderful sleep with his downstairs neighbor, his usually incredibly obnoxious snoring replaced with a soft breathing, his chest gently rising and falling. To the left of his bed sat a small table, and sitting on top of this table, was the container that once held Kakashi's sleeping powder that he had given to Naruto, now empty. Whatever was the reason for Naruto's much-needed break from his nightmares, it wasn't his teacher's gift. In fact, it wasn't even a something.

It was a someone.

Within Naruto's dreams, he was eating the most delicious bowl of ramen he had ever eaten, and no matter how much he ate, he never got full and the bowl never ran out. He munched into his endless meal happily, the widest grin he had ever had stretched across his whiskered face. He was so engrossed in his meal, that he almost hear a most beautiful sound, tickling his ear.

"_Naruto-kun…"_

It was a voice, soft and sweet like a melody. Naruto couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but he felt himself drawn to it, rising up from his food. An endless white expanse lay before him, and the voice called out again.

"_Naruto-kun…"_

Naruto felt so safe when he heard that voice, so at peace with himself. He wanted to seek it out, to find who it belonged to, and wandered on and on in the vast space, the voice calling out to him from all directions. A sudden warmth spread within Naruto's heart as the voice spoke again, softer this time.

"_I love you, Naruto-kun."_

A hand gently lay across Naruto's shoulder, and he spun around to see who it was. A blinding white light shone in front of him, and Naruto groaned as he returned to the real world, staring at his ceiling as the sun reflected off it brightly.

He grunted, shifting over to the side so he could hide his eyes from the light until he adjusted. From outside his window, he could hear birds chirping happily, and he could tell that it was going to be a wonderful day. He lazily cracked one eye open, and something crumpled on the floor caught his eye. He opened the other to see what it was better, and once he realized what it was, Naruto felt such an overwhelming happiness it almost brought him to tears.

It was his yukata from the festival, thrown onto the floor as Naruto often did with his clothes. But it wasn't the actual garment that made him so happy, but what it reminded him of.

More specifically, who.

'_Hinata…'_ He felt the name surge into his mind and heart, replacing any other thoughts that might have drifted about. It all came back to him, surging to the surface from underneath the thick veil of sleep. The festival, the dance, the kiss…

Naruto touched the surface of his lips, swearing he felt some residual warmth from Hinata's bold move last night. God, it had felt so amazing to kiss her, like a huge wave of relief had come crashing down on him. It had been the best night of his life, and he _knew _that she felt the same way as him.

'_Wait a minute…we have a date today!'_ Naruto suddenly remembered, rolling out of his bed and letting his body simply plop to the floor. He quickly rose to his feet, and wandered over to the window to make sure it wasn't too late.

He and Hinata had planned to spend another day together, and even though no date was set down specifically, Naruto decided it had to be today. He had to see her again, to make sure it all wasn't some cruel dream. From the way the sun hovered outside, he could tell it was actually pretty early for him, as he usually woke up sometime after noon. He smiled to himself, knowing that he would have the whole day to spend with Hinata. The entire village was getting a day off to recuperate from the festival, which meant nothing would get in their way.

He trotted over to the kitchen area, pouring him a small bowl of cereal before flopping down into the chair. He couldn't help but kick his legs like a child would as he ate, so giddy for the day before him that he could hardly stand it. He had a girlfriend. Naruto Uzumaki had a girlfriend, and it just so happened to be the most beautiful, nice, patient, wonderful girl in the entire village, and in Naruto's opinion in the entire universe. There were about a million other things Naruto could have listed, but his mind wasn't exactly at its sharpest in the morning.

He quickly scarfed down the rest of his meal, throwing the dirty dishes into the sink, before heading back into his bedroom to change. He gingerly picked up his yukata from last night, smoothing it off as best he could before he hung it back up. This was something he wanted to keep in tip-top condition, something he would be able to look at and remember that night for the rest of his life. He didn't exactly know where this thing with Hinata was going to go, but it was still one of best nights he had ever had. As he hung it up, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and picked it up off of his nightstand; it was the sleeping powder Kakashi had given him, only now all that remained was the container.

Naruto frowned. _'I hope I hear back from Gaara soon…'_ he thought to himself, hoping his toad would be on his way back soon. He had just about enough of the Kyūbi's interference with his life, and he didn't want to impose on Kakashi more than he already had. Better to figure out his own solution than rely on a drug for the rest of his life, anyway.

Throwing on a random set of clothes, Naruto took a quick look at himself in the mirror. He couldn't explain how, but he felt more handsome than he had felt before, more confident as well. Making sure his hair was nice and messy, he sped out the door, weaving through the village's streets in a beeline for the Hyūga compound, grinning widely as he went.

* * *

><p>Across the village, in the massive group of buildings that made up the Hyūga compound, an air of pure unbridled joy permeated its walls, brightening the day of every member of the prestigious clan, even if they didn't know why they felt so good. Funny how this entire joyful feeling each and every one of them felt, was because of Hinata Hyūga.<p>

She had barely gotten any sleep last night, though she couldn't have cared less. She felt more rested than she had in her entire life, and felt herself gliding through the halls of the compound, her heart so light she could float away if she wasn't careful.

She had gotten up many times that night, wandering into the bathroom. She would stare at the kimono she had worn last night, smell the scent of ramen in the fabric, and nearly burst into tears of joy. Some may call it overreacting, but for those who knew Hinata the best, having your greatest dream come true would make _anyone_ act like that.

Hiashi was sitting in the kitchen, sipping on some hot tea when his daughter appeared in the doorway, practically skipping towards the table. He was just about to take another drink when he was suddenly engulfed in a surprise hug from behind, Hinata nuzzling her head into his neck.

"Good morning, Otō-san," her muffled voice sounded out through his robes, breathing deeply. Hiashi was extremely taken aback by the sudden show of affection, but for some strange reason, found himself smiling.

"Good morning, my daughter," he replied, placing a single hand on her arm, patting it softly. She relinquished her grip, before prancing over to the other side of the table. Hiashi raised an eyebrow at her appearance. He could tell that she had done nothing to prepare herself for the day, yet she looked positively radiant. The slightest knowing twinkle appeared in his eye as he took an educated guess about why she was in such a good mood.

"I…take it your evening with Uzumaki-san went well?" he asked, the ghost of another smile hovering on his face.

Hinata sighed, nodding. "Y-yes, Otō-san. It was absolutely w-wonderful."

Something in the tone of her voice worried Hiashi, but before he could question if anything…lewd had gone, Hinata giggled, guessing his intention.

"No Otō-san…nothing like that! I simply had a wonderful night with Naruto-kun."

"I am glad to hear it, daughter. Now, normally I would insist we begin our morning spar, but seeing as how Tsunade-sama insists the village be given a break, I don't see why we can't as well."

He didn't know why he was being so generous. Every part of his body was resisting his words, telling him that training his daughter for the future was the most important thing, but he felt a strange feeling in his heart quelling these thoughts, and that feeling only magnified when he saw the look on Hinata's face.

"Oh, thank you, Otō-san! I'm sure the other clan members appreciate it as w-well." Hinata jumped up from her seat, and before Hiashi could stop her, pecked him on the cheek.

"H-Hinata!" he sputtered, spitting out some of his drink. Hinata didn't seem too worried, however, and merely smiled again.

"Thank you…. Tō-chan."

Hiashi felt his body go rigid at what she had called him, and while normally he would lightly admonish her, he felt himself unable to do so, and could only watch as his precious daughter glided toward the counter to prepare herself some breakfast, humming a soft tune. She was just about to reach into the cupboard to start making herself something to eat, when a maid came scurrying in.

"Hinata-sama, there's someone at the door for you!" she said happily, almost cheeky. Hinata didn't catch the tone in her voice, and nodded silently, heading for the door to greet her guest. As she left the room, Hiashi raised an eyebrow, and rose from his seat, following after her. He stopped himself just before the entryway, ducking into another room as Hinata reached out to open the door. She assumed it was Kiba or maybe Tenten inviting her out for their day off, but once she saw who it really was standing on the steps, ruffling his blonde hair nervously, she could only stare at him, mouth hanging slightly agape.

Naruto chuckled nervously, waving at her. "Heh…I know it's kind of early in the day, but…"

He took a deep breath, and Hinata felt herself tense up, her heartbeat slowly growing in intensity.

"But…I wanted to see you again. _Needed_ to see you again. To make sure it wasn't-"

"Just a d-dream…" Hinata finished for him, quickly closing the distance between them as her arms slid underneath his own. She had told herself many times that it had been real, but to see Naruto standing in front of her, worried about the same thing she had been…it was all the proof she needed. She didn't care that she was still in her morning attire; it was covering up enough of her body for her not to worry about people on the street seeing her, though since Naruto was with her, she probably wouldn't have minded anyways.

Naruto quickly returned the hug, squeezing the girl in his arms as tightly as he could. He breathed in the scent of her hair, letting the memories of last night well up within him. He closed his eyes, and just let himself get lost in the moment.

They might have stayed like that for hours, had not someone clearing their throat make them leap apart. Hiashi stood near the door, his gaze hardened.

"Uzumaki-san…how can I help you?" he asked cordially, though he kept his expression blank.

"Hehe…morning Pops!" Naruto replied loudly, "I actually came to see Hinata!"

Hiashi looked from the blonde to his daughter, then back to Naruto, and back to Hinata. She twiddled her fingers awkwardly, and Hiashi could tell that she might have conveniently may have left out part of what had happened the previous evening.

"…Hinata?" he said quietly, eyes boring through her. She tried several times to say something, but found that the fear of upsetting her father had suddenly returned, and could do no more than swallow the lump in her throat. Naruto mistook the situation for being shy, and proudly wrapped his arm around her, giving Hiashi a thumbs up.

"After all, she's my girlfriend now and everything!"

All the noise around them seemed to stop at the same time, draping them in quiet. Hiashi said nothing, but a strange feeling was emanating from him. Hinata couldn't exactly pin it down, but it felt like disappointment, anger, and…fear?

However, before he could say anything, another maid came to the door as well, looking hurried.

"Hiashi-sama, the council is asking for you. They wish to hear Neji-sama's progress on training the other clan members."

A vein began to throb in Hiashi's temple, and everyone could tell he wasn't happy that he was interrupted. For a few seconds he looked as if he would ignore the council's call, and deal with the situation in front of him, but right before he opened his mouth, the memory of Hinata's affection to him just moments ago stopped him. She had been so happy, so at peace for once, that Hiashi, despite the many _many_ questions on his mind, couldn't bring himself to face her with them. Instead, he merely nodded in Naruto's direction, before disappearing around the corner. The maid turned around before leaving herself, giving Hinata a small smile. She didn't know what had gone on, but she could tell she had come at just the right moment.

"You hadn't told your dad yet?" Naruto asked, putting his arm back to his own side.

Hinata shook her head. "N-no, I haven't. I've only had the chance to for a f-few minutes, now."

"Well, he knows now, doesn't he!?" Naruto replied, grinning from ear to ear. "And you know what? I don't care if the whole village knows!"

He turned around, cupping his hands around his mouth, before yelling out to anyone who may have passed by.

"HEY EVERYONE! HINATA'S MY GIRLFRIEND NOW AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT!"

Hinata was still slightly worried about what her father had been ready to say, but felt herself relaxing at Naruto's enthusiasm about their relationship. She smiled softly, stepping back inside.

"W-would you like to come in for a while, Naruto-kun?" She asked, cursing herself that being around Naruto still made her stutter. "I h-haven't made anything for breakfast yet, but after that we could g-go somewhere…"

Naruto beamed at the suggestion. "That sounds great! That's why I came here in the first place! I don't really know what we'll do yet, but I'm sure we can think of something!"

* * *

><p>Hinata stepped out of the way, letting her new boyfriend take his first look around at the Hyūga compound. He whistled appreciatively, admiring the richness of the house.<p>

"Wow…this is where you live!? This makes my dinky little apartment look like a closet! It must be awesome living here…"

To tell the truth, Hinata found the large home to be somewhat foreboding and cold at times, but just Naruto's presence made it feel like the best place in the village, and Hinata felt herself still blushing like crazy as he reached out for her hand so that she could guide him on where to go. She could hear the 'aww's and sighs from the various maids throughout the household, as well as the occasional Hyūga clan member, who while much more reserved in the reactions, seemed happy about it nonetheless.

They arrived back in the kitchen to find Neji idly munching on an apple, with Hanabi thoroughly out of breath as she complained about Neji's training methods.

"Why did we have to quit so early?" she demanded, using the fact that Neji was sitting to make herself seem taller. "I could have easily gone on for another hour or so."

"It's not important how long you can train, Lady Hanabi." Neji replied cooly, taking another bit of his fruit. "What is important is making sure you fully understand the basics, above anything else. You believe that power in your strikes is all it takes to master the Gentle Fist, when it is far more concerned with grace and finesse."

Hanabi grunted, still resisting her 'teacher's' ideas. She turned away in a huff to find Naruto Uzumaki staring directly at her, crouching so that they were at face level.

"Hey…this girl looks a lot like you, Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed, squinting as he studied Hanabi's face. The youngest Hyūga child took a step back, and didn't need to ask her sister what had happened last night.

"I take it things went well last night, _Nee-san_?" she asked, smirking as her older sister blushed furiously. The smirk disappeared when she noticed that Naruto had once again closed the distance between them, eyeing her up and down.

"Oi! What's your name, Mini-Hinata?" he asked, back to his full height. Hanabi's cheeks puffed up, annoyed by pet name he had used.

"My name is Hanabi, _not_ 'Mini-Hinata'." She spat, folding her arms. "That's a little rude, considering I know who _you_ are, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto grinned. "That's me! So you're Hanabi, huh? Are you as awesome as your sister is?"

Hinata hid her face in embarrassment, as Hanabi lightly rolled her eyes at Naruto's praise.

"Oh, please. I'm better in every way!" Hanabi said confidently, teasing her sister. Hinata caught on to the little joke, but unfortunately for her, Naruto did not.

"As if! That was more a trick question than anything! There's no way you could ever be as cool and awesome as Hinata, so you might as well give up now." He nodded sagely, as if his words were that of great wisdom, and Hanabi felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she stood on a nearby chair to get eye level with the blonde.

"Oh yeah? I bet I could beat _you_ in a fight, you big klutz!" She exclaimed, leaning towards his face with a devious smirk.

Naruto returned the look. "Is that a challenge?"

"No, it most certainly is not."

Both Naruto and Hanabi turned to find Neji staring at them, eyebrow raised at their childish antics. He had remained silent during the entire time, but felt that it had finally gone on quite long enough.

"Honestly, Naruto…you're challenging 11 year olds now? I would have expected a little more from you at this point."

Naruto flushed a bright red, and was about to protest, when Hanabi suddenly patted him on the head.

"It's okay Nee-san, I'm sure it's just because he wanted to learn from a _truly_ skilled shinobi."

By now Naruto was livid, but before he could protest, Hanabi leaped down from her perch, and wandered off into the halls of the compound, whistling a happy tune.

"Why that little…!" Naruto finally managed to spit out, while Hinata giggled behind him, having found watching her sister make Naruto look like an idiot rather funny, actually.

"May I ask what you're doing in my home, Naruto?" Neji asked coolly, dropping the fact that Naruto had never properly greeted him within his own house. It seemed that Neji's question finally reminded the Uzumaki where he was, who quickly rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled nervously.

"Oh yeah! Heh, I came here to see Hinata. I wanted to hang out with her today, and she wasn't finished eating so she invited me in!"

Neji, similar to his uncle, looked from Naruto to Hinata, then back to Naruto, and back to Hinata. But quite unlike his uncle, Neji actually smiled.

"I take it…last night went well for the two of you?"

Naruto offered a loud 'YOU BET!" while Hinata merely nodded shyly. Neji bowed low, and although he kept his expression moderately even, Hinata could see the happiness in his eyes.

"I am…glad to hear that. Please make yourself at home, Naruto."

With that, he excused himself out of the kitchen, leaving Hinata and Naruto alone. Naruto sat down where Neji had sat, while Hinata finally started making her own breakfast. She scurried here and there, whipping up none other than her favorite food. Seeing as how it was such a good day, she felt deserved a little treat. As she prepared her meal, she never turned around, but she could feel Naruto's eyes on her, watching her cook. She took a quick peek to see what he was up to, and found him looking a little curious.

"Is something wrong, Naruto-kun?" she asked quietly, wiping her hands on a nearby towel.

Naruto shook his head, but still had that look in his eyes. "Nothing's wrong, but…."

"B-but what?"

Naruto scratched his cheek, embarrassed at what he was about to ask.

"Uhhh….how do you….how do you make that stuff?"

"H-huh?" Hinata squeaked out, a little confused.

"That stuff you're making. What is it?" Naruto asked.

Hinata smiled. "They're cinnamon rolls, my favorite. Do you w-want to learn how to make them?"

Naruto grinned broadly, shaking his head up and down rapidly. He quickly hopped up from his seat, and was soon right behind Hinata, his warm eyes now firmly fixed upon what she was doing.

"Well, f-first you have t-to roll the dough into balls…" Hinata sputtered, cursing herself for being so embarrassed. This was Naruto after all, and she kind of needed to get used to this if they were going to work. At first, she stuttered nearly on every other word, and was burning a bright red the entire time. But as she worked further and further into her own breakfast, she felt herself relaxing. Naruto hardly said anything, never asking more than a small question here and there, and it really seemed like he was interested in what she had to say. She felt silly being happy about something so small like that, but she dismissed that feeling as Naruto leaned in particularly close to examine her uncooked rolls, cinnamon glistening on the moist dough.

"So what do you do with them now?" he asked, inhaling the pleasant scent deeply. He had leaned in close to see what she was doing, making Hinata blush

"We need to put them in the oven to bake." Hinata explained, backing up a little to open up the oven. She was flustered when Naruto had leaned over her shoulder to smell the rolls, and had completely forgotten that he was standing behind her. When she backed up she bumped straight into him, her back bumping into his stomach. Both of them turned bright pink as Naruto quickly backed up to give her some room.

"S-sorry!" he said suddenly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's o-okay…" Hinata replied awkwardly, fiddling with her clothing. "You d-didn't mean to…"

'_Dammit!' _Naruto cursed to himself. _'Now Hinata's gonna think I'm some pervert or something!'_

'_I hope Naruto-kun doesn't think I'm some sort of prude, now...'_

The two remained in silence until the oven alerted them that the rolls had finished cooking, reminding Naruto what he had been so concentrated on. He quickly returned to his normal self, something Hinata was very appreciative of.

'Wow, those smell delicious!" Naruto said excitedly, hopping up and down as Hinata retrieved them from the oven. She inhaled deeply, letting it relax her as she set them on top of the stove.

"Is it alright if I tried one?" Naruto asked, reaching for one hesitantly. Hinata nodded, but didn't expect him to try to grab one immediately.

"HOT! Hot hot hot!" He yelped, bouncing on one foot as he shook his hand in pain. Hinata quickly rushed to grab a towel, wetting it down before she wrapped it around his fingers, much to his relief.

"Ahhh, th-thank you…" he said quietly, letting the cool sensation ease the light burns on his fingers.

"You h-have to wait for them to cool down first, Naruto." Hinata said softly, holding back a laugh.

He grinned cheekily. "Yeah, I think I realize that now."

After a few more minutes, the rolls had finally cooled down enough to be enjoyed. Naruto watched Hinata grab one, and seeing it not burn her hand, he tentatively reached out for one for himself. He licked his lips, and scarfed down the entire thing in one bite. Hinata was in the middle of one herself, and seeing him swallow the roll in one go almost made her choke as she giggled.

"Wow, that's delicious!" he exclaimed, rubbing his belly happily. "I think I need to remember how you made those!"

"You can try making your own if you'd like." Hinata replied, pointing towards some dough she hadn't used. "I have some left over."

Naruto beamed. "Really? You sure that's okay?"

Hinata nodded silently as she took another bite, and moved to help Naruto set everything up. But to her surprise, he waved her off.

"Nuh-uh, I can do this!" he grunted, picking the rolls of dough to begin preparing his own. Hinata seemed to struggle moving back to the table, watching his clumsy hands form lumpy and uneven balls, but since he wanted to do it himself, she didn't want to get in his way. She sat down, and was content to watch him cook much the same way he had to her moments ago.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later (and several earlier than they were supposed to) Naruto proudly removed his concoctions from the oven, smiling broadly as he held them out for Hinata to see. She took one quick look, and gave him an awkward smile.<p>

They were solid black. Burnt to a crisp, most likely, but Hinata didn't want to spoil his enthusiasm. She kept her mouth shut as he rushed over to the table, eager to try them. Hinata still had some of her own leftover, and joined him at the table to finish them off.

Naruto picked up the charred husk that was one of his cinnamon rolls, inspecting it carefully. He looked just about ready to chow down, when he seemed to get an idea.

"I know!" he said suddenly, pushing the plate in Hinata's direction.

"You showed me how to make this, so it's only fair that you get the first one!"

Hinata swallowed the lump in her throat. If she had a choice, she certainly would have avoided eating one of those at all costs, but Naruto looked so happy to have her try one, that she couldn't deny him.

She carefully tried to spy out the roll least burnt, and gingerly picked it up. She could just feel her taste buds shriveling away, but Naruto was still staring at her with hopeful eyes, anxious for her to try it. Hinata took a deep breath, and took a bite.

It took every muscle in the poor girl's body to keep her from hacking it back up into Naruto's face, and Hinata couldn't find a word horrible enough to describe what she tasted. He somehow kept the dough raw, yet burnt the outside at the same time, and the cinnamon was so heavily collected on one side of the ball, that the other side was practically bare. Hinata felt it rise back up in her throat, but she managed to force it back down, and once she swallowed the rest of her water, gave Naruto a weak smile.

"Th-thank you, Naruto-kun!" she spat out, wiping whatever traces of it she could find from her mouth.

Naruto laughed happily. "Really!? I thought they looked kind of fishy, but since you liked them, I guess I will too!"

Before Hinata could come up with some weak excuse to stop him from essentially poisoning himself, Naruto swallowed one of his own rolls in two of three bites, not really taking the time to _taste_ them. For a second, Hinata was hopeful that if he had eaten them fast enough, he wouldn't notice how they tasted. But after a few seconds, Naruto's face scrunched up in disgust.

"BLECH! AWWW, DISGUSTING!" he yelled, rushing over to the sink to spit it out. He began scooping handfuls of water into his mouth, picking out pieces of it that had gotten stuck in his teeth. Hinata would have found the scene rather funny had she not felt sorry for him.

"Naruto-kun! Are you alright?" She gently patted him on the back, making sure everything unwanted in his throat had been safely removed. Naruto nodded several times, taking gasps of air.

"Hinata…" he croaked out, the usual grin absent from his face. "…You didn't like it either, did you?"

Hinata twiddled her fingers together. She was caught, and there was no sense in keeping up the ruse.

"Y-yes, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry, you just looked so happy, and I-"

"Hinata, I want you to be honest with me."

The Hyūga snapped her head up, eyes meeting Naruto's. He had that look in his eyes again; where he was completely serious, almost staring into your soul.

"I really like you, Hinata. I_ really really_ like you. But I _hate_ being lied to."

Hinata hung her head in shame, but felt Naruto draw closer to her, raising her chin up with is hand. The smile was back, but softer than usual.

"I'm not mad at you, Hinata. You were just trying to make me happy, and that makes me happy. But between the two, I'd rather you tell me the truth, even if it hurts."

Hinata froze, and her eyes widened.

'_I… actually don't really trust that many people fully. I just can't.'_

Those were the words Naruto had told her during one of their many meals at Ichiraku. Naruto had revealed something intensely personal about himself, and she felt disgusted with herself. She had kept Sakura's elaborate scheme from him for some time now, deathly afraid of what he would say or think. It felt horrible, sitting next to the boy of your dreams while denying him something he considered so important.

"Hinata? Are you okay?" Naruto asked, rubbing her shoulder.

Hinata bit her lower lip. It was now or never; Naruto deserved to know the truth…

"Of course, Naruto-kun. I'm f-fine."

'_I don't think I'll ever escape being such a coward…'_

"So can I trust you to be honest with me?" he asked, giving her that adorable smile. The words felt like poison in her ears, and every fiber in her being screamed at her to confess all that had happened between the two of them, but the worlds simply wouldn't form themselves. Hinata was so ashamed of herself that she felt like vomiting, but she managed to swallow that feeling and give Naruto the most enthusiastic nod she could. See his smile grow wider afterwards only made her feel worse.

"So…is there anything else you have to get done? Or do you want to get out of here?" Naruto beckoned towards the door, but Hinata shook her head.

"Uhm…I s-still have to get dresses, Naruto-kun." Hinata gestured towards her morning robes, and Naruto's cheeks turned a bright red.

"Oh, sorry! I can wait here if you'd like!" he said quickly, averting his eyes. Hinata smiled, and then an idea came to her. She still couldn't manage to tell Naruto about Sakura's plan, but there was _something_ she could be honest about.

"Actually, Naruto-kun…I would like for you to come with me," she said quietly, grabbing ahold of Naruto's hand. He blushed an even brighter red and began to stutter, but Hinata's light giggle stopped him.

"It's n-nothing like _that_," she pressed, squeezing his hand as they began to move through the halls. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Naruto beamed. "Oh, okay! I promise I'll be on my best behavior!"

Hinata felt a small pang of sadness strike her heart; Naruto could have been the worst person on earth in front of who she was going to introduce him to, and it wouldn't have changed anything.

* * *

><p>They quickly arrived at Hinata's bedroom, and Naruto began to grow nervous again.<p>

"Uhh…is this your room? he asked, his palms getting sweaty. "The person you want me to meet is in here?"

Hinata shook her head. "No Naruto-kun, they're outside. Just through this door."

She slid open the door leading to the garden, and smiled as Naruto strode outside, his mouth hanging open like a fish. He walked in between the plants and flowers, unsure of which one he liked best.

"You l-like it?" Hinata asked quietly. "I've added things here and there for a few years, but it was really my mother who first planted this garden."

"I love it!" Naruto exclaimed happily, before spinning around suddenly. He had a knowing look in his eye, and cheeky grin on his lips.

"That's who you're gonna introduce me to, isn't it? I don't think I've ever seen your mom!" Naruto seemed excited at meeting the matriarch of the Hyūga clan, and Hinata felt another strike of pain within her heart.

She silently took him by the hand again, and lead him towards the rear of the garden. They drew close enough to the tree to where Naruto could make out the small plaque embedded in the trunk, and squinted to see what it said.

"_Hinata_...hey Hinata, this tree is named after-"

His smile slowly faded. They had gone around to the other side of the tree, and Naruto could clearly see the simple grave in front of him. His eyes studied the headstone carefully, all traces of his good mood gone. The words engraved out to him, and Naruto turned to Hinata, fear crystal clear on his face,

"H-Hinata…" he said, deathly quiet, "Is that…."

"Y-yes, Naruto-kun. This is my mother."

Hinata wasn't as sad as she thought she might have been at first. She felt that her mother would have loved to meet Naruto, and there was no doubt in her mind that wherever she was, she was watching over them. She turned to Naruto explain things, but took a step back in surprise.

Naruto's hands were tightly clenched together in fists, his shoulders shaking violently. He was gritting his teeth, and she could tell he was trying to hold back tears. She instantly rushed to his side, greatly worried.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" She began to lightly rub his back, trying to help him calm down. But to her shock, Naruto moved away from her touch.

"Hinata…I'm so sorry…I…I didn't know." Naruto's voice felt so cold, so world-weary. His knees began to buckle out from under him, and he might have fallen had Hinata not regained her grip on him.

"You mustn't think like that, Naruto-kun!" she said firmly, pulling him back to his feet. "It's not your fault; you have nothing to be sorry for."

"Yes I do!" Naruto angrily replied, his eyes turning to look into Hinata's. "All this time there was something like this you had to deal with, all this time you had to do it alone. You didn't have anyone to comfort you, or…or anything!"

He took several deep breaths, his nostrils flaring. He approached the headstone, and after a brief nod from Hinata, lightly grazed it with his fingertips.

"I know the pain you must have felt all too well…I should have been there for you. We could have helped each other, help each other get through that kind of pain."

Hinata shook her head, gently placing a finger on his lips to silence him. He gave her a pleading look, but Hinata merely smiled back, and sat them down on the bench in front of the grave.

"Naruto-kun, you don't need to be angry with yourself," she insisted, taking his hands in her own. "Y-yes, it was painful back then, and now and then it still is, but I kept it to myself on my own. You don't need to be angry with something you had no control over. I still love my mother even if she's gone, and that's enough for me."

Naruto searched her face, amazed by the serene expression she had. He felt his tense muscles begin to relax, and soon a small smile decorated his face.

"…Okay, Hinata. But from now on, I promise to be there for you if you ever need it."

Hinata accepted his proposal by moving to rest her head on his shoulder, grasping his arm. Naruto fidgeted somewhat, and she could tell he still had things on his mind.

"Hinata…if you don't mind my asking…h-how did she…well, you know-"

"It's okay, Naruto-kun. I don't mind you asking."

Naruto sighed in relief, and fell silent as Hinata began to speak. It was somewhat hard to form the words, but having Naruto there really helped her stay calm.

"To tell the truth, I don't truly know. Otō-san told me that she had died protecting the village on an important mission, and he wouldn't tell me anything else. At first I thought he was trying to keep it from me, trying to make easier on me. But now…now I think not even he knows."

"Th-that's horrible!" Naruto exclaimed, bringing Hinata closer. "No one told you?"

"It's okay, Naruto-kun. That only confirms Otō-san's story. Whatever happened, I'm sure she died protecting our village, something I knew she would have wanted."

Naruto sighed. "She sounds like an incredible woman…"

Hinata nodded into his arm. "She w-was. I can't remember everything, but she always so patient and kind with everyone, no matter who they were. I tried to be like her every day, I was so proud of her."

"You definitely accomplished that, Hinata." Naruto replied softly, putting his chin on top of her head. "I have no doubt in my mind that she would be so proud of you."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I think she would too."

She looked up into the trees, watching the gently swaying branches in the morning breeze.

"It'll have been about 9 years in a few months…" Hinata said, idly. "I think I should do something special for her…what do you think, Naruto?"

Unbeknownst to her, Naruto hadn't heard her. His mind was currently spinning, and he was trying not to pass out. Vivid images of violence flashed in front of him, bringing with them a splitting headache that was getting worse by the second. He had no idea where this came from, nor could he make out the images clearly. What appeared to be bodies lying in the grass, blood splattered on hands, and a crater in the middle of the forest burned within his memory, yet Naruto _had_ no memories of these things. The ache grew worse and worse, until he was holding his head in pain, grunting as it seared his mind.

"Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Hinata said, worried. Her arms were around him in an instant, holding him close but with no idea how to help him.

The last things that flashed within Naruto's mind were a pair of burning red eyes, and the sound of an ear-splitting scream. The images began to fade, and Naruto looked around to find Hinata holding him, looking intensely concerned.

"Are you okay? I w-was so scared…" she said in between deeper breaths. Naruto nodded slowly, rubbing his head as he sat up.

"Yeah….I'm fine now." Naruto assured her, giving as wide a smile as he could considering the dull ache that was still present.

"Was it…something about your nightmares?" Hinata continued. "Have you still been having those?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, not for a while. Kakashi-sensei gave me this stuff that helped a lot, but I just ran out. But this was…different. I wasn't even asleep this time. They felt…they felt more like memories, even though I had no idea what they were."

"Can you remember anything specific?" Hinata asked.

Again the blonde shook his head. "Nothing, really. It's just a bunch of disjointed sounds and images. Maybe I was just having some crazy daydream or something. I had used that stuff Kakashi-sensei gave me nearly every night, so maybe it's because of that."

Hinata didn't seem convinced. "Do you…want to talk about your nightmares? Are you okay with it now?" she asked.

Naruto felt guilty. He remembered that he had told her that she would have been the first person he told about his nightmares, but instead he hadn't even told her at all.

"Actually…I kinda do. But first, I want to apologize."

Hinata blinked. "For what?"

"For being a hypocrite. I wanted you to be honest with me, but I haven't been fully honest with you, either. I said that you would be the first person I told about nightmares once I was ready, but I didn't. I told Iruka-sensei before you."

Hinata understood. After all, she was still keeping things from him. "It's alright, Naruto-kun. We all have things we need to keep to ourselves…"

Naruto frowned. "But that's just it. You _should_ have been told. You see…a lot of the time, these nightmares were...about you."

"What were they, Naruto-kun? It's okay, you can tell me whatever you want to."

For several seconds, Naruto seemed to hold back. He was afraid of what she would think when he told her that his nightmares often revolved around her death, but her eyes showed that she was anything but scared, and Naruto felt that he could deny her no longer.

"They were different every night. Sometimes I'd be out in the middle of nowhere, other times I'd be home in the village, but almost every one of them had something in common…"

He stopped, his breath hitched in his throat. Hinata placed a comforting hand on his knee, silently letting him know that he didn't have to go on if he didn't want to. But he shook his head, took a deep breath, and spoke again.

"In almost every one of them, I would…lose you. Sometimes it was my own fault, other times I could only see your grave or coffin, but every time I woke up scared and in a cold sweat. They felt so…_real_, that there were some nights I would hurry to the Memorial Stone just to make sure your name wasn't on it."

"Naruto-kun…" It was the only thing Hinata could say, as he averted his eyes.

"Maybe it was because some part of me knew how I was beginning to feel about you before the rest of me did, but I was always so scared. Scared that one of these dreams might come true."

Hinata shook her head defiantly. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. Nothing like that will ever happen."

"I'm not done yet…" Naruto muttered. This would be the hardest part to tell her about, but she needed t hear it the most.

"I later found out that it _was_ part of me that had given me these nightmares, only it was a part of me I never exactly wanted."

Hinata was confused for a moment, but when she saw him idly rubbing at his stomach, she instantly knew.

"You m-mean…it was the-"

"Yeah, it was _him_. I wanted to know why he did it, but he refused to tell me. I was scared that he wanted to hurt you, or worse…even now, I'm sure he won't stop unless I make him, but I have no idea how to do that. I asked a friend, but I haven't heard back yet. Hinata, I just want you to know that I have no intention of letting any of those come true. You have my word."

Hinata smiled softly. He had calmed down, but she felt that maybe he needed something a little more. Her heart beating in her throat, she leaned in, and gave him a quick kiss, their lips touching for no more than a second. She drew back to find him wide-eyed, and cheeks burning red.

"And you have _my _word…" she said, scooting closer to him, "that I'll always be there for you when you need me."

Naruto grinned. Without warning, he picked Hinata up bridal style, carrying her over to the side of the tree, before plopping down, and setting her beside him. He pulled her close, breathed in deep, and closed his eyes.

"Is it alright…is it alright if we just stay here for a while. I know I said we would go out, but-"

"It's okay, Naruto-kun, I would love to." She snuggled into his arm, and let the tranquility of the morning carry her off to a world of dreams and sleep.

From his spot behind the window, Hiashi had seen only the last few minutes of what had transpired between the new couple. His business had finished, and he had come to collect Hinata for some clan matters he needed to discuss, but for the second time that day, he found himself resisting his instincts. He merely turned around, and left them alone.

Back out in the garden, Naruto's heart was pounding. Just that light kiss had made his whole insides do front flips and cartwheels, and he felt this strange heat within his stomach. It was a good feeling, and even though Naruto never joined Hinata in her sleep, he was just as much at peace as she was.

* * *

><p>Darkness. Not a thing to be seen within the pitch black of the cave, and there was but one sound echoing out through the damp walls. Sasuke lazily drew his sword with a flick of his finger, before letting it slide back in the hilt with a quiet screech. He did this over and over, his patience waning thin. He had trained, prepared himself for far too long now. If something didn't happen soon, he was likely to leave this cave and continue his journey on his own.<p>

As if on cue, an imposing figure stepped out into the dark. His moist skin glistened in the dark, rows of sharp teeth revealing themselves as he grinned.

"I bring a message from Tobi." Kisame said simply, getting the Uchiha's attention. "Your target is arriving home, and you can begin your trip."

"It's about time." Sasuke replied gruffly, sitting up. " If you had wasted anymore of my time, I would have just left."

"Tsk tsk Sasuke, didn't your brother teach you any manners?" Kisame said, taunting him. "He showed a lot more respect than you do."

"Keep talking about Itachi, and you'll regret it." Sasuke spoke, his voice much colder. Kisame could see the steel of his sword glinting in the dark, and he smirked.

"Oh…is the kid brother challenging me?" he asked, grabbing ahold of his own sword. "I can guarantee you'd regret that decision in a heartbeat."

Sasuke returned the stare Kisame was giving him for several minutes. Finally, he sheathed his sword, and began to walk past him.

"Hn, you're not worth the trouble. Tell the others I'm ready to go; I want to get this over with so I can move forward."

Kisame certainly didn't feel like taking orders from the Uchiha brat, but decided to humor him anyway. He headed in the opposite direction without another word, on his way to tell the rest of Sasuke's team that their mission was about to begin. If he was lucky, he could convince one of them to make sure that if Sasuke got in a fight, he would be beaten a little more than usual.

At the same time, Sasuke was moving towards the cave's entrance, anxious to get moving.

'_If any of them get in my way…they'll regret it.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Shit about to go down. I spent so much of my absence planning some kickass stuff for this chapter, including the fleshing out of what I feel could be one of the most interesting characters in the Naruto-verse.

I plan on going through all 18 other chapters and improving the most heinous errors, such as spelling or a word being cut off, but I do intend to leave it much the way it was, because I'm proud of what I wrote, proud of the mistakes and what I learned from them.

Remember to tell me if you want summaries, and if you have no idea what I'm talking about, please refer to the top Author's Note.

It's good to be home.


	20. Dark Intent! Sasuke on the Move!

**Author's Note:** Chapter 20 is a bit different, and it may be like that for the rest of the story. I think I want to start putting up the chapters in smaller chunks. Now, that doesn't mean you won't be getting any less content, but just in short amounts. While each chapter won't be 10,000+, it'll still be a decent sized chapter, and I'll be able to update twice as often, which I think you guys will like. If this continues, the story could be updated as soon as every four days! If you aren't a fan of this, or if you absolutely love it, please let me know.

Now, for the summary of Chapter 19:

Gaara finally receives Naruto's letter, and offers the best advice he can considering his situation. Meanwhile, Naruto is on his way to spend the day with Hinata, letting the fact that he is now Hinata's boyfriend sink in. At the compound, Hinata is in the best mood she has been in years, and Hiashi learns that his daughter and Naruto are now dating. He seems to have some issues about this, but keeps them to himself after seeing how happy his daughter is. Naruto and Hinata spend some time together, before Hinata invites him to meet her mother. At first Naruto believes her to be alive, and is greatly ashamed after seeing the grave. He and Hinata discuss the issue, and after Hinata mentions something about her mother, strange visions appear within Naruto's mind. He tries not to think anything of it, but they worry him. He confides in her about his nightmares, and she comforts him that nothing will happen to her. Finally, Sasuke's target in the Land of Wind has returned to Suna, and he is anxious to get going.

If this summary sucks, please let me know lol. In the meantime, enjoy Chapter 20!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 2 - Dark Intent! Sasuke on the Move.<strong>

Sasuke continued to head towards one of the caves' many entrances, his footsteps echoing in the darkness. A rat or cockroach would scurry by his feet, disappearing into one of the many smaller tunnels that wound throughout the base of the mountain. He heard the hiss of a serpent, and the satisfying squeal of the prey being caught.

The Uchiha sneered.

He found the rest of his team waiting for him in one of the side rooms. Jugo was allowing a mouse to crawl up and around his shoulder, while Suigetsu whittled down one of the pieces of furniture into mere splinters with his sword. Karin just stared at the door, waiting for Sasuke to arrive.

"Good. You're here," grunted Sasuke. He didn't even stop moving, and the others had to jump up to catch up with him.

Suigetsu sheathed his blade, crossing his arms behind his head. "What's the big idea? That overgrown fish showed up out of nowhere, told us to meet out here without telling us why."

"Our target is back in Suna. I want to get this done as soon as possible."

'_Ahhh, that's my Sasuke…' _Karin thought, swooning. _'He's so focused on his goal…IT MAKES ME WANT TO BASH HIS FACE IN!' _She pounded a fist into her palm, baring her teeth.

"Do we know anything about our target?" Jūgo asked.

"We know where he is. That's enough."

"I'm afraid it isn't."

Tobi appeared in front of them, blocking Sasuke's path. The Uchiha tried to continue anyway, but Tobi remained in his place.

"Get out of my way. The sooner I do your dirty work, the sooner I can move on with my revenge."

The masked man remained. "You're going to need more information. Infiltrating one of the 5 Great Shinobi Villages with only a name is a good way to get yourself killed."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted.

"I'll take that as a sign you're willing to listen for once. This way." He beckoned them into another side room, where a simple table stood. Upon the table, a large file.

"This contains all the information you'll need on your target." Tobi explained, pushing the document towards Sasuke. The Uchiha merely stood there, staring at him.

"…allow me to read it for you," Tobi said. He quickly thumbed through the file, before turning it around for Sasuke and his team to see. A picture of their target lay before them, along with his general description.

"The people of the village know him as Yakuhin. This is only a title meant to hide his identity; his true name is Raiā. He works as a general assistant to one of the medic-nin at the hospital."

Tobi flipped to another page.

"He may seem old and frail, but this is just another ploy used to maintain his cover within the village. If you underestimate him, you _will_ die."

"How does he fight?" Sasuke demanded, reaching for the file. Tobi pulled it back.

"You'll see only what I want you to, Sasuke. Don't go sticking your nose where it shouldn't belong, like some school-child."

Sasuke scowled, but returned his hand to his side.

"He is highly proficient in using Sealing techniques. He may use them to redirect, absorb, or deflect your attacks, instead of dodging or evading. Don't enter close quarters with him unless you're sure your attack will land; it's a mistake you won't make twice."

"Sealing techniques…like the one Danzō used…"

Tobi nodded. "Yes Sasuke, exactly like that one. And many are just as dangerous, if not more. He can seal away your chakra forever, or bind your limbs leaving you open to attack."

"Explain to me again _why_ I'm doing this for you," the Uchiha snorted. "If you know so much about him, why haven't you done this yourself?"

"I have…other matters to attend to. There are others to track down, but Raiā benefits you directly. If you bring him back here for interrogation, he will have some information regarding Konoha you will find very interesting."

Sasuke wasn't convinced. "You have a grudge against the Leaf as well. I want to know why you're _letting_ me handle this for you."

From behind his mask, Tobi smirked. "You're right. I do have a grudge against the Leaf. But my hatred extends farther, even farther than yours. Seeing Konohagakure reduced to ashes is just the beginning; the other villages must know the same fate."

"You're…you're going after the other villages too?" Karin felt a cold shiver run up her spine. In only an instant, Tobi's chakra plummeted. It was the darkest, harshest chakra she ever felt. It made her feel sick, something that didn't escape Sasuke's eye. She could see him watching her carefully, but he turned his attention back to Tobi as spoke again.

"Yes, I am. As I said once before, there are others who need to be tracked down, others that will be of use in my goals. If your mission is successful, it will be mutually beneficial for the both of us. In the meantime, however, I must continue to search for the others, in case you should fail."

"I won't fail." Sasuke's Sharingan appeared in the darkness. "Don't underestimate me."

Tobi moved toward the door, taking all but the photo with him. "It's not you I have doubts about…" Without another word, he left.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?" Suigetsu grumbled aloud. His question went unanswered, as Sasuke had too headed for the door. Karin and Jūgo followed after, leaving him alone.

'_Prick…' _The Hōzuki thought to himself, taking one last look at the man in the picture. His hair was greying, but it appeared to have once been a brilliant red. He had a kind, wrinkled face; it was a face that was full of trust and kindness.

Suigetsu didn't like him already. He grabbed the photo, and tore it in half before leaving to catch up with the rest of his squad.

* * *

><p>"My my…you barely had to even try that time, didn't you Tobi?" White Zetsu asked haughtily.<p>

"He is beginning to wear on my patience. Sasuke has far more confidence in his abilities than he needs to. I am expecting him to fail." Tobi pulled the file from his cloak, returning it to a cabinet filled ones just like it. Towards the back, one of the files had a red 'X' crossed over it.

"**Does this mean we need to look for **_**him**_**?"**

Tobi nodded. "Yes. For now, follow after to Sasuke to make sure he doesn't try to abandon his mission. You can begin your search afterwards. I will stay in contact with our resources to make sure they're information is accurate. Even if Sasuke succeeds, he will be useful at one point or another."

"**What about Kisame?" **Black Zetsu questioned. **"The further you get to your goals, the more suspicious he will become."**

"Kisame is loyal. It would be a pity to dispose of him before he becomes obsolete. He desires peace, but used violence in hopes of achieving that peace. Violence is all that awaits him, just as it does for the rest of the world." Tobi stopped moving, having arrived at a door. Zetsu sank beneath the earth to begin tailing Sasuke, just as Tobi opened the door.

( watch?v=gvXaLvs4pf8)

There was a man. He was chained up against the wall, barely breathing. The tatters of his robes clung to his body, damp with sweat. Upon seeing Tobi, he moaned in fear.

"Please…I told you everything you wanted to know! I have a wife, I have-"

"Two children. An eight-year-old, and a fourteen-year-old. You'll tell me what I want to know, or they'll meet a similar fate."

"But I have!" the man protested. "I've given you everything we have on record about him. Please, I'm telling the truth!"

Tobi ignored him, placing his hand on his prisoner's head. A slight stinging sensation irritated his skull, and when Tobi removed his hand, the man saw it glowing.

"Do you understand what I've done? A seal has been placed within your mind, preventing you from falling into unconsciousness. Your entire body could be screaming in pain, and you would be given no respite. Not until you've breathed your last, and your last thoughts are of unspeakable, agonizing pain."

The man choked out a sob, begging for mercy. Tobi reached towards a lever.

"The information you've given me conflicts with findings from some of the other…_guests_ I have here. Either you are lying, or they are. Now, tell me again what your records said."

"He was assassinated over 60 years ago, just as I told you. I'm telling the truth I swear!"

"We'll see if you are." Tobi pulled the lever down, filling the room with the man's mind-numbing screams. His muscles began to spasm, twitching erratically. Just as Tobi had informed the man, his mind refused to grant him the relief of unconsciousness. Blood vessels were beginning to burst before Tobi pulled the lever back up.

"Others have said that he was never assassinated, but that he fled from the village. Is this the truth or not?"

The man didn't reply. He was too busy gasping for air.

"Very well." Tobi reached out for the lever again, but the man suddenly howled out, finding his voice.

"WAIT! Please…wait…" He took a deep breath, coughing up a small amount of blood.

"Alright…I'll tell you the truth. He…left the village…no one knows…where he is…I promise you, I'm telling the truth this time!"

Tobi approached the man. He reached out with his arm, and lifted his prisoner's chin, forcing him to look him in the eye.

'I suppose I should tell the truth as well. You see, I could have easily gotten the truth out of you without the need for this mindless torture." He tapped his mask, and the man could see the Sharingan gleaming beneath.

"Y-you…you possess the-"

"The Sharingan, yes. I knew you were telling the truth from the beginning, or at the very least telling me what you believed to be the truth. But now, you've changed your story in an attempt to save your own life. It's pathetic, really."

He turned, and headed back towards the door.

"Where are you going? You said you'd release me once you knew the truth! Please, stop!" The man began sobbing again, pulling at the chains.

"Ahh, of course." Tobi strode over to the lever, and pulled it down.

"I release from your worthless life."

He closed the door, but it didn't help to drown out the man's shrieks. Of course, that was what Tobi wanted. It would help loosen the tongues of his other guests, and he had so many he still had to visit.

* * *

><p>"Ugh…how much farther?"<p>

This was the fifth time that Asoko had complained, and it was _really_ starting to get on Pakkun's nerves.

"I've told you over and over, this is delicate work." He took an experimental sniff in the air, searching for the faintest scents. "The wind's at our backs, which makes finding the right way through this God-forsaken desert even harder than it was to begin with. You're whining _isn't _helping."

The toad snorted. "Well, if you had taken my shortcut, we probably have gotten there by now! We must get this information to Naruto-dono as soon as possible."

"Your 'shortcut' would have led us into bandit territory."

"It would have led us to the Land of Fire!"

"Yeah, in body bags."

"Are you insulting my intelligence?" Asoko croaked angrily, hopping from Pakkun's back. He stood in front of him, clammy arms crossed.

"So what if I am?" The ninja hound demanded, taking a step forward. "You gonna do anything about it?"

Asoko scurried backwards, unaware that Pakkun was only teasing. "I…urr…I demand your respect!"

Pakkun appeared directly in front of the toad, baring his teeth. The poor toad was caught by surprise, and leaped 6 feet in the air, yelping like a tadpole.

"You'll have my respect when you stop whining for five minutes," he said, chuckling as he continued on his way. Asoko landed ungracefully in the sand, and struggled to free himself so that he could catch up.

Minutes passed, and Pakkun's mood improved significantly.

'_I should have said that a long time ago. He finally shut up!'_

But as time went on, his stroke of luck felt more and more uncomfortable. Asoko had remained quiet for a while now, and Pakkun felt curiosity creeping up on him. He turned around…

To find Asoko attempting to crack open Gaara's message to Naruto.

"That's private!" Pakkun growled, grabbing the scroll back in between his teeth.

"But aren't you the least bit curious to what the great Gaara-sama wrote down to help Naruto-dono with his nightmares?"

"No…I'm wondering how you grew up to be such a kiss-ass."

Asoko was about to complain, breaking Pakkun's challenge, when mouth suddenly closed. Then opened. Then closed again.

"What?" Pakkun squinted his eyes. "You have to take a sh-"

Something was in the wind. Pakkun could smell it. He slowly turned around to discover what had scared Asoko into silence.

A massive sandstorm was heading their way. Fast.

"We need to move for cover…NOW." In an instant, Pakkun threw Asoko onto his back, and bolted in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going? Are we…are we going to make it?"

Pakkun ignored him. He was scouting around; trying to find somewhere they could hide._ 'Hn. There's a faint scent to the Southeast…it's a mineral deposit of some kind. That means a rocky area, somewhere we can hide.'_

"Hold on. We're gonna be alright, but I need to move if we're gonna make it out of this."

Asoko nodded, barely able to hear his companion as the wind around them grew louder and louder. He wrapped two muggy arms around the dog, keeping a tight grip as Pakkun shot off in the direction of the scent.

Pakkun ran as fast his legs would carry him. He couldn't hear anything at this point, even the sound of his thumping heart. He felt the biting wind of the sand cloud nip at his heels, spurring him on. This was a run for his life.

And then, salvation. Pakkun's nose had come through once more, and the shadow of a mountain appeared in the distance. The sand had almost caught up with them at this point, and Pakkun knew they weren't going to make it out unscathed. A small dune nearly tripped him up, and he felt his leg twist in a way nature had not intended. It was painful to continue, but they were so close…

He darted behind the first rock they came to, and immediately collapsed. Asoko hopped off his back, concerned.

"Are you alright?" He grabbed the water Gaara had given them, pouring some on his hand as he gently rubbed it into Pakkun's skin. The fur had helped keep it away from his body, but he was still bleeding from numerous small cuts and scrapes from the storm. Asoko had remained relatively unscathed, using the scroll's wooden shell to shield him as best he could.

"Tch…th-thanks…" Pakkun grunted, wincing. He tried to move, but a jolt of pain in his leg forced him back down.

"You're not going anywhere anytime soon." Asoko said firmly. "It looks like the storm won't be ending anytime soon, so I guess we're stuck here."

"_I'm _stuck here." Pakkun nudged the scroll in Asoko's direction. "You need to get this to Naruto. You toads have a portal you can use that's just outside Konoha, right?"

"The Enshinsui, yes, but I will not leave you behind!"

Pakkun gave his companion a cross between a grimace, and a smile. "You're not. You have a duty to the contract holder. I can sit here as long as I want since Naruto's not my summoner. I'll camp out here until the storm's over, and my nose will lead me home. It always has, after all."

Asoko set down the gourd that held their water. "Then keep this. I'll be fine until I return to the Land of Fire."

"No need." The hound took an experimental sniff in the air, the second one actually. He had detected it just before they had arrived, but it was so faint, he assumed he had been mistaken. But through the roaring winds and slicing sand, Pakkun could still smell it.

There was water here. Somewhere.

"There's a water source nearby. You won't need to worry about a thing. Now get out of here, before Naruto gets impatient."

Asoko didn't look at all ready to abandon Pakkun in the desert, but there was a look in his eye that convinced him he wouldn't need to worry. He gave his companion one last look, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

'_Heh…I think he's starting to grow on me.'_ Pakkun curled up against the boulder. Not like he was going anywhere soon.

* * *

><p>Jūgo tripped on a branch. He had gasped for air, and had lost his footing. Sasuke had pushed them at unbelievable speeds to get to Suna, and it was beginning to wear on them.<p>

"Would you slow down!?" Karin yelled. "If we keep going at this pace, he'll just kill us even faster!"

Sasuke ignored her. The sun had only been down for a few hours, and he could easily go all night if he had to. And if he could, they would.

"We're not going to risk him leaving the village again. We need to be there as soon as possible."

He jumped over another branch, but when he didn't hear his team follow him. He stopped, and turned around. Suigetsu, Jūgo, and Karin were leaping down to the forest floor, getting ready to set up camp.

"I didn't say we were finished." Sasuke grunted, activating his Sharingan.

Suigetsu spat on the ground. "Fuck that! We're not gonna die from exhaustion just because you want to get there a day early. This is where we're camping, and if you don't like it, you can just go on alone."

Sasuke stood there fuming. As much as he hated to admit it, he would most likely die if he continued on alone.

'_Maybe Tobi was right…'_ He let out an annoyed 'Hn', but relented that it was most likely best they rest for the night.

They had made quite some progress during their first day of travel, having already reached the border of the Land of Fire. If they continued this pace, they could reach Suna within three days. That would have to do.

He leaned back against a nearby tree trunk, letting the others set up the campfire. As the flames flickered to life, the images flashed before his mind, just as they had before. He saw blood, bodies strewn about the streets, and above all, great flames rising in the distance.

It was Konoha. The only thing on his mind. How dare they be allowed to live peacefully, when those cursed by fate are slaughtered to preserve this 'peace'! Sasuke scowled. His clan surely would have avoided bloodshed in their plot against the village, if such a plot was ever planned in the first place. The last Uchiha was beginning to believe that that was simply another lie to justify the elder's actions, another reason to despise them.

It would be his moment of triumph. To burn the village to the ground. To watch as the Hokage monument crumbled to dust. His clan would be avenged, and the world would remember what had transpired that day. Perhaps it would prevent anything like that from happening ever again. No child would ever lose their family for the sake of a false peace.

Sasuke almost smiled. When he put it like that, his goal seemed somewhat…noble. He could prevent such an atrocity from ever occurring again. It was as if he was _saving _lives.

The thought lulled him into a trance, his eyelids fighting to stay afloat. Eventually, sleep overcame him, and the moment he was out, Suigetsu was raving.

"Why the fuck are we taking orders from him!?" He kicked a nearby piece of firewood into the air, cutting it clean in half while it was in mid-air. "I signed up for this because I wanted Kisame-senpai's sword, not to help some emo take over the world. What's worse, he's letting that masked guy boss him around!"

"I agree…that doesn't seem like Sasuke," Jūgo added, taking his place by the fire. "Still, it's not our business."

"Then what is? I know you stick around him so you don't kill anybody, but I swear I'm _this_ close to leaving you all behind." Suigetsu left a small amount of space between the two fingers he was shoving in Jūgo's face to show how serious he was, but Jūgo didn't seem all that impressed.

"If you wanted to leave, you would have by now."

Suigetsu grumble something incoherent, cutting the stick Karin was using to spear her food from the fire. He left without saying anything else, stalking off into the dark to be alone.

After uttering a stream of curses, Karin turned to her only remaining teammate.

"Why _do_ you think he's stayed with us this long?" she asked. "I'm with you; I thought he would have left by now. A girl can only dream…"

"He want's Kisame's sword, Samehada. Staying with us is the only way he feels he can get to it." Jūgo gave Karin an amused look.

"Though I'm sure it's also because he enjoys making you angry."

Karin snorted. "Ugh! That creep seems to get such a kick out of pissing me off! One of these days I'm going to kill him, I swear!" She rolled out her sleep mat in a huff, lying down for the little sleep she would get.

Jūgo smiled, watching a spider crawl across his leg.

'_If you wanted to kill him, you would have by now.'_

* * *

><p>"Get up." Sasuke embedded his sword into a nearby tree trunk, producing a dull thud. It was enough to rouse both Jūgo and Karin, but Suigetsu remained asleep, having returned from his late-night walk exhausted.<p>

"I said…get. UP." He shot a small bolt of lightning from the tip of his sword into the Hōzuki's body. Not enough to hurt him, but it certainly woke him up.

"What the fuck?" he shouted. His limbs jerked within his sleeping bag, tearing a hole straight through it. He looked at his ruined bedding as if he had lost a faithful dog.

"You…asshole…"

"You'll be fine. Karin will stitch it up when we make camp the next time."

Karin shot Sasuke a particularly dirty look for the sexist remark, but he either didn't notice, or didn't care.

Most likely the latter.

They were back to traveling within a matter of minutes, quickly scarfing down whatever rations that had packed for themselves. Sasuke insisted that since they disobeyed him in stopping last night, they would need to make up for lost time. He was most likely doing so just out of spite, but then again, none of the three wanted to push their luck with his temper by ignoring him again. They reluctantly agreed.

Two more days passed. Less sleep and a few soldier pills later, Taka had arrived in the Land of Wind in record time. Sasuke was much less familiar with the desert than he was with Konoha and the surrounding countries, so he was currently scouting the horizon with his Sharingan, trying to detect the slightest hint of movement.

"Karin, do you feel any chakra nearby?" he asked.

"No, nothing close by." Karin closed her eyes. It allowed her to concentrate better. "There's a faint signature coming from the southeast, but it's far too weak to be our target."

Sasuke turned to Jūgo, who had a rather large vulture resting upon his arm.

"He tells me that Suna is in that direction." Jūgo pointed somewhere towards the southwest. "If we aren't careful, the dunes will turn us in the wrong direction.

"Good. Let's get moving. The sun will be going down in a few hours."

Sasuke, Karin, and Jūgo raced off in the direction the vulture had told them. But there was someone missing…

"I…fucking…HATE…deserts…."

Suigetsu crawled to the top of the dune the rest of his team had stood on, face buried in the sand. He turned over on his back, dumping the rest of what water he had with him into his mouth.

"Go to…hell…Sasuke…" he moaned. It took a great deal more strength to return to his feet, and soon he was dragging his feet behind the rest of Taka, more worried about dying from the lack of water than catching up with his team.

* * *

><p>Taka was making the final leg of their journey. Sasuke had been able to locate the village of Sunagakure with the use of his Sharingan, looking for movement among those guarding the outer walls. They were almost within the distance to see it with the naked eye, but Sasuke stopped them before they got too far.<p>

"Before we go any further, we'll need to make sure we won't be recognized." He quickly performed the transformation technique, making his appearance look completely average so as not to attract attention.

Suigetsu, even though he was barely conscious, couldn't help but chuckle. "You sure? I have to say it would be pretty fun watching you get your skull bashed in by the guards."

"They wouldn't pose a threat. I'm just trying to get this over with as quickly as possible."

"Yeah yeah yeah…" Suigetsu performed the technique as well, changing into a small child. He retained his light hair, but the massive sword had disappeared from his back.

Karin and Jūgo transformed into a young woman and older man respectively, and so to any guards, they would appear to be a family of some sort.

"Let's get moving. Keep your voices down."

They began walking in the direction, trying to keep up an air of "civility". It wasn't that hard for Karin or Sasuke, but Suigetsu was forced to begin resisting the urge to leap up to the lower wall and decapitate one of the guards. Jūgo however…

"must…kill…."

Sasuke hadn't heard his companion begin to give into his bloodlust, as Jūgo had still kept his voice down as asked. As a result, he was halfway through his transformation before anyone noticed. Bad timing, to say the least.

"Sasuke!" Karin hissed, leaping out of the way as Jūgo swung a massive arm towards her head.

"COME ON! GIVE ME SOMEBODY I CAN KILL!" he screamed, skin turning black.

"Get him under control! Quick!"

Sasuke whirled around, Sharingan already active. His gaze pierced Jūgo's lust for murder, and he slowly calmed down, just as they reached the gate. They made to move inside, but a guard appeared in front of them.

"State your business." he said calmly. Suigetsu rolled his eyes; it was going to be _really_ hard not to kill him.

My family is traveling home to our village. We wish to stay here for the evening."

The guard had heard Sasuke, but approached Jūgo instead.

"You there. What was happening to you? It looked like you were attacking your family."

Jūgo's mind raced for an excuse for his behavior, stumbling over every word.

"I apologize for my father," Sasuke interrupted. "He suffers from bouts of dementia, and sometimes forgets where he is. I'll keep an eye on him once we're inside the village."

"_If _you're allowed in the village," the guard corrected. He whistled for another guard to join him, who was carrying a stack of paperwork.

"You'll need to fill these out before you can be allowed entry. We'll perform a quick procedure to make sure none of you are disguised."

Karin shot a worried look to the back of Sasuke's head, who remained motionless.

Suddenly, the two guards seemed to relax, stepping aside for Sasuke and his team.

"On second thought, you are welcome to head on through. Welcome to Suna."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted. He motioned with his head for the others to follow him, and they noticed his Mangekyō Sharingan was active.

"You need to cut down on using that, Sasuke," Jūgo warned. "If you abuse those eyes, you'll go completely blind."

"I understand the risks," Sasuke retorted. "If I hadn't, we would have to deal with the guards another way. I know what I'm doing."

"Fine, but don't come crying to us when you start running into walls and shit." Suigetsu added. A passerby heard his rather foul language, and turned to Sasuke.

"Control your child! That little brat needs to learn some manners."

Before Suigetsu could protest (or more likely, kill him), Sasuke nodded.

"I will try. I apologize for his behavior." He turned to Suigetsu. "I told you to keep your voice down. If you blow our cover, I'll make sure you regret it."

"Whatever."

To prevent anything else from happening, the rest of the team opted to remain silent for the rest of their search. Raiā, or Yakuhin as he was known in the village, worked every day assisting various doctors in the hospital. He took his lunch break wandering around the village, chatting with anyone he happened to pass by. He had a reputation among the villagers as a gentleman, easily approachable and quite the storyteller. He always carried some treats with him, to give out to eager children who want to hear another of his stories…

"…If he's not somewhere in the village, he has most likely remained in the hospital, attending to a patient that needs further care. Man, are we sure we can't just kill this guy?"

Suigetsu had grown bored of the silence, and had pulled out the copy of the information given to them, reading it aloud to his team.

"No. If we bring him in alive, he might have more information about Konoha's weaknesses." Sasuke replied gruffly.

"Yeah, but that's just what _he _told us. How do you know he's not lying?"

To his satisfaction, Sasuke didn't reply immediately. More accurately, he couldn't. But he was confident in his abilities; taking down Raiā wouldn't be difficult, as long as his team didn't get in his way.

"Let's keep looking."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So did you love it? Hate it? I'ma stick with the smaller chapter thing for a bit longer to make sure, but I think you guys will like the more frequent updates.


	21. A Mysterious Elder! Yakuhin Discovered!

**Author's Note: **People seem to have taken a liking to the shorter chapters, so I think I'll stick with them! It means quicker updates for you, as well as less reading. I know some of you liked sitting down and having a good read, but I know a lot of other people have little time during the day, and the smaller chapters work for their busy schedule. I certainly know they work for me.

And now, a request. I can imagine at least one of you knows what goes on this site better than I do, so I'm hoping you can help me. A while back, everyone was going bonkers about stories being taken down suddenly with no warning whatsoever, that the admins were finally holding to their promise to take down stories with explicit adult material. What I would like to know is the status of this situation. Have they backed down, or are they holding to the rules they set down when the site was founded? I've tried looking for it myself, but the navigation of this site still confuses me from time to time. Thanks in advance.

For those concerned with not having Naruto and Hinata in the last chapter, I must admit you'll have to wait a little longer. Their relationship will take center stage once more soon enough, but I won't sacrifice the adventure portion of this story to get back to that, even if that's what I prefer writing about. I'm really excited with the action and adventure this book will hold for you, so I hope you'll be patient for the NaruHina growth, and understand that it will come when it's time.

Here is the summary for the previous chapter:

Sasuke is informed by Tobi about his target in Suna. He needs to bring this man back for interrogation, and is a dangerous user of Sealing Techniques. Sasuke believes he will have trouble with the encounter, and Tobi leaves with a few cryptic words about who he SHOULD be worried about. Within a secret room in the mountain, Tobi tortures a man for information about a mysterious person, someone whom Tobi is very interested in. His prisoner claims that the mystery man has died, but Tobi does not believe him.

Meanwhile, Pakkun and Asoko are on their way back to Konoha, when a sudden sandstorm forces them to take shelter in a rocky canyon. Pakkun insists Asoko continue without him, as he can use the portal of the toads that exits near Konoha. Asoko is reluctant, but accepts Pakkun's request, and leaves.

Taka begins their journey, and with the spurring of Sasuke, arrive at the Land of Wind in record time. They immediately begin their search for Yakuhin, as he is known in the village, to take him back to the Mountain's Graveyard.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 3 - A Mysterious Elder! Yakuhin Discovered!<strong>

"I need this artery sewn up now! If we don't restart the blood flow soon, he'll bleed out. Yakuhin, I need a surgical clamp!"

"Right away!" Yakuhin hurried over to a table littered with various tools. He picked out the correct one, before rushing back to give it the doctor.

"Alright, the bleeding has stopped for now. Yakuhin, can you get me the suturing needle?"

"Of course, sir." Again he headed for the table, grabbing the needle and the thread necessary to close up the wound.

"Here you are-"

"Not yet. I found a clot further up. Get me a scalpel, now!" The doctor was growing worried; if they didn't hurry soon, this man's life would be lost.

"Here!" Yakuhin exclaimed, already having one nearby. The doctor grabbed the blade, and made a longitudinal cut along the artery. He quickly replaced the blade with a pair of tweezers, fishing for the clot. Suddenly, he pulled out a small amount of congealed blood, holding it up to the light.

"There you are, you son-of-a-bitch…" He threw the clot in the trash nearby, picking up the needle Yakuhin had brought earlier. He began to run the thread through the more recent cut, working through the bleeding as best he could.

The patient began to flat-line. "Doctor…" Yakuhin said nervously.

"I KNOW." He wiped the sweat from his brow, adjusting his glasses. He just needed to stitch up that second cut, and…

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

"He's coming back!" Yakuhin shouted, sighing in relief. The doctor took a few steps back, collapsing into his chair.

"Thank God…can you finish stitching him up? I'm about to pass out."

"Of course sir." Yakuhin approached the patient, deftly grabbing the needle and thread. He worked far faster than anyone would thought for someone his age, but he been doing this sort of thing for years now. The cut was stitched up, and he gently wrapped the leg in gauze, taking care to keep the leg elevated. After he was finished, he relaxed in the chair next to the doctor's.

"Thank goodness. You performed wonderfully, doctor. You save another life."

The doctor turned to his assisstant and smiled. "Thank you, but don't sell yourself short. If it weren't for you, I would have failed."

"I'm glad to help. Doctor…if it's alright..."

"Your break. Of course. You worked far past it today, so why don't you just take the rest of the day off?"

Yakuhin looked worried. "Are you sure? I can stay if needed."

The doctor shook his head. "No need. I have nothing but simple check-ups for the rest of the day. You've earned yourself some time off, so I'm not taking no as an answer."

"Of course, doctor. Thank you." Yakuhin stood, bowing deep for his superior. The doctor rose momentarily to return the gesture, slumping back into his seat once Yakuhin had left.

'_That man is a gift from the heavens…'_

It had been quite the oddity. This man in what appeared to be his late forties arrived to the village one day, asking if he could be of any service. The guard had been about to send him on his way to the next village, when his companion complained about a pain in his side having bothered him all day. Yakuhin had offered to take a look, and after a brief inspection, had horrified the man by revealing that one of his kidneys had failed. If he didn't see medical attention soon, it might kill him. Yakuhin was brought into the village to oversee the operation, and first he had been looked upon wish disdain by the other doctors. After all, this man came out of nowhere with extensive medical knowledge, and the other doctors were afraid he would be after their jobs.

But as time wore on. That never happened. Yakuhin stated he merely wished to help, accepting a position to assist the surgeons and general practice doctors when needed. He proved to be quite useful, and never complained or failed in his tasks. He rarely said much, but it wasn't for him, many lives would have been lost. He had earned a place of honor in that hospital, and the entire staff hoped he lived a full, happy life.

* * *

><p>Yakuhin yawned. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, and short nap at one of the benches seemed like a wonderful idea. He could feed some of the birds afterward; maybe share a few stories with the children playing in the park…<p>

Anything to get his mind off of…_that_.

It was the reason of his insomnia. Why he rarely spoke to the doctors other than to pass on medical information. He had been forced long ago to rely on a powerful sleeping agent for many years now, sneaking it out of the hospital. He had become addicted, and it drove him to the brink of insanity every day. What was worse, paranoia stalked his every footstep. He always thought he was being followed. He hated it, hated what he had done. But most of all, he hated that he didn't hate himself.

What he had done was terrible, yet not a shred of guilt lie within his heart. All those innocent lives lost forever…it was why he fled to the Land of Wind. No one could find him here; remind him of the atrocities he committed. He would live as long as he kept his cover. No one would have to know…

He turned around to make sure no one was following him. A few steps later, he did it again. Villagers would ask out of concern what he was looking for, to which he would joke that because of his age, he sometimes forgot where he was.

It took him several minutes to reach the small park where he could spend the rest of his day. Grass wasn't an option, as it took far too much water to keep it healthy. Instead, small pebbles adorned the ground beneath his feet, forming waves of color across it. Planters lay around the edge, with exotic flowers and plants decorating the soil. Yakuhin chose a bench that sat underneath a large palm tree; it was his favorite spot.

He settled in, listening to the soft sound of the desert wind. He could faintly hear the bustle of the village nearby, and he felt his eyes begin to grow heavy. As soon as they closed, however, the memories began.

Mangled bodies, dark interrogation rooms, and a mother desperate to hold onto her child for one more second…what if someone came after him? To seek revenge for his deeds? He had dedicated his life to _helping _people now, surely they would spare him? It terrified him, death. And even though every day he told himself he was safe, his heart would refuse to accept it.

"Are you Yakuhin?" he heard a voice say, making him jump in fright. He opened both eyes, finding a small family standing in front of him. There were four of them; a man and woman, assumed to be husband and wife, what appeared to be an older man, possibly a grandfather, and a young child, with brilliant white hair. The child gave Yakuhin a dirty look, and he couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

He gave the strangers his warmest smile. "Yes, that's me. How can I help you today? Would your son like to hear a story?"

"Like I'd want to hear any of your bullshit stories!" the child spat out. Yakuhin blinked.

Now he felt _very_ uncomfortable.

"…who are you? What do you want?"

The man stepped forward. Yakuhin avoided eye contact, but could feel his gaze upon him. He felt nothing but hatred in those eyes.

"You're coming with us…Raiā."

Raiā stiffened. He hadn't heard that name in decades. It scared him. There were only so many people who could know who he truly was.

"I have no intention of going with you anywhere. You're lucky I haven't sounded the alarm already."

Suigetsu scoffed. Despite his current stature, he still managed to be intimidating.

"That's cute. You think you have a choice. How about you come with us, or I start killing people? Women and children first, of course…"

Raiā's eyes widened. Surely this _child_…no, this was no family. Raiā cursed himself not having noticed it sooner, but surely these people had no intention of murdering the villagers? They were innocent, they were…

The hypocrisy tasted bitter in his mouth. If he had been capable, what made these people any different?

"You would truly murder a child to get to me?" he asked, searching Sasuke's eyes for answers. He found none.

"…very well. I will make a deal with you."

Sasuke drew his sword, hidden underneath his cloak. "I'm not making any deals. You will come with us, now."

Despite the situation, Raiā laughed. "Foolish child. Do you really think you could take me alive, and still escape the village? I could kill two of you by then, and soon the entire Land of Wind would be after you. You will accept my conditions, or I sound the alarm."

Karin leaned closer to Sasuke. She hoped his temper wouldn't get in the way of their mission, as it would surely spell their demise.

For a few minutes, Sasuke seemed to consider the deal. It was true, if Tobi had claimed this man was as dangerous as he spoke, they wouldn't be able to take him down before the rest of the village was alert to what was going on. That would…complicate things.

"What are they?"

Raiā leaned back against the bench, closing his eyes.

'Good. Then you are not as stupid as I thought. I won't go quietly, I refuse to give up my life that easily. However, there are the ruins of a village 10 kilometers from here. At midnight, we will meet there."

"And what exactly are we supposed to do when we meet?" Sasuke asked.

"Fight. If you want me, you'll have to beat me."

"Sasuke, _please_ let me kill him right here. I could be extra quiet…" Suigetsu took another step forward, but Sasuke stopped him.

"…fine. If you try to run, I _will_ know."

"Of course." Raiā replied, smiling again. "I would never dream of it. Now, you have exactly five minutes to leave the village, or I call the guards anyway. I'll be following you, so don't try anything."

Sasuke didn't seem to like the idea. He stared off behind Raiā, as if his mind was elsewhere. After a few moments, he nodded, and turned around without another sound. Karin and Jūgo made to follow him, but Suigetsu stamped his foot impatiently.

"Geez Sasuke, you're getting too soft! What if we just cut off all of his limbs? That way he couldn't run away!" He continued to try and convince Sasuke to sway to his side, his reasoning growing more and more graphic with each passing second. They turned the last corner, leaving Raiā to his thoughts.

* * *

><p>Raiā grinned. That boy <em>was<em> as stupid as he had originally thought. It would be easy enough to slip past them and make his escape. There were plenty of ways out of the Land of Wind, many of them known to only a select few. He could head for a rocky outcropping towards the eastern border of the country, and from there make his way into the Land of Rivers. He would lay low for a while. He would survive, just as he always had.

He slowly brought himself to his feet. There was much packing to do, and Raiā was so busy thinking of what supplies he would need to bring…

That he hadn't noticed one extra plant among those in the garden. The plant was larger than any of the others, resembling the maw of some great beast. The plant moved, shifting in its place, before it began to sink beneath the earth.

* * *

><p>Nightfall. The moon had fully risen into the sky, illuminating the vast desert. The pale light reflected off of the dunes, making it resemble a great ocean of light. Truly a sight to behold.<p>

Of course, Pakkun had seen nothing _but_ that for the past three days.

The sand storm had only relented earlier that morning, but unfortunately for Pakkun, his leg hadn't fully healed yet. Every step still sent a sharp pain up his leg, and he was forced to spend most of his time carefully maneuvering it around the rocky outcropping he had found, regaining his strength. He had found a small pool of water, and while they tasted disgusting, some left over soldier pills kept his stomach quiet. It wasn't the most luxurious way of living, but Pakkun had lived through worse.

'_I wonder how the frog is doing…'_ he thought to himself. He was worried about Asoko, even though he would never directly admit it. He hoped Naruto had received the message, and that he could get home after today. His leg seemed just about ready to complete the journey, and Pakkun just might have to demand a reward from Kakashi for all this trouble he had to go through.

But just as his mind was beginning to wander into what he could force out of the Copy-Ninja, something caught his nose. He took an experimental sniff.

It was human.

Now, for the average traveler, the smart thing to do would be to find this person immediately and request aid. But Pakkun knew better; Being a talking dog that was the summon of one of the most famous ninja alive, it was better for him to lay low. He silently leapt to the top of the rock he was standing near, trying to get a better view of his guest.

It was an old man. His hair was greying, but Pakkun could make out faint traces of red in his scalp. He quite a large amount of supplies, and Pakkun had to stop himself from jumping down to try and help the elderly man. He couldn't explain why, but this man felt…_off_. He didn't like the way he smelled.

The man was always looking behind him, checking to see if he was alone. Pakkun was sitting downwind of him, so he didn't need to worry about being noticed. He could hear the man mumbling to himself, and craned his neck to hear.

"…good place to camp for the night. Yes, this will have to do. I'll be out of the country by morning…"

'_So, this guy's obviously running from something,'_ Pakkun decided. _'I better keep an eye on him, see if I can't figure out what he did.'_

The man began to set up a fire, and Pakkun let himself relax. This guy wasn't dangerous; he may be a scumbag for whatever he was running from, but he wasn't dangerous. Pakkun almost let himself relax, when he felt 4 other chakra signatures heading his way, and fast. He ducked back beneath the rock, dropping his chakra signature to its absolute lowest point. They approached the elderly man from behind.

"Did you really think you could run, Raiā?" he heard a voice say. He swore he recognized the voice, but couldn't quite put his paw on it.

"H-how did you find me?" he heard the elderly man say, fearful. "I was so careful!"

"No one escapes my eye. You're coming with us whether you like it or not."

Pakkun's eyes widened. No, it couldn't be…

"That's the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan!"

'_Sasuke…'_ Pakkun grew deathly quiet, even holding his breath as much as he could. He slowly moved around the rock, trying to get the slightest peek.

And there he was. Sasuke Uchiha, and the other members of his team, was right there in front of him. He didn't know what they wanted with this man, but it couldn't be good.

'_Dammit! If only my leg wasn't…' _He growled to himself. This was a difficult situation; if he hadn't been injured, he wouldn't have come across Sasuke, but now that he's here, there was no way to get help. He could have reverse summoned Kakashi, but that would attract far too much attention. For now, he was stuck.

"What do you want with me?! I've done nothing wrong!" he heard 'Raiā' say.

"Don't grovel to me. You have information I want, and there's someone else. What he wants with you, I don't know, and I don't care."

Pakkun heard the sound of drawing steel. This was about to get very bad.

* * *

><p>"Another bowl, please!"<p>

Naruto held his empty bowl up for everyone to see, wiping the excess broth from his mouth.

"Coming right up!" Teuchi replied. From the corner of his eye, Naruto could see Kakashi staring at him.

"Uhhh...yeah?" he asked, slightly unnerved.

"You never told me why I'm treating you to ramen." Kakashi sighed, taking another look at the ever-growing mountain of ramen bowls. "At this rate, you'll bankrupt me."

"But Kakashi-sensei, it's a time for celebration! I have a girlfriend now, so you have to treat me!"

The jōnin sat up. Did he hear…what he thought he just heard?

"Naruto…did you say-"

"Yep, it happened yesterday!" Naruto's expression softened, though it didn't look any less happy. "I guess I liked Hinata more than I thought…"

Kakashi smiled from beneath his mask. It wasn't the usual, boisterous Naruto. This was a Naruto who truly seemed happy; he didn't need to put on the mask for anyone anymore.

"Naruto…" he said quietly. "Eat as much as you'd like."

The blonde grinned, nodding enthusiastically. He was just about to dig into his 7th bowl, when he heard something.

"…NARUTO-DONOOOOO!"

He barely had time to turn around before Asoko slammed into Naruto's face, sending him tumbling over his stool. Kakashi didn't react to it much, but it still surprised him.

"Seems like your friend got back to you," he said, amused. However, his gaze hardened when he noticed something.

"Where's Pakkun? Why isn't he with you?"

The toad finally leapt off of Narutos face, landing on the counter in front of them. He was thoroughly out of breath.

"Pakkun is fine, Kakashi-sama. I will get to him momentarily. However, I do believe I have some business with Naruto-dono first."

"It's about time! I was starting to get worried you had gotten lost or something!" he gently untied the scroll from Asoko's back, before releasing the seal. Asoko kept his mouth shut, not wanting to let it slip that he _had_ gotten lost, and that was the precise reason he was so late in his return.

"Let's see here…"

_Dear Naruto,_

_I am truly sorry to hear of your recent experiences, as I am all too aware of the consequences. However, I think I may be of some help. You asked me how I stopped the nightmares, how I kept the beast within me at bay. I can tell you it was nothing of my doing._

"How the heck is that helpful!?" Naruto said with a groan.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should finish reading first, Naruto."

Naruto shot his teacher an embarrassed look, before returning to the letter.

_What I can tell you, however, is that I think I may know what happened. The Shukaku tormented with me with nightmares to keep me under his control, to keep my bloodlust at the forefront of his mind. But as I grew to love my village, care for my people, I felt the nightmares wane. The more I filled my heart with the love of my village, the farther I drew away from the beast. I believe I was able to keep his power at bay within my mind as a result of these thoughts. If this is confusing, I shall say simply this:_

_Find someone to love, Naruto. Hold onto that person or those people, and hopefully the Kyūbi's power will wane. Perhaps he is stronger than that, perhaps my advice will not help you, but it is the best I can do._

_Be well, Naruto._

_Gaara, Godaime Kazekage_

'_Find someone to love…that's what Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei said…'_

"Well, Naruto?" Kakashi asked. "What does it say?"

The blonde re-read the letter once more. Was it really that simple? Was Hinata really the key to all of this?

"I'm going to try something, Kakashi-sensei. Hold on for a second…" Naruto closed his eyes, slowing his breathing. His heartbeat began to slow down as well, putting him in a meditative state.

"**WELL…LOOK WHO IT IS…"**

The Kyūbi stared at Naruto through his cage. This was unexpected.

"**WHAT DO YOU WANT?" **he demanded.

"You're going to leave me alone. The nightmares are stopping, right now." Naruto said this firmly, but it only made the demon laugh.

"**AM I? DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF CONTROL OVER ME? YOU FORGET YOUR PLACE, WHELP. I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER AS LONG AS I PLEASE!"**

"You're wrong! I have Hinata now!"

"**WHAT?" **The beast almost sounded…worried.

"You heard me. Hinata's my girlfriend now, and as long as I think about her, you won't have any power over me!"

"**YOU ARE A FOOL IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT. ONE PATHETIC GIRL CANNOT CONDEMN MY POWER. I HAVE WARNED YOU; SHE WILL DIE, AND IT WILL BE YOUR FAULT."**

But Naruto was defiant. He shook his head angrily. "I don't believe you! She's everything you're not, and if I have her with me, she's the stronger one!"

Now the Kyūbi grew angry. He stalked towards the bars, red eyes gleaming,

"**WATCH WHAT YOU SAY. YOU MAY LIVE TO REGRET THOSE WORDS."**

"I never regret anything I say," Naruto replied proudly. "Hinata's my girlfriend, and she'll stop you!"

"Besides…even if she doesn't, I'll just start spreading rumors around the village about how you're afraid of a 16 year old girl."

"**YOU…YOU WOULDN'T DARE."**

"Try me. You wanna play dirty, we'll play dirty." Naruto grinned. "Hey everyone, did you hear how much of a pussy the Kyūbi is? He's scared of quiet, sweet Hinata! Isn't that funny?"

The demon roared angrily, trying to reach Naruto with his claws.

"**HOW DARE YOU! COME HERE…I WILL SLICE YOUR THROAT, SPILL YOUR BLOOD! NO ONE MAKES A MOCKERY OF ME!"**

Naruto turned around, waving off the beast's threats. "Yeah, sure you will! I gotta go, later!" he felt his surroundings slowly begin to disappear, and the next time Naruto opened his eyes, he was once again sitting with Kakashi.

'Any luck?" the jōnin asked.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "We'll have to wait and see. Even if this doesn't work, at least I pissed him off!"

Kakashi shook his head in amusement. Naruto truly was something else. He turned to Asoko.

"Now, what were you saying about Pakkun?"

Asoko had been trying to sneak as much of Kakashi's ramen into his own mouth as he could, and looked sheepishly at the ground when he realized he had been caught. However his embarrassment faded as he began his story.

"Of course, Kakashi-sama. Pakkun and I were on our way back with Gaara-sama's information, when we encountered a sandstorm."

"Is Pakkun alright?" Kakashi asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Yes, he is fine. We managed to find a rocky canyon nearby where we could hide. He insisted I use the Enshinsui to reach Konoha, while he recovered from a small injury he sustained. He should still be there, but I have no doubt he is perfectly healthy."

Kakashi sighed with relief. "Stubborn old mutt. Well, there's no sense in keeping him there anymore. Please, stand back for a moment."

Asoko hopped back towards Naruto as Kakashi bit his thumb, placing his palm on the table.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" A small puff of smoke bellowed out, and a shape appeared inside.

"Pakkun, what have I told you about-" Kakashi stopped talking. Pakkun had an intensely worried look on his face. He looked as if he just seen a ghost.

"You guys need to get moving. NOW."

"Pakkun, what're you talking about?"

The hound turned to Naruto, a grim look in his eye.

"Sasuke is in the Land of Wind."

_Crash!_

Everyone turned to find Teuchi had dropped a dish, sending broken shards across the floor. They turned back to find Naruto staring into his bowl.

'_Sasuke…'_

He jumped up from the counter, and started heading for the gate.

"Naruto, where are you going? We don't have permission from Tsunade-sama to-"

"I don't care! Asoko, go tell Granny we're going whether she likes it or not!"

For once, the toad kept his mouth shut, and raced off to the Hokage's office to tell her the news. Meanwhile, Kakashi dispersed Pakkun, giving him some hard earned rest before he caught up to Naruto.

"Naruto, you can't handle this on your own. Even with the two of us…"

"I know. I'm getting Sakura-chan and Hinata too. We'll need a medic, and Hinata can track him down."

Kakashi, even though he was worried, couldn't help but be impressed. It was a smart decision. But disobeying the Hokage was another matter. Kakashi would have insisted they stay and wait until Tsunade gave the green light, but he knew Naruto wouldn't be able to wait. The best he could do was tag along to keep an eye on him.

'_Besides…Sasuke is my responsibility as well…'_ He headed in the direction of the hospital, in order to pick up Sakura, while Naruto headed for the Hyūga compound.

* * *

><p><em>Knock knock.<em>

Hinata was sitting in her room, idly wasting the last hours of the evening before she got sleepy. In fact, her eye lids were feeling a little heavy, when she heard a knocking on her window. She knew it was Naruto, as he had been the most recent person she had shown her room to, as well as the fact that he was one of the few people who would actually do something like this; everyone else would just use the front door. She hopped up, smiling as she made to open the door to the garden. But when Naruto slid it open himself, her smiled faded.

"Naruto-kun…?" she asked, searching his troubled face for answers.

"Sasuke is in the Land of Wind. We have to go!"

Hinata's eyes widened. Sasuke? What was he doing there? Did Tsunade give them a mission to try and retrieve him? Hinata's mind began to spin with all the questions.

"But Naruto-kun, did we-"

"There's no time for all that! If we don't leave now, he'll get away! Please Hinata…"

Hinata bit her lip. She wanted to make Naruto happy, she truly did, but going after Sasuke scared her a little. She knew what he was capable of, yet she also knew how much Sasuke meant to Naruto. It was a terrible decision, but she found she could no longer face the look he was giving her. It was trust, and Hinata couldn't deny him.

"O-okay, Naruto-kun…I'll be ready soon."

Naruto smiled softly, pulling her into a quick hug.

"Thank you, Hinata. I can't tell you how much this means to me." He immediately turned around, and was gone almost as fast as he had shown up. Hinata stood in the middle of her room, dumbfounded. Did she really just do that? She would be disobeying her father, possibly even the Hokage…

'_Thank you, Hinata. I can't tell you how much this means to me.'_

The words echoed in her mind. She was afraid of what was to come, but she wasn't about to let Naruto-kun down. Not when he needed her. She hurried to gather her things, taking care not to miss anything. When she was ready to go, she took one final look into her room.

'_I'm sorry…Otō-san.'_

And she was gone.

* * *

><p>By the time she reached the gate, Naruto had everyone else there already. There was Kakashi, Sakura, and even Kiba, which helped to calm her down some.<p>

"I ran into Kiba on my way home." Naruto said, as if answering Hinata's silent question. "I figured we need all the help we can get."

Kiba smirked. "You bet! It was the right decision bringing me along, I can promise you that."

"Tsunade-sama won't be happy about this, Naruto." Kakashi said quietly, another increasingly desperate attempt to change his mind. "We should contact Gaara, and-"

"Sasuke is our responsibility. We can't rely on others to take care of it. You know as well as I do that he needs to be stopped, Kakashi-sensei."

The Copy ninja sighed. Naruto was right, but only half so. Running in headfirst was _not_ the way they should be handling this, but he worried about Naruto. Now that he and Sakura were going, he knew he wouldn't be able to convince them to stay behind, not with the looks in their eyes. But bringing Kiba and Hinata along…

He tried to look into their eyes, see what they were thinking. While Kiba was brimming with confidence, Hinata stood towards the edge of everybody, rubbing her arm nervously. She was scared, and he knew it.

"Hinata…are you alright?"

The Hyūga jumped, having been focused elsewhere. She did her best to smile at Kakashi, even though he could see right through it.

"Y-yes, Kakashi-sensei… I'm f-fine." She looked nothing of the sort, but he knew she wouldn't abandon them; not when Naruto had asked her.

"Fine. Everyone, we're leaving. This won't be an easy trip, so I suggest everyone use a soldier pill. This is going to be a long night."

All five of them quickly swallowed the tiny pill, letting it fill them with energy. Kakashi gave the signal, and they were off, darting into the trees.

* * *

><p>"THEY WHAT?" Tsunade was livid. She had been having a quiet evening, nearly finished with all of her work, when some toad comes in and tells her that Naruto and 4 other have left the village to go after Sasuke Uchiha. She slammed her fist onto the desk, splintering it and nearly squashing Asoko.<p>

"I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama! I am merely the messenger!" Asoko cowered from the other side of the room, as the Godaime continued her rampage. She knocked over cabinets, threw her chair around the room; it was the angriest she had been for a long time.

"How dare he disobey me! We need back-up, intelligence, cooperation with the Sand…if he comes back alive, I'll make sure he stays a genin for the rest of his life!"

She turned back towards Asoko, stalking towards him.

"I'm sending people after them to bring them back. They are _not _doing this alone."

Asoko scratched his head. "Actually, Tsunade-sama…"

She looked him dead in the eye. "…what?"

The toad gulped. He was afraid of what would happen once she found out, but he couldn't put it off any longer…

"Naruto-dono and his team left over 8 hours ago. I was instructed to tell you only after then."

Tsunade said nothing. Her hands slowly balled up into fists, and Asoko didn't have more than a second to dodge. The wall behind him crumbled to dust, and she quickly went after him again.

He croaked in fear, clapped his hands together, and quickly disappeared in a puff of smoke, having returned home.

Tsunade stood in the middle of the chaos that had become her office. It took several minutes for her to calm down, and even then she wanted to smash everything she came into contact with. Naruto was possibly throwing his life away, and what was worse, he dragged Hinata and Kiba into it.

She wandered over to the window. In the distance, she could see large clouds forming, evidence of a storm heading this way.

'_Naruto…come back safely.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> The shit. It is about to go down. I think I said that last chapter, but I swear the next chapter contains the actual going-down-shit.

I'm slowly working my way through the chapters, improving the most heinous errors of the story. I won't change something like lax grammar, or shitty adjective choice, because that is a learning tool for my writing. What I'm talking about is misspelled words, words that have been cut off, and most of all, things that don't add up in the story. Like, the stuff that makes it painful to read. If you have seen something like this and can remember what it is, don't hesitate to message me the error. To be clear, I'm not asking you to fix my story for me. This is my responsibility, and I'll be the one to fix it. I'm only saying that if you _already_ know of an error, feel free to PM me about it. If not, I'll get to it soon enough lol.

Expect the next chapter up by Thursday or Friday at the latest. Until next time!


	22. Sealing Style Unleashed! Raiā's Power!

**Author's Note:** Another chapter? So soon? Why yes, because you guys are awesome! I've been powering through these chapters for the past few days, so I thought I could let you guys have this one a little early.

I'm considering opening a forum for the sole purpose of being an information dump for those retrospect things I put on my profile. They say forums are used for personal use, and I feel that it would keep you guys from having to scroll through all that extra shit clogging it down. I would only keep the stuff from the current book on my profile; the rest would go to the forum. If you guys like that idea, feel free to let me know. I'll most likely fiddle with it this weekend, and can even include other things there if you'd like!

I should always thank you for your reviews. I'm so glad that you guys enjoy reading this, and I'm glad to keep churning out the chapters because you're enjoying them. I read each and every one of them, letting them pump me up for the next chapter.

I'd like to thank **InfiniteDragon** for informing me about how the deletions are being handled right now. I've backed up every chapter I have on here just in case, and like he said he would do himself, if they deleted something, I would most likely leave the site. That's only assuming I put something up they deem fit for deletion, of course.

Enough chatter! On with the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 4 - Sealing Style Unleashed! Raiā's True Power!<strong>

Sasuke had drawn his sword, pointing it dangerously close to Raiā's neck.

"Running from me was a mistake. I can't be held responsible for anything that happens to you at this point."

Raiā took several steps back, until a large boulder blocked him from moving any further. "Why have you come after me? You bear no grudge against me, yet you hunt me like an animal."

"You have information I want. I need to know how to destroy Konoha, and you're going to help me do that."

"I see…so what I've heard is true…" Raiā looked down, staring at the ground. "You know…you and I are alike."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but that was the only sign he was paying attention to the man. Raiā took it as a sign to continue.

"Both of us…we felt betrayed by our village…sought revenge. For half of my life, I did unspeakable things. Atrocities that defy human nature…For the other half of my life, I ran from those atrocities, tried to bury them underneath the deserts of this land. It seems fate has caught up with me."

"It's good you recognize when to give up." Sasuke replied, sheathing his sword. "Now, come with us."

He made to grab Raiā, but the man snatched his arm away.

"I said fate had caught up with me…I never said anything about letting it _take_ me." He grinned.

( watch?v=m3oOmcy28Cw)

Sasuke redrew his sword, but Raiā was faster. He slammed his palms into the boulder behind him, as strange designs snaked out from his hands onto the rock. He used the leverage to push himself away from Taka, and begin to dart around the canyon, dotting the area with similar seals. He was moving far too fast to be seen by the naked eye, so Sasuke was forced to activate his Sharingan.

Raiā was much more agile than his age would have led you to believe, and as Sasuke was trying to keep an eye on him, he found it harder and harder as time wore on. Finally, Raiā stopped, landing on a boulder from across the canyon.

"You and the rest of your little group have made a terrible mistake coming after me. I will show you just how dire of a mistake that is."

Suigetsu turned to the Uchiha. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke nodded, and Suigetsu shot off like a rocket. He drew his sword, making to cleave Raiā in two. In truth, Sasuke wasn't expecting Suigetsu to land a hit; he was merely testing Raiā into revealing his abilities.

"Fūinjutsu: Han'ei!" (Roughly: Sealing Technique: Redirection). Strange black symbols spread all over Raiā's body, and just as Suigetsu swung his sword, the symbols began to glow. The sword connected with Raiā's body…

And phased right through him.

'_What the…'_ Suigetsu thought to himself, before noticing something out of the corner of his eye. He barely had time to turn to water before the object struck him, cleaving through his middle section. He splashed onto the ground, eyes wide.

It had been his own sword.

Raiā landed on the ground, chuckling. "I told you it would not be so easy for you to take me. You'll have to try harder than that."

Suigetsu bared his teeth. He jumped back into the air, this time coming down for a vertical strike. Raiā merely avoided this one, but Suigetsu smirked. He had planned for that. He flipped the sword around to the blunt end, and slammed it into Raiā's head.

A massive wave of pain reeled through Suigetsu's skull, and once again he was sent plummeting to the earth.

"What the fuck is going on?" he yelled, getting to his feet once more. "I've had enough of this! Mizudeppō no Jutsu!"

He made the shape of a gun with his right hand, before a single droplet of water shot from his index finger, traveling at insane speeds. Raiā attempted to dodge the attack, but felt it graze his left side.

All of a sudden, Karin spun around in place, before crumbling to the ground. Jūgo quickly rushed over to help her, but drew back at what he saw.

She had a large cut across her check, and it was bleeding profusely. But was stranger, however, was that her shoulder was slightly damp.

From water.

'_What's going on…?'_ Sasuke thought to himself. Every attack they had tried to land on him so far phased right through him, and one of his own teammates became injured instead. His eyes narrowed.

"Jūgo, keep watch of Karin for now. There's something I need to find out."

Jūgo nodded wordlessly as Sasuke leapt into action. He quickly closed the gap between he and Raiā, aiming a punch into his gut. Raiā dodged out of the way, but was surprised to see a shuriken heading straight for him. Sasuke watched from afar, keeping his Sharingan on Raiā. To his surprise, Raiā managed to crane his back just far enough up to evade the shuriken, grunting in pain. He landed on the rock beneath him, smirking.

"Is this all the Uchiha can muster?" he asked. He saw Sasuke smirking back at him, and quickly turned around in fear.

The shuriken was heading back towards him. In the gleam of the moonlight, he could see the wire that Sasuke had attached to the shuriken, mentally cursing himself for his mistake. There wasn't enough time to dodge.

Nonetheless, the attack phased right through him, disappearing into his right shoulder.

Sasuke whirled around to find another shuriken heading in his direction, and quickly threw himself to the ground to dodge it.

'_Just as I thought so…'_

Raiā scowled from his position. "So, it seems you're smarter than you look, Uchiha. Perhaps this will be a little more challenging."

"Sasuke, what's going on?" Jūgo asked, raising Karin to her feet. "Have you figured something out?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes. These seals placed around the canyon are portals, connected to the symbols on his body. If we try to attack him, the attack will reappear in another location of his choosing, taking us off guard."

Raiā clapped slowly, mocking his opponent. "I must admit, you've figured that out faster than anyone else has before. It's that blasted Sharingan of yours."

"We just have to keep track of all the seals. There must be a weakness to that attack."

Jūgo stood. "I'll help." Slowly, his body began to change, spasms making his arms and legs twitch painfully. A bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face, and Raiā barely had time to blink before he was after him.

"HOLD STILL, I JUST WANNA KILL YOU!" he screamed, letting one arm grow to massive proportions. Streams of unchecked chakra leaked out, speeding up Jūgo's vicious assault.

"You've already seen that your attacks are useless. What's the point of continuing to try?" Raiā ran to one of the seals, awaiting Jūgo.

"SHUT UP AND DIE!" Jūgo howled, swinging his arm towards Raiā's body. Raiā, having his ability discovered, simply let it phase through him, waiting for the attack to redirect at Jūgo. His arm reappeared , smashing into his leg, but to Raiā's surprise, it didn't even slow him down. He leapt forward, blood gushing from his wound, and landed a solid blow across Raiā's chest. Once again, the attack faded out, and this time it connected with Jūgo's skull, smashing him into the ground at immense speeds.

Raiā's eyes widened. Something didn't feel right. Suddenly, a solid connected with his back, sending him flying across the canyon.

Sasuke landed on the ground, dusting himself off.

* * *

><p>'<em>Just as I thought. He can only redirect one attack at a time using those seals. If we overpower him, he can't stop us all.'<em>

He turned to Suigetsu, who had finally gotten to his feet. He nodded in his direction, seemingly understanding the weakness in Raiā's ability, before leaping after him with the Kubikiribōchō. He began to slash indiscriminately, and since he was now keeping track of the seals around him, when his attacks would pass through Raiā and emerge from one of the portals, he would manage to turn the appropriate part of his body to water, before turning it solid again to keep up his attacks. Meanwhile, Sasuke would throw shuriken from afar, forcing Raiā to either dodge or be struck. Despite this ruthless assault, Raiā was managing to survive, evading both Suigetsu and Sasuke.

"LEMME AT HIM! I WANT TO KILL HIM EVEN MORE NOW!"

He saw Jūgo heading towards him again, having recovered from his first attack. Using an extra burst of chakra to speed his body up, Jūgo concentrated the rest of his chakra into his leg.

Raiā grimaced. _'Shit…there's no other choice.'_

A wire emerged from Raiā's sleeve, with a hook attached to the other end. It shot towards a nearby cliff side, and when it embedded itself into the rock, it pulled Raiā out of the way of Jūgo's attack. But suddenly, Sasuke appeared to throw him back into the line of fire. Attempting to push him away, Raiā threw a desperate punch, which Sasuke easily blocked. He used Raiā's body to push himself away just as Jūgo connected with Raiā, sending them both into the rock. Clouds of dust bellowed out from the cracks in the earth, and Suigetsu and Sasuke both retreated a distance.

"Do you think Jūgo got him?" Suigetsu asked. But instead of reply, he heard a howl of pain. He turned to find Sasuke clutching at his hand, gushing arterial blood from the wound.

"Karin…get over here, now!" he yelled, stopping the blood flow with his cloak as much as he could.

She hesitated for a moment. Why should she? Was this not the same person who was willing to throw her life away to kill Danzō? Her blood began to boil. She could refuse, let him bleed out…

But then Sasuke looked into her eyes, and she could see what would happen if she tried to disobey. Those uncaring, soulless eyes…they frightened her greatly. She slowly made her way over to Sasuke, who bit into her arm without hesitation. She grunted in pain, and tried to resist the urge to flinch.

From the rubble, Jūgo's body was flung out of the dust, landing in front of the rest of his team. Raiā emerged, tattered and dirty, but unharmed.

"Throwing all your strength into an attack is a good way to get yourselves killed," he taunted. "You're trying my patience, so I'll make you another deal. If you leave now, I may just spare your lives."

He waited a few seconds for Sasuke's answer, but noticed that he was preoccupied with healing himself. He saw Karin, and his eyes narrowed.

"I've seen that technique before…"

Suddenly, Raiā was on the move. He shot towards Sasuke, seemingly hoping to take advantage of his injury to strike. Suigetsu intercepted him, connecting a powerful kick to Raiā's jaw.

Sasuke growled in pain, biting down even harder on Karin's arm. She began to bleed.

"Something's wrong!" she shouted, through forced breaths. "It's like every attack we land on him just hurts us!"

"That's precisely what's happening."

Karin didn't even have time to turn around before Raiā kicked her across the canyon. She smashed headfirst into the side of a boulder, before collapsing to the ground. It was a cowardly move, attacking the medic, but this wasn't the time for playing fair.

"Check your hand, Uchiha."

Sasuke cracked open one eye, looking into his open palm. Seared into his flesh lay a small symbol similar to the ones that adorned Raiā's body.

'_When did he…'_ His eyes widened.

"Yes, it was during your last assault. You honestly thought I intended to harm you with that attack? No, I simply needed contact with your body."

As if to prove a point, Raiā pulled a large knife from his side, brandishing it towards his own throat.

"As long as that seal is active, any attacks sustained by me will transfer themselves to you." He slowly brought the knife across his knuckles, and Sasuke winced in pain as his own hand was cut open, watching the warm blood spill from the new wound.

Raiā grinned. It was almost like…back then. It felt _good_. "Do you like my technique? It's nothing of my own invention, but it has its uses. You see, a long time ago, I came across a madman, a member of some foolish religion that believed in nothing but death and violence. The man's techniques fascinated me, and I saw its usefulness. It took many years, but I was able to replicate the effects, without the side effect of sharing in the pain. It's quite costly with my chakra, but as you can imagine, I won't need to waste much more."

The knife returned to Raiā's stomach, blade pointed towards his own body.

"This was fun while it lasted, but I have places to be. You have already wasted enough of my time, and now I will have to find a new hiding place. Consider your death punishment for this."

He swiftly plunged the blade into his gut, taking great pleasure as he watched Sasuke's eyes widen in horror. His shirt began to dampen, and soon the Uchiha slumped to the floor.

Raiā smiled. That had been easier than he thought. The rest of these children wouldn't be too much of a chall-

A sharp pain suddenly coursed through his body. He fell to his knees, gasping for air as a small amount of blood began to leak from the corner of his mouth. He reached up with his hand, catching the drop in disbelief.

'_What? What's going on…'_

From the other side of the canyon, Sasuke rose to his feet, smirking.

His Sharingan was active.

* * *

><p><span>( watch?v=TM8IzC5wZIs)<span>

'_Of course…'_

"You're easier to fool than I thought." Sasuke said coolly. "You revealed your own ability to us, and now it won't be of any use."

Raiā removed the blade from his gut, tossing it aside. To Sasuke's surprise, Raiā began to heal the wound with great skill. Within seconds the injury sealed up, and Raiā was dusting himself off.

"I'll admit you took me by surprise with your Sharingan. It's a mistake I won't make again."

Karin had finished healing Sasuke nearly the same time Raiā had finished himself, and the Uchiha rose to his feet. He nodded in Suigetsu's direction, and soon the two of them raced towards Raiā. Jūgo was able to move moments after, and too joined in on the assault.

'_It seems I'll have to try something different…'_ Raiā thought to himself, pulling a scroll out from underneath his cloak. He quickly wiped some of the blood from his injury over the scroll, and smoke enveloped his body. When the smoke cleared, he appeared to be armed with two small shields, wrapped around both of his wrists. Symbols similar to the ones seared into his body adorned the front of these shields, and Raiā took a defensive position as the three male members of Taka closed in.

The number of attacks was maddening. Raiā could only manage to dodge about a third of them, evading a kick or the strike of a sword with inches to spare. The others he was forced to block with his shields, which emitted a loud clang when struck.

Of course, that was what he wanted to happen.

He was having the most trouble with Sasuke. His attacks were far more calculated than the others, and he took great care to strike in between his teammates' attacks, leaving Raiā with very little time to dodge. He ducked under a punch that might have taken his head off, and tried to devise a way to take out Sasuke. The Uchiha's teammates provided no challenge, and once Sasuke was taken care of, he could easily kill the others.

Raiā smiled as he watched Sasuke's sword grow closer to his body, electricity sparking off of the tip. At the last possible second, Raiā released a portion of his chakra to two of the nearby seals inscribed on the canyon walls, and ducked under the attack, sending Sasuke straight into the seal. To his shock, he went right through it, and appeared someone where else in the canyon. What was worse…

His sword embedded itself in Jūgo's back.

"Agh!" he howled, the tip of Sasuke's blade dripping with Jūgo's blood. The lightning coursed through Jūgo's body, making his limbs spasm sporadically. It made him angry, and the rage that came next prevented Jūgo from trying to control his actions, and soon he was swinging at his own teammate just as much as he was at Raiā.

"I'LL KILL YOU TOO! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!"

Things were getting worse. Sasuke now had to worry about both Raiā _and_ Jūgo, especially since the latter was no longer aware of who was friend and who was foe. A kick aimed for his throat forced Sasuke to duck, giving Jūgo the perfect time to counterattack.

'GOT YA!" he screamed, delivering a bone-crushing elbow to Sasuke's jaw. He spun like a top, crashing into the canyon wall.

"Dammit Jūgo, we're on your side!" Suigetsu yelled, shifting his entire body to water to evade another attack from Raiā. "You're just making it harder on us!"

Sasuke emerged from the crater the blow had caused, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth. He couldn't afford to waste any more time with their battle.

He had activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.

"So this is the fabled Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha clan…I must admit, I'm rather excited to see it in action." Raiā smirked. He had expected this. He turned and ran just as Sasuke's eye widened, blood seeping down his cheek.

'_Amaterasu!'_

The black flames made a bee-line for Raiā, but before they could touch him, he disappeared into one of the seals, reappearing across the other side of the canyon. To Raiā's surprise, the flames turned direction, and went after him again.

'_His skill with the flames of Amaterasu is greater than I expected…'_ He flipped over a boulder, just as the flames caught up with him. Sasuke concentrated his chakra to try and melt through the rock, but a blinding pain stopped him halfway. He fell to his knees, clutching his face.

"Abusing your powers… how like an Uchiha." Raiā mocked from his hiding place. "Look at you; nearly blind, yet you still cling to the idea that you can beat me? It's pathetic."

But suddenly, his eyes widened, and he turned around to find Sasuke's flames heading straight for him. They had come through the seal that Raiā had opened earlier, and there was no time to evade the attack. He held up his shield, and crashed through the boulder, pulverizing it.

Sasuke stepped forward, waiting for the smoke to clear. When it did, however, he couldn't believe what he saw.

The flames of Amaterasu, said to be inextinguishable, were slowly flickering away.

"Surprised? You underestimate the versatility of Sealing techniques." Raiā brandished his shields, letting the last of the flames die away into the seals inscribed on them. "Even the legendary abilities of the Mangekyō Sharingan can simply be willed away."

Sasuke's mind began to race. Raiā was planning something; he was sure of it.

'_He still has uses for these seals placed through the canyon that we are unaware of, and they could be connected to his shields. Close combat should be avoided for now. If I can position him correctly…'_

Sasuke quickly threw his palm into the ground, and after the smoke disappeared, he was standing atop the wings of a large hawk. The bird flung itself into the air, soaring above the canyon, while leaving the rest of his team below.

Raiā chuckled. _'He thinks he has me trapped in the canyon…where I am doesn't make a difference if you can't land an attack!'_

"Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique). Sasuke bellowed intense flames from his mouth, growing larger and larger until they covered the sky. From Raiā's point of view within the canyon, the fire would engulf the entire area.

The flames formed into great dragon shapes, before launching themselves towards the ground, toward Raiā and the members of Taka alike.

"Suigetsu! Protect Karin and Jūgo!"

Suigetsu barely made it in time to his teammates, engulfing their bodies in water before the flames collided into the canyon. Even through their protective barrier of water, they could feel the intense heat of the fire.

Raiā wasn't impressed. The attack was easy enough to begin absorbing, and the other missiles didn't even land close to him. But suddenly, black flames erupted from _within_ the dragons, heading straight for Raiā.

'_Of course…if I'm busy sealing away one attack, he means to strike with another while I am distracted.'_ Raiā immediately stopped sealing away the flames, concentrating on Amaterasu. As the flames from the dragons grew closer, Raiā had an idea. He turned and ran for another part of the canyon, letting the attack chase after him. At the last possible second, he jumped to safety, and the flames disappeared into the seal. They reappeared at the top of one of the boulders, aimed at Sasuke. They shot towards the heavens, and Sasuke had to use his summon to push himself away from the attack, and the hawk was able to back away just as the fire reached them. The flames disappeared into the clouds, and the distant rumble of thunder could be heard.

Sasuke fell back towards the canyon, landing atop one of the large boulders that stood at the top of the canyon. He was panting heavily, and his chakra levels were beginning to grow thin. He looked off into the distance; there was a storm approaching.

"You're just wasting my time now, Uchiha," Raiā sneered from back in the canyon. He saw Suigetsu's water shield evaporate, and suddenly headed in their direction, hoping Sasuke would go after to him. To his slight surprise, Sasuke remained where he was.

Jūgo had recovered from his rage, and was trying to keep himself calm as he and Suigetsu began to attack Raiā once more. All of their attacks were dodged easily, and Raiā was growing bored. He caught Suigetsu's sword in mid-swing, slamming his fist into his face. Suigetsu went flying backwards, straight into Karin.

"Are you alright?" she exclaimed, helping him to his feet.

"Man, this guy is really pissing me off!" Suigetsu replied angrily, running after Raiā once again. He was teasing them at this point, jumping away from the two of them whenever they got close. He was waiting to see if Sasuke was going to rejoin the battle, but the Uchiha remained at the top of the canyon, staring down at the battle below.

His eyes had been on Sasuke for a moment too long, and Jūgo took the opportunity to put a little extra power in his next attack. His fist slammed into Raiā's shoulder, who cried out in pain. These cries turned into laughing, and Jūgo turned around in horror when he heard another voice yell out in pain.

Suigetsu was leaning against the canyon wall, bleeding heavily from his shoulder. Jūgo squinted, and saw the seal on Suigetsu's arm.

'_Dammit…it must have been when he blocked Suigetsu's attack!'_

"You three are even more pathetic than the Uchiha is. You're doing nothing but trying my patience, so why don't you just lie down and die?" Raiā spat on the ground. He taunted his opponents by allowing Jūgo to rush over to Suigetsu and help him. He had already bitten into Karin, but the chakra she was providing wasn't doing enough to stop the bleeding. At this rate, Suigetsu would die.

"Step aside, Karin." Jūgo said softly, kneeling next to Suigetsu. Before either one of them could protest, he attached his hand to the injury on Suigetsu's shoulder, partially transforming his arm as he transferred some of the mass to Suigetsu, similar to what he had done to Sasuke during their battle with the Eight Tails' jinchūriki, Killer Bee.

Suigetsu grunted in pain. "You know…you didn't…have to do that…"

Jūgo shook his head. "We can't afford to have any of us taken down. Sasuke will need all of us to overpower Raiā." His appearance began to change, and Jūgo's body began to grow smaller. Within seconds, he appeared to be no older than thirteen, his breathing even more labored.

"An impressive ability, but you've just made yourself weak." Raiā said from across the canyon. "Why would you sacrifice your own power to help someone weaker than you?"

Jūgo smiled, despite his exhaustion. "Whether he likes it or not, Suigetsu is my teammate, and I will do what I can to protect him, as well as the others."

From his spot atop the canyon, Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Raiā scowled. "Disgusting. The idea of protecting one another is foolish in itself. Allies only protect each other until it is more profitable to betray them. I have seen this firsthand."<p>

He spread his arms. "Yes, I was once betrayed by someone I thought was an ally. I put my complete trust in them, and they failed me. They cost me my home, and nearly my life. People like you who still cling to the idea of helping one another have no place in this world."

A large boom interrupted his shouting, and Raiā turned his attention to the heavens. Clouds of the deepest black hovered above them, crashing into one another with large crashes of thunder. For the first time since the beginning of the battle, Raiā felt fear enter his heart once more. But it wasn't because of the storm…

It was the look in Sasuke's eyes. He looked confident that the battle was about to turn in his favor. He looked certain of it.

"This fight is over." He proclaimed, raising his arm upwards. The thunder grew even louder, and Raiā felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead.

"This is the most powerful lightning technique you'll ever encounter," Sasuke explained. "Regular lightning is still controlled by the user, making it far slower than true lightning. That is the difference between other attacks, and Kirin."

He turned to the sky, letting the storm swirl around them. "You see, I never intended for those fire techniques to hit you. I knew you would redirect them back at the sky, which is what I intended all along. The sudden rise in temperature has caused these storm clouds to form, giving me access to natural lightning."

"Natural lightning?" Raiā repeated, in disbelief. Surely that was impossible. If such an attack were to exist, it would travel to the earth in excess of 1/1000th of a second, far faster than anything he could stop on his own.

Sasuke almost smiled "I can only use this attack once, as the lightning drawn from the storm dissipates the clouds afterward. But don't worry…I'll be sure not to miss."

The clouds above him began to churn even more violently, and Raiā's eyes widened in horror as a massive shape emerged from the clouds, slowly making its way towards Sasuke's arm.

'_No…I can't die! I refuse to!'_ Raiā began to form complex signs, one after another, after another. His speed became blinding, and his hands became a blur.

Suigetsu watched from the sidelines. Did Sasuke really intend to use Kirin? He was about to protest, as the attack surely would have killed him as well, when he noticed Sasuke's hawk coming straight for them.

"Guys, let's go!" He grabbed Karin, and threw her on top of the hawk. As it was coming to make another pass, Suigetsu turned to Jūgo.

"Can you make the jump?" he asked, urging Jūgo to his feet.

"I…think…" The hawk drew close, and Jūgo attempted to leap onto its back, but his legs failed him. Meanwhile, Raiā continued his hand signs, and Sasuke was growing frustrated. The longer his team failed to escape the canyon, the longer it would be before he could use Kirin. He pushed the idea of sacrificing the rest of Taka to take Raiā down out of his mind, as he still had a need for them. But if they didn't hurry, Sasuke would make sure they regretted it.

The hawk came back yet again, and this time Jūgo concentrated his dwindling chakra levels into his legs, giving him enough of a boost to catch on the talon of th large bird. It flew out of the canyon, and as soon as they were within range, Sasuke threw his arm down.

An enormous lightning bolt thundered through the air, closing the gap between Sasuke and Raiā in a matter of milliseconds, before exploding into a brilliant light. It engulfed the entire canyon, and Sasuke felt the hair on his arms stand on end as the electricity circulated in the air.

"if he's as tough as Tobi believes, he would have survived that." Sasuke explained, bringing the hawk over to him. "Still, he should be extremely close to death, so we'll need to-"

"You're a fool if you believe that."

Sasuke whirled around to see Raiā, before his leg slammed into Sasuke's gut, sending him plummeting to the canyon below. Suigetsu tried to attack him, but was kicked away.

Raiā was breathing heavily. The seals on his body were glowing a bright red, and they could tell he was in great pain. He suddenly coughed up a large amount of blood, and keeled over.

His body began to change. His arms grew frailer, and his overall appearance began to grow older and older. Whatever trace of red his hair had left disappeared, and soon his hair began to fall out as well.

"You…little shit…" Raiā managed to cough out, wiping the blood away. "You forced my hand, but you'll regret it. As you can see…I'm still alive."

He pointed his arm towards Sasuke, and an evil grin spread across his lips.

"All those attacks. Your taijutsu, your fire technique, even the ability you call Kirin. All this time you believed these shields on my arm to be blocking your attack, rendering tem useless. In actuality, it has been _storing_ them, sealing them away for when I needed it."

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror. Raiā picked up on this fear, and his smile grew even wider.

"That's right, Uchiha. All that power has been concentrated, waiting to be released. I think it will be more than enough to kill you, don't you?"

Sasuke was paralyzed. Every ounce of his body screamed at him to move, to try and escape, but his body refused to obey him. He could only watch as Raiā brought his arm down, pointing it directly at Sasuke. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye, but neglected to see what it was.

Raiā smiled. "This was the most fun I've had in years, Sasuke. Accept my heartfelt thanks before I send you to hell." And with that, all the energy, all the chakra he had stored up in his shields emerged all at once, in an incredibly powerful beam. There wasn't time to react, wasn't time to breathe…Sasuke closed his eyes, and awaited his death. After a few seconds, Sasuke grew confused. Had he simply already been killed, and his death so quick he felt no pain? To his amazement, he was able to open one eye, and he saw something blocking his vision.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke had seen something. He had been too worried about Raiā to see what it was, but now he knew.

It had been Jūgo. Jūgo had forced himself between Raiā and Sasuke.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> The shit! It going down now! Ohhhhhhh! I'll write in my retrospect stuff later today, as I have some business to attend to.

I'd like to thank those of you who point out the mistakes I make in my chapters. That improves my writing, which is beneficial for everyone!

Hah, anyway, this fight is far from over, so until next time!


	23. Death in the Desert! Taka's Fall!

**Author's Note: **Next chapter, coming right up!

First off, I am so lost on how to use the forums. I made one, but I have no idea how to put it up publicly or anything useful for it, so I'm just not going to worry about it for now. If I eventually figure it out, I'll go back to messing with it.

I lol'd every time one of you hated on Sasuke. I hate Sasuke too, and I hope I make him seem like the arrogant, cold-hearted son-of-a-bitch he is. I will not, however, let that compromise my writing. If something needs to happen for his gain, so be it.

Thank you everyone for your reviews! The action keeps on a-rolling in this next chapter, so I hope you're ready for some more fighting!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 5 - Death in the Desert! Taka's Wings Clipped!<strong>

Every now and then a shinobi experiences a strange sensation in the midst of a battle. Time seems to slow down, and a ninja finds themselves with nothing but their own thoughts to keep them company. The entire world ceases to move on, if only for a moment.

Sasuke's eyes widened. Jūgo had thrown his body in front of Sasuke's, protecting him from the attack that Raiā had unleashed not seconds ago. He could almost watch the beam of pure energy grow closer and closer, and even though he tried with all his might to snap out of it and throw Jūgo to safety, his body would not obey him.

'_I can't let you die… You're all I have left to remember Kimimaro.'_

He knew Jūgo hadn't spoken, but those words echoed in his mind. What was this feeling? Why was his voice appearing in his mind? Jūgo had chosen to intervene for the good of their mission. It was the right thing to do…so why did he feel this way?

Time granted him no more time to reflect, and Sasuke was forced back to the real world. He could only watch as Jūgo's body was enveloped in a blinding light, and then…nothing. He simply disappeared.

"Jūgo…" It was all Karin could say. Her mouth hung open in horror. He had only been there a second ago. He couldn't be gone, couldn't be…

She bit her lower lip. She could try and convince herself otherwise as much as she wanted, but there was no use.

Jūgo was dead.

"You bastard!" Suigetsu screamed, blindly swinging his sword In Raiā's direction. Water stung his eyes, even though he wasn't using his jutsu, and he only grew angrier as Raiā dodged every attack, albeit with more effort on his part.

'_Damn him. Damn that fool for getting in the way of me killing Sasuke!' _Raiā scowled. He had been forced to release his chakra used for keeping his energy up, and now he was finding it harder and harder to dodge Suigetsu's increasingly erratic attacks. A sudden pain shot up his spine, and he barely missed being decapitated.

'_This is bad…I barely have enough chakra to defend myself, let alone kill the rest of these brats. Sasuke is still alive, but he doesn't seem to be aware of what's going on…'_

Raiā ducked under Suigetsu's sword once more, this time retaliating with a solid kick to Suigetsu's stomach, sending him in the opposite directions. Raiā immediately headed for Sasuke, who had remained motionless ever since Jūgo's body had evaporated in front of him.

'_Why? What's wrong with me? Why do I feel this way?'_ Sasuke's mind echoed with questions, and they forced his body to stay put. This felt…different from when he had used Karin to get through to Danzō. They had both been for the good of Sasuke's mission, and that was the most important goal. But even if Raiā could lead him to his revenge, he wasn't actively one of his targets.

He scowled. Jūgo had died for his own reasons; he shouldn't let his mind wander to such trivial things, not when there was a task at hand. Raiā was just about to close in on him when Sasuke finally realized his surroundings. He swung his sword in a wide arc, but Raiā managed to pull himself back just far enough to avoid a killing stroke. Still, the blade sliced through his stomach, sending a splatter of warm blood onto Sasuke's face. He grunted in pain, before retreating a short distance.

Raiā's mind began to race, trying to think of anything he could use to his advantage. His chakra levels were dangerously low; he hadn't expected a group of children to give him so much trouble, but there was no point in hovering on the past now. He had to find a way to end this, and soon.

* * *

><p>"Naruto, slow down!"<p>

Sakura could barely see the blonde in the distance. He had gotten further and further ahead, spurred by his desire to meet up with Sasuke, and supported by his near-inexhaustible energy. They had traveled all night now, and the others were beginning to feel it wear on them.

"But if we don't hurry, Sasuke could get away!" Naruto called out in frustration. He turned his attention back onto the road in front of them, digging his heels into the earth even further.

'_I can't let Sasuke get away again…can't let him cause any more trouble…'_

Naruto frowned. He needed to get there _now_. They had been traveling for some time now, and if he didn't hurry, he was sure Sasuke would slip through his hands again. He looked back at the rest of his team. Kakashi and Hinata were keeping up with him easily enough, but the others seemed to be falling more and more behind.

He took a closer look at Hinata. To be honest, he didn't expect her to be keeping so close to him the way she was, especially at the pace he was going. But she remained by his side, and although her lips were tightly sealed as she concentrated, Naruto knew she had no intention of slowing down. Still, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable; what if she was exhausted or in pain, and she wasn't telling him because she was afraid it would disappoint him. It was a scary thought, but before Naruto could ask her about it, Kakashi spoke.

"We're nearing the border of the Land of Wind," he said simply.

And then Naruto's mind became blank. Retrieving Sasuke became the only thing he could think about. He could see the twisted joy in the Uchiha's eyes when he had revealed his crime of murdering Danzō, his lack of hesitation when he tried to kill Sakura…

What if…what if he tried to kill Hinata?

Naruto nearly tripped. It was a terrifying thought. What if, because he had brought Hinata along, Sasuke would target her? What if he wanted to kill her just like the rest of the village? It scared him. It made him angry.

"Naruto, you need to calm down…" he could hear Kakashi warn, but his voice was becoming more and more muffled. He began to draw himself farther and farther away from the group. He knew what he had to do.

A bubbling mass of red chakra began to surface from Naruto's body. It gave him strength, the strength he called on to protect his friends. He wouldn't let Sasuke hurt them; he would do whatever it took to protect them.

'_This is getting bad…'_ Kakashi thought to himself. He could see the Kyūbi's chakra begin to leak from Naruto's body. It was separating Naruto from the rest of the group, and even with all of Kakashi's strength, he was falling behind at a rapid pace.

"Naruto, calm down! Don't let yourself be drawn in!" he yelled, but to no avail. Naruto was beyond convincing. He was desperate to make sure his friends weren't hurt, spurred on by fear.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata called out softly. She reached out a delicate hand in his direction, wishing she could only be a little faster, so that she could comfort him.

For a split second, the cloak disappeared. Naruto shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind from some foul images. He turned around as if to say something, but what was ahead silenced his words.

They had arrived at the Land of Wind. The vast expanse of desert lay before them, glinting under the late night moon.

"Hinata, can you see anything?" Kakashi asked, hoping to find a clue with Hinata's ability to see over great distances. The Hyūga quickly activated her Byakugan, scanning the horizon. She squinted, pushing her vision to its limit.

'I can see a storm, off in the distance…towards the southeast," she replied, before something else caught her eye. She strained her eyes just a little more, and she stiffened at what she saw.

"There's…_another_ storm, further east than the first one." It as an odd sight to see, certainly. Two thunderstorms in the middle of the desert. Naruto, however, knew better. He stuck a finger in his mouth, before holding his hand up high to gauge the wind. He could feel it blowing to the east, and his suspicions were confirmed.

One of the storms had been created recently, evidenced by it moving in an unnatural direction.

Suddenly, the cloak reappeared on Naruto's body, and he was off like a flash in the direction of the distant boom of thunder.

"Naruto, wait!" Kakashi called out, trying to grab the Uzumaki before he got too far away. His hand grazed Naruto's, before he was crossing the desert at an unbelievable pace, far faster than what Kakashi could keep up with.

"Everyone, let's move!" he called out, jumping into action. He wasn't going to let Naruto handle this on his own, even if he feared that that was his true intention.

* * *

><p>"What's the matter, Uchiha? You appear to be growing tired." Raiā wasn't feeling very energetic himself, but he needed every advantage he could get, and appearing to be stronger than his opponents was one of the few choices he had left. His chakra had waned dangerously low, and neither he nor Taka could most likely last for much longer.<p>

Sasuke didn't reply. He was too busy looking for a way to end this. He could see the storm, the natural one, heading farther east of their location, and he got an idea. Kirin didn't take much chakra to use or manipulate. If he could draw Raiā towards it, he could use Kirin for a second time, albeit on a weaker scale. He could see through Raiā's lies, could tell that he was as exhausted as he was. But he couldn't lose. His revenge _must_ see its final step. He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, ignoring the blinding pain it caused. He forced his body in cooperating, and despite the blood seeping from his eyes, he managed to bring about his trump card.

The ghastly form of Susanoo began to materialize around his body. The searing sensation in his flesh began to flare up as well, but he did his best to ignore it.

Raiā took a step back. He hadn't expected for the Uchiha brat to possess this much chakra. And for it to be enough to summon the clan's most infamous technique…this was no ordinary Uchiha.

"It's good for you to be scared of the Susanoo," Sasuke jeered. "It's a technique few rarely have the honor of seeing before they die."

Raiā scowled. 'Why you little…" But then Sasuke's words really sunk in, and a look of fear slowly began to spread across his elderly features.

"That's right…I no longer care to keep you alive. You've wasted enough of my time as it is. It would be better for me just to kill you."

As if to prove his point, Sasuke let fly an arrow from his Susanoo's bow, completely demolishing the rock beneath his feet. Sasuke had meant to aim the attack right at him, knowing Raiā still had the strength to dodge, but the pain in his eyes grew even worse, and his aim was thrown off.

Raiā deftly leapt between the boulders, using them to make his landing onto the ground as soft as he could. Towards the end he slipped, and stumbled to the bottom of the canyon, where the others were waiting for him.

"What's the plan?" Suigetsu muttered in Sasuke's direction, his Kubikiribōchō already drawn. Sasuke said nothing, but turn his head slightly in the direction of the storm in the distance, and Suigetsu got the picture.

"Won't that kill him?" he hissed, tensing up. "Jūgo will have died for nothing if we just kill him. As much I _want_ to-"

"Kirin will be used on a smaller scale. It won't kill him; trust me." Sasuke replied, just as Raiā finally returned to his feet. In an instant Suigetsu was after him yet again, purposely making his attacks easy to dodge. He was trying to force him towards Sasuke, who could then point him in the direction they needed him to go.

Raiā was finding it harder and harder to find enough time to dodge Suigetsu's attacks. Sure, he was managing to avoid most of them, but every now and then he was forced to outright guard against them, sword clashing against steel. His shields had been useful, but now they provided an unnecessary drain on his chakra. Using another attack like he did to kill the one they called 'Jūgo' would only burn through what little of his reserves he had left.

Suigetsu rammed the hilt of his sword into Raiā's jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground. When he tried to pick himself up, he felt his limbs paralyzed by some strange force. He turned around in horror to find Sasuke standing directly above him, the monstrous form of the Susanoo gleaming around him.

Raiā coughed out a small amount of blood. The amount of killer intent radiating off of the body was incredible. He winced in pain as it nearly blacked him out, but he managed to keep himself conscious. Still, he began to feel that old feeling of fear creep into his heart.

"Please…you wouldn't kill an old man, would you? I was only trying to protect myself." he begged, crawling away from the Uchiha.

"Why shouldn't I? You wasted my time, murdered my teammate…it would better for all of us if you died." Sasuke wasn't telling the truth. He had no intention of killing Raiā, despite every fiber of his being wanting to slowly sap the life from this pitiful excuse of a human being. When he saw this coward crawling away from him like a cornered rat, he could see vivid images of the Konoha elders doing the same, begging for mercy; Trying to justify their actions.

Sasuke wanted to send this scum a message. He wanted to break him.

'_Tsukuyomi!' _It took all of Sasuke's strength to remain standing, the pain had become so unbearable. He nearly collapsed down onto one knee, but refused to yield. This was the last push he needed to force Raiā into submission.

Raiā's eyes widened unnaturally as the genjutsu overpowered him. The seals surrounding his body did nothing to protect himself, and he was far too weak to force the technique to release. He felt himself begin to fall, flung into an endless pit of darkness.

* * *

><p>Raiā heard nothing. He saw nothing. He <em>felt<em> nothing. His senses had disappeared, and he was terrified that the Uchiha brat had someone managed to best him, sending him to the afterlife. His body began to thrash wildly in place, hoping it was some nightmare or illusion that he could force his way out of.

Then, he could hear. He could see. He could feel the cold stone around his body. He tenderly reached out with one of his hands, letting his fingertips graze across the surface of the wall.

In the middle of the room he was standing in, he could see a light, humming incessantly. Beneath the light, a chair; it had leather straps bound to the arms and legs of it, with buckles to tighten these straps.

Raiā knew where he was.

He could hear the faintest sound heading this way. It started off small, but grew into a cacophony of agony that Raiā remembered all too well. The screams of a woman, a woman who had lost nearly everything in her life.

The door suddenly flung itself open, and Raiā was shocked to see…himself? Albeit a younger self, it was him all the same. He was dragging some poor woman by the root of her hair across the floor, her hands and legs bound by rusty chains. Behind her trudged in two mean who appeared to be guards, as they kept their faces hidden.

The younger Raiā tossed the woman into the chair, and the guards immediately set to binding her with the straps. The woman put up little fight; she merely sobbed into her body, dampening her tattered robes.

"Now now, please don't be upset!" Raiā sneered, approaching his new guest. " I want all of my friends to be happy, so please don't cry!"

The woman involuntarily shuddered at the iciness in his voice, and struggled to dry her tears. She apparently wasn't fast enough, as Raiā struck her across the face, his smile gone.

'I said be quiet, you whore! You're lucky I've kept you alive _this_ long, so I suggest you don't try my patience."

From the shadows, the older Raiā scowled. He remembered this. That woman had been pitiful, and weak.

The woman choked up on her sobs, but managed to quiet them down. She also stopped struggling against her bonds, letting her body go limp in the chair.

"Much better. Now, do you know why you are here?" Raiā asked, circling the chair. He traced his finger around the woman's cheek, and she couldn't stop herself from jerking away in disgust. Raiā laughed, before striking her in the back of the head.

"I asked you a question, woman. If you don't answer me, I'm sure I can find some way of squeezing the truth out of you."

The woman spat on the ground, finally lifting her face to be seen in the light. A small trickle of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth and her nose, but still she had a defiant smirk on her face.

"I'm h-here because you're a monster…" she spat out, closing her eyes. She knew what was coming.

Raiā cursed the woman, before kicking her in the gut, and sending her to the floor. Her head bounced off of the stone, and her hair grew damp as it began to bleed.

"Defiant to the end. I suppose that's one of the many reasons I brought you here." Raiā said, dusting himself off. "You're here because you have information I need. You're going to give it to me, and if you're a good girl I might let you go."

The woman laughed mirthlessly. "Where would I go? I have no home to go to, thanks to you."

Raiā shrugged. "That's not my concern. What _is_ my concern is that your husband was a dog that needed to be put down, and I was only so glad to oblige. I need to make sure you don't have anything else to offer."

The woman stared into Raiā's eyes, searching for any hint that he was lying. To tell the truth, Raiā _was_ lying, but had grown quite adept at hiding that. Her eyes began to tear up again, and her head returned to its position hanging over her chest.

"No…." she muttered, before dissolving into hysterics once again. No matter how hard Raiā struck her, she seemed to be in a completely catatonic state. Raiā needed her out of that state.

"Yes, he was a stubborn one. But maybe your son won't be as hardheaded as he was?"

The woman immediately shut up, looking into Raiā's cold eyes with disbelief.

'You…you w-wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't I? I would do anything to protect this village from scum like you. It's up to us to keep the peace within the walls of our home, and you've been a thorn in our side for far too long."

The woman couldn't believe her ears. _They_ were the enemy? Was this man's view of morality so twisted he could find justification in his actions?

The older Raiā watched intently, with a small hint of pride. He had done a great service for his village that day. The sacrifices had been many, but their village's strength could be returned with this knowledge! Their losses would be reversed, and they would rise to power once again!

At least, that was what was supposed to happen.

"Are you ready to talk?" Younger Raiā demanded, grabbing the woman's throat.

The woman kept her eyes closed. She could barely breath, and she felt her strength waning. A small smile appeared on her features. She was once beautiful.

She stared at Raiā one final time, before promptly spitting in his face.

"Go to hell."

Raiā wiped the spittle from his face, keeping his calm. Without warning, he tightened his grip on the woman's throat, and snapped her neck.

"Leave her body. Perhaps it will make her husband more talkative." Raiā said, wiping the blood from his gloves. The two guards loosed the leather straps holding the corpse in place, and the woman's body tumbled to the floor, a small pool of blood forming around her.

The elder Raiā sneered. If only that woman had cooperated, perhaps their village would have survived. But instead she chose to hold onto her foolish ideals, and sacrificed her life. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see two more guards dragging in another body to be placed in the chair. He remembered it being the woman's husband. It was a brilliant interrogation move, leaving the body of someone close to your target in the room. It helps loosen their tongue.

But Raiā didn't see the woman's husband. He gasped in surprise as the man lifted his head.

It was…himself?

The surroundings began to shift. The walls melted, and Raiā was falling again.

* * *

><p>"Look at me," he heard a voice say. He felt a great pain in his neck, and he tried to get up, but found his limbs wouldn't move. He struggled again, and realized in horror that they were bound.<p>

His head snapped up in surprise. He was no longer in the interrogation room, but instead what appeared to be a cave, within some mountain. A serpent slithered by his foot, snaking around the legs of the chair he was strapped to.

"Ahhh, you're awake. That's good." The voice was coming from the shadows, and Raiā strained to see who it was. Then, the voice moved forward, revealing themselves to the light.

"I'm so glad you could join me, Raiā." Tobi was smiling from beneath his mask. He took a step forward, but Raiā didn't seem all that surprised.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" he demanded, struggling against his bonds. Tobi ignored the question, placing his hand on Raiā's head. A seal snaked it's way out from underneath his palm, before burning into Raiā's skull. His eye's widened.

"This…this is-"

"Your technique, yes. Perhaps it will jog your memory." Tobi drew a kunai from his cloak, and swiftly plunged it into Raiā's shoulder. He grunted in pain, but kept his eyes focuses on Tobi's mask.

"I see….it's _you_…" He winced in pain again as Tobi twisted the kunai in his shoulder, taking pleasure in watching Raiā's expression twist in agony.

"You have a lot to answer for, Raiā. You're the worst kind of scum, using excuses to fuel your actions."

Raiā sneered. "How hypocritical. How is what you are doing any different from me?"

"This is your trial. I am your judge, jury, and executioner."

Tobi began to circle Raiā, mimicking his prisoner's actions. "Do you know what it was like? To watch your home slowly crumble away, destroyed by its own citizens? You betrayed us, all for the sake of remaining in power, and you didn't care who you had to kill to hold onto that power."

"We were trying to save the village!" Raiā countered angrily. "To restore it to our former glory. We barely survived the last war-"

"But we survived nonetheless! The village's safety was not your concern, it never was. You only sought to keep the village from ostracizing you, exiling you for your failure."

Raiā scowled. "Watch your tongue, boy. We made the necessary sacrifices to keep the village in peace. It was you and your kind that led to our destruction."

Tobi thrust his blade once more into Raiā's body, this time into his knee. Raiā couldn't hold back the scream this time, and from underneath his mask, Tobi grinned.

"You claim it was us that led to the village's destruction? How foolish. It was because of you that we fought in the first place! You only looked to protect yourselves, and in then end you betrayed us!

Raiā shut his mouth, his retort caught in his throat. Tobi brought his face inches from Raiā's, and he could hear him breathing through his mask.

"There are others, Raiā. Others I need to know about. You're going to help me, or I'll make sure you survive."

"W-what? Survive?" Raiā asked, beginning to worry. He watched Tobi stride over to the darker part of the room, and though it was hard to make out, he could see a lever.

"Of course. I'll make sure you never die, that every second of your life is filled with bone-crushing anguish. You will feel the pain of all of the innocents you murdered, for the rest of your worthless life."

Tobi pulled the lever, taking great pleasure as Raiā began to howl in pain, his body twitching uncontrollably.

For the final time, the walls surrounding Raiā began to fade away. Tobi became one with the swirling colors, and soon everything was meshed together, growing blacker and blacker. Only the pain remained, and Raiā feared he would be forced to endure eternity in agony.

Then suddenly, it was over. All grew black. Raiā opened one eye, and saw Sasuke Uchiha standing above him. He was clutching one side of his face, and a generous amount of blood seeped from some hidden wound.

"Do you see, Raiā? That is your fate." Sasuke said, in between gasps for air. "However, I'm willing to make a deal."

Raiā listened with bated breath. Was the Uchiha offering to spare his life? He began to go through anything he could offer to Sasuke, anything he could use to keep him alive.

Sasuke suddenly smiled. It was an evil, wicked smile.

"I'm willing to just kill you here if you'd like."

Raiā snapped. He suddenly leapt to his feet, and began running. It didn't matter where he was going, he just needed to get away from there. He needed to survive. He leapt to the top of the canyon, and was gone in a flash.

"After him," Sasuke said softly. The three remaining members of Taka rushed after Raiā, reaching the top of the canyon in seconds. Before they left, Sasuke turned around, giving it one last look. He remembered the exact spot where he had been standing, where Jūgo had jumped in front of to save his life. He could see burn marks on the ground, and Sasuke's hatred grew.

* * *

><p>Left foot. Right foot. Left. Right.<p>

Raiā could barely breathe. He had long since exhausted what remained of his energy. Fear was the only thing that kept him moving, and it was powerful fear at that. It drove his heels into the sand, pounded in his head.

'_I can make it…'_ he thought to himself. _'If I can just make it over this next dune, I can make it! I'll survive!'_

He wouldn't let Sasuke catch him. He wouldn't let…_him_, interrogate and torture him. There was always a way out, always a way to survive. He had been running for what seemed like hours now, but he couldn't stop. Not yet.

Raiā turned around for a moment, to see if Taka was following him. He could barely make out three figures in the distance, and his heart leaped a little. He was getting away! Just a few steps further and-

He suddenly tripped on a rock, sending him to the ground. He rolled down a large sand dune, tumbling over and over. The sand slashed at his flesh, cutting and scraping his body. He left a trail of blood.

Finally, his body came to a halt. He winced in pain as the sane rubbed deeper into his wounds, but he forced himself to his feet.

Only for Sasuke to kick him back down.

What Raiā had seen was an illusion. Taka had long since gotten ahead of him, and simply waited for him to make a mistake. They now stood around him, watching their once powerful and arrogant enemy reduced to a groveling, pathetic old man.

"Please, spare my life!" he begged, getting on his hands and knees. "I'll do anything. Anything!"

He looked Sasuke. There was blood, tears, and mucus all over his face, and fear in his eyes.

"D-do you want information? _He_ wants to know where the others are. I can t-tell you! I'll tell you where they are if you let me go!"

Sasuke was disgusted. He cruelly kicked Raiā away once more, before the pain in his own body sent him to one knee. Raiā may have seemed weaker than Sasuke was, but the fact of the matter was that they were both weak. Only Sasuke's drive kept him going, while Raiā's fear to survive reduced him to begging. He spat out some blood, returning to his full height.

"I have no interest in what you have to say about these others. I only want information about Konoha. You're coming back with me, and I will get this information from you one way or the other."

Raiā laughed nervously. "You w-want information? I can g-give it to you! About Konoha! I can tell you everything you want to know about Konoha. You'll be able to infiltrate the village and destroy it from the inside!"

Sasuke relaxed for a moment. Finally, he was on his way to his revenge.

While his face was hidden, Raiā smirked.

He suddenly leapt up to his feet, closing the distance between him and Sasuke in less than a second. He grappled Sasuke's wrists, laughing maniacally.

"I'm not going anywhere! I'll kill you all before I go with you!"

Sasuke struggled against Raiā's grip, but found the elderly man had been hiding some mysterious strength, willing himself to keep Sasuke put. He attempted to use Amaterasu to force some distance between them, but the pain was too great. If he tried using Mangekyō Sharingan now, he would die.

The seals on Raiā's body began to glow, brighter and brighter with every passing second. Raiā was hysterical at this point, raving about surviving and his strength. Suigetsu and Karin attempted to intervene, but Raiā kicked them away.

"I hope you're ready to die, Sasuke!" Raiā screamed, bringing his face inches from the Uchiha's. "Because it's certainly not me."

"Sasuke!" a voice called out, forcing Raiā's attention elsewhere. It was all Sasuke needed. He brought his knee into Raiā's gut, before wrapping his arms around his throat, Raiā's back against his chest. He turned in the direction of the voice, his body going rigid.

"Finally…I found you, Sasuke…"

* * *

><p>And the shit is about to get even further down. We on a whole new level of down now.<p>

I swear that's the last I'll say of it. Withdraw your torches and pitchforks, people.

Until next time.


	24. Naruto's Rage! Hinata's Inner Strength!

**Author's Note: **For those of you who have already read this, yes this the same chapter. However, I have made several modifications.

What I did with the original chapter was inexcusable. I took shortcuts in writing the scene, and as a result it fell short in almost all aspects. I want to truly apologize for this, and I promise you here and now that I will make sure that it never happens again to the best of my ability. I would like to thank **jayley** and a Guest profile for pointing these mistakes out to me. I am glad I have readers that are willing to be vocal about when I blatantly fall short as a writer.

This new chapter will be put up, and the old one deleted. I will keep it with me as reminder of what NOT to do from now on. If I've somehow failed in this chapter as well, do not hesitate to tell me.

Thanks for helping me grow as a writer. I appreciate it.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 6 - Naruto's Rage! Hinata's Inner Strength!<strong>

"Finally…I found you, Sasuke…"

Naruto took a step up the hill. He was panting heavily, and the remains of the Kyūbi's chakra flickered across his body. He was calming down now that he had found the Uchiha, but his eyes still shone that malicious red.

"Please, he's trying to kill me! You have to help me!" Raiā begged, lightly struggling against Sasuke's grip. Yes, this could work to his advantage. The boy and Sasuke seemed to know each other, and he hadn't seen any of their battle. For all he knew, Sasuke was a ruthless murderer, after an innocent, elderly man.

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Sasuke, let him go! Why are you all the way out here? This has nothing to do with the village!"

"You don't have a clue if it does or doesn't, Naruto." Sasuke replied. "You don't know a thing about me, so just mind your own business."

"Then tell me! I'll do whatever it takes to help you! You don't have to destroy the entire village! I don't want to have to kill you…"

Sasuke sneered. "I'm not the one who's going to die, Naruto. You've gotten in my way for the last time."

The Uchiha took advantage of the tension in his and Naruto's standoff, and delivered a thundering punch to Raiā's skull, knocking him into unconsciousness. His body slumped to the sand below, and Naruto immediately summoned several shadow clones to prevent the man from hurting himself any further. Sasuke was faster, however, and two quick shuriken disposed of the two clones, leaving Naruto and Sasuke staring at each other from across the dune.

Sasuke was panting heavily. His body couldn't take much more, not after all the damage he had sustained. Meanwhile, Naruto looked fully capable of fighting for hours on end, despite the fact that he had made a three day journey in only a little more than half a day.

"Suigetsu, you and Karin protect Raiā's body," whispered Sasuke. The two remaining members of Taka silently made their way over to Raiā, but they did not escape Naruto's sight. He noticed the two of them trying to sneak away, and shot after them in an instant. Sasuke dove in between them, drawing his sword before making a clean cut through Naruto's midsection.

He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke could see what was coming next, but his exhaustion basically left him with little option other than to brace himself against the blow. Naruto appeared out of nowhere at Sasuke's side, delivering a brutal punch to his jaw, sending him sprawling across the ground.

Naruto stood in the same spot, fist outstretched. His fingernails started to dig into his palms. Why? Why was Sasuke here? This isn't anywhere near the Leaf Village, nowhere near the object of his revenge…He was afraid. What if he failed to stop Sasuke again, and he continued to attack the other villages? He bared his teeth in an animalistic growl.

"I'm not letting you get away this time, Sasuke!" In an instant, hundreds of Naruto's clones began to fill the area, cutting off anywhere for Sasuke to run off to. They dove towards the Uchiha, ready to beat him to a bloody pulp if that's what it would take to stop him.

* * *

><p>The blood pounded in Sasuke's ears; the only thing on his mind was survival. He dodged what he could, blocked when he had the chance, but the clones weren't letting up. One would kick him in the stomach, sending directly towards another, who would hammer him into the ground. Sasuke cried out in pain, spitting out blood. But still he kept going, kept fighting. He couldn't die here, he couldn't die before his brother was avenged, and it spurred him on, longer than any sane human being would be able to go. He fought tooth and nail, blindly striking out at whatever lay in front of him. The ranks of the clones were beginning to thin, but Naruto still had the upper hand.<p>

Meanwhile, several other clones had gone after Suigetsu and Karin. If Sasuke wanted this guy they were protecting so badly, then Naruto wanted to make sure he didn't get his hands on him. Suigetsu was forced to use some of the water within his own body to summon some water clones to assist them, but they weren't doing much good. A clone suddenly appeared beside Karin, and with a quick elbow to her stomach, she crumpled to the ground. Suigetsu was the only one holding off Naruto at the point, and just barely so. Naruto made to throw his knee into his side, and Suigetsu was forced to turn his body into water in order to evade the blow. The moment he solidified, however, Naruto connected with his other knee, sending Suigetsu flying in the opposite direction.

Naruto quickly threw his palm down, and in a flash of smoke, Gamakichi appeared.

"Yo, Naruto!" he said quickly, before realizing that a battle was going on around him. "What do you need."

Naruto rushed over to Raiā's body. "Take this. Sasuke wanted him for some reason we don't know yet. Keep him with you until I summon you back. I can handle this."

Gamakichi nodded silently, shooting his tongue out to catch Raiā when Naruto threw him into the air. Raiā disappeared into Gamakichi's mouth, and soon he was gone as well, as quickly as he had come. Naruto turned his attention back to Sasuke, who was finishing off the last of his clones.

Naruto cracked his neck. He had forced his clones to hold back, since this was an opportunity he was not about to waste. Sasuke had driven himself to the brink of death already before he had even arrived, and if Naruto could take Sasuke back to Konoha to be tried, he would. And just as Sasuke was about to take down the final clone, the original Naruto rejoined the battle, smashing his fist into Sasuke's shoulder. He jumped back, holding his newest injury.

"You won't get in my way!" Sasuke screamed, saliva flying from his throat. "No one will! I need that man to exact my revenge on the village!"

"You're not getting him back!" Naruto countered, racing forward. "I won't let you get away this time! What you're doing is wrong, Sasuke!" He drove his foot into Sasuke's gut, but the mad Uchiha simply let it hit him, and surprised Naruto by grabbing onto the leg, and slamming him into the sand below, as hard as he could.

"What I'm doing is what the village deserves!" Sasuke continued, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth. "Why should my family be sacrificed so that others can live? What makes one life more valuable than the next? Don't you see, I'll prevent that from ever happening again!"

"They were only doing what was best for the village, Sasuke! Your family was going to overthrow the Hokage! It had to be done!"

"They only saw what the village was capable of, and tried to stop it!" Sasuke was beginning to grow delusional, and he charged Naruto head-on, ignoring every ounce of his being screaming for him to stop. "My clan was trying to protect the village! It's you who's wrong!"

Dodging Sasuke wasn't that difficult, but the intensity that the Uchiha was attacking with frightened Naruto. Did he truly believe those words? That the Uchiha clan wasn't to blame for their actions because they were trying to stop the village from continuing its practices? Naruto shuddered at the thought.

'_I need to end this…now.'_ Naruto thought to himself. _'A few more dozen clones ought to finish him off.'_

He quickly summoned the necessary clones, and began another onslaught. Sasuke was being tossed around like a rag-doll, and it was only a matter of time before-

* * *

><p>Sasuke suddenly became engulfed in a massive shroud of chakra. It felt dark, and foul. The Uchiha seemed to have truly lost his mind at that point, and began screaming incessantly. It was in anger, it was in guilt, and it was in pain. The ghostly form of his Susanoo' appeared once more, and Sasuke's screams only grew more intense. He could no longer see what was in front of him, blindly striking in his rage whatever he thought to be Naruto. His protector did the same, striking out at the clones with deadly accuracy, and forced the original Naruto to retreat.<p>

'I'LL KILL WHOEVER GETS IN MY WAY!' Sasuke howled, throwing his fists in all directions. "NO ONE WILL STOP ME FROM KILLING EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU IN THE VILLAGE. I'LL KILL KAKASHI, SAKURA, TSUNADE-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Naruto roared back. He was beginning to grow angry. He wouldn't let Sasuke hurt any of his precious people. He would kill him a thousand times over if he had to. He wouldn't let him touch Sakura-chan, or Kakashi-sensei, or Hinata…

His eyes flashed red. In a blind flash of rage, Naruto shot off towards Sasuke, despite the cloak of Susanoo still protecting him. But suddenly, Naruto was thrown out of the way. A large tendril of something erupted from the ground, knocking him out of the way.

Zetsu emerged from the ground, and strange tentacle was revealed to be a very part of himself. Multiple others emerged from the earth, and formed a blockade, holding Naruto off from reaching him.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY. I'LL KILL HIM!" Sasuke cried, lashing out at Zetsu as if he was just as much of a threat as Naruto was. Zetsu effortlessly dodged out of the way, as Sasuke's exhaustion had made him sloppy. He meant to strike out again, but unimaginable pain suddenly filled his body, and he collapsed. His vision began to fade rapidly, and soon his eyes met only darkness. He cursed Naruto, cursing him for getting in his way. But his screams only came out as mindless babble.

"He would have killed himself if he had continued," Zetsu pointed out. Another tendril snaked out from underneath his body, and began to draw Sasuke, as well as Karin and Suigetsu towards his body. "But there are more ways to get what we want. We'll be going now."

"Get back here!" Naruto roared, finding an opening through Zetsu's roots. His fist was inches from connecting, before another root emerged right beneath him, slapping him out of the air. Naruto was sent flying in the other direction, but one of his clones stopped him in midair, and threw him right back.

'_I can't let him get away…'_ Naruto's flashed an even deeper red. He couldn't let Sasuke escape. If he did, they might not be so lucky. Sasuke could hurt someone else, and Naruto wouldn't be able to stop him.

But Zetsu moved too fast. He quickly dragged Sasuke and the others underground, and all of his tentacles focused on Naruto in a surprise attack. They quickly roped around him, holding him fast.

Zetsu sneered. "It looks like you've failed again, Naruto. Goodbye…" his body began to sink beneath the ground, and Naruto thrashed wildly against his bonds, yelling for Zetsu to stay. But just as quickly as he showed up, Zetsu disappeared.

The tentacles suddenly released Naruto, and he flopped limply to the ground. He lay motionless on the ground, but it was not because he was hurt.

It was because he was trying to control his rage.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had escaped. Naruto had failed. His hands balled into fists as he clenched his teeth tighter and tighter. Why? If he had been just a little faster, a little stronger…this couldn't be happening.<p>

"**YOU FAIL BECAUSE YOU ARE WEAK…"** Naruto heard a voice within his mind boom. **"YOU FAIL BECAUSE YOU REFUSE MY GIFTS. RAGE MAKES YOU STRONG, ANGER GIVES YOU POWER."**

'_I can't! I can't let the people I care for get hurt!'_

"**MY POWER CAN PROTECT THOSE YOU LOVE. THEY WILL KEEP YOU FROM FAILURE."**

'_You're lying! You'll try to kill them!'_

"**THINK ABOUT HINATA. USE MY POWER, AND I WILL PROTECT HER…"**

Naruto's mind began to falter. Hinata had quickly become someone close to him. She had always been there for him. What if…what if he lost her? He couldn't imagine it. His mind was preventing him from trying. He couldn't let Hinata die, he couldn't let anyone take her…

"**RAGGGHHHHH!"**

"Everyone, get down!" Kakashi called out, throwing his arms out before Kiba and the others ran ahead. "Naruto's…changing…"

They had forced themselves to keep going, hoping they could catch up to Naruto before he encountered Sasuke, but now they watched in horror as he clutched his head in some internal struggle. His nails were growing, and they began to dig into his head, spilling blood over the back of his hands.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed. "Naruto, don't lose yourself!"

It was a mistake. Naruto heard her cry out, and when he saw Sakura and the others crouching behind a nearby sand dune, it only reminded him of who could be hurt if Sasuke was allowed to roam free. The Kyūbi preyed on this fear, and his control over Naruto began to strengthen.

'_Naruto-kun…_' Hinata was paralyzed with fear. Is this…what happened to Naruto every time he changed? It made Hinata feel sick to her stomach. She wanted to reach out to him, to hold him close and tell him everything is alright, but her feet stayed rooted to the spot. She could only watch in horror as Naruto slammed his fist into the sand, baring his teeth. He was just…he was just so angry. Angry at Sasuke, angry at Zetsu…but most of all, angry at himself. He had let Sasuke get away again. What if something happened? What if Sasuke wanted to go after the other villages? Naruto couldn't be there to stop him. Someone would die, and it would be his fault.

It was just like the Kyūbi said.

"**I failed…I failed…**_**again**_**…"** Naruto's voice was low, dangerous. But then, to their surprise, the chakra cloak around him was beginning to settle down…it looked like Naruto was starting to gain control.

Naruto suddenly burst into screaming, howling at the moon like some deranged beast. His fists flew into the ground again and again, pounding the sand and sending dust clouds high into the air. His cries cut through the nighttime sky, through the very souls of everyone present. Something was happening. Something _bad_.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, but kept his hands planted on the ground. Everyone watched in terror as pieces of his flesh began to mix with the chakra cloak surrounding him. He began to bleed profusely over his entire body. It made Hinata want to cry.

And then, while small at first, the fourth tail began to appear. The cloak grew darker and more corrosive with every second, and soon it coated Naruto in a gruesome mix of his blood and the Kyūbi's chakra, turning solid black.

"Everyone, get back now!" Kakashi hissed, leaping back as far as his legs would take him. The power that was radiating from Naruto…it was unbelievable. He may never have seen something like this before, but he knew enough that to be close to him right now was a death sentence.

Naruto roared with such rage. His tails began to thrash about, blindly smashing into whatever he could find while he cried in anger. He beat his chest, tore open the earth with is claws; it was a frightening display.

"Is this…is this what happens when Naruto transforms?" Kiba asked, keeping his body as low to the ground as he possibly could. He had never seen Naruto this close, and the pure chakra he was emitting was almost too pungent for him to handle.

Sakura nodded grimly. "Yes. He'll attack anything he sees, whether it's a friend or an enemy. We need to be careful, and make sure we're not noticed."

"Naruto-kun!"

The others jerked their head in the direction of the sound. No, it couldn't be…

Hinata wasn't hiding anymore. She was heading straight for Naruto.

'_I'm not going to let Naruto-kun suffer like this...'_

( watch?v=54U3fnY2uEI)

She had seen enough. Watching him endure such pain alone…it was too much for Hinata. She was terrified, terrified beyond belief of the power and rage Naruto was emitting…but she was even more afraid of sitting back and doing nothing. Letting him go through such a thing by himself… it simply wasn't something Hinata was capable of. She didn't know what she would do, what she even could do, but if she didn't at least try, she wouldn't be able to look Naruto in the eye.

"No, Hinata! Get back!" Kakashi yelled, but she ignored him. She looked so determined…so determined to reach him, even if it killed her. Kakashi was about to leap up and get her back before it was too late, but he saw something that kept him rooted to the spot.

Naruto suddenly wheeled around, having grown aware of Hinata's presence. He roared at her, and his tails began to thrash dangerously close to her body. But she didn't stop, she didn't even slow down.

"Naruto-kun, it's me…it's H-Hinata. Please…I know you're in there…" Hinata grew even closer, and Naruto planted his limbs firmly in the ground, ready for an attack. But he hesitated, if only for a second, so Hinata took another step forward.

"Please, Naruto-kun…don't be angry with yourself. You did the b-best you could…come back to us…"

Naruto eyed her cautiously. Deep within the recesses of his mind, he felt like he knew this girl…maybe she wasn't going to attack him? His tails ceased flailing, instead gently whipping back and forth as the girl grew closer.

Kakashi was in a state of total shock. What was happening in front of him…it should be impossible! But there Hinata was, somehow reaching the real Naruto underneath all that hate and suffering. She was getting within arm's reach of him now, and showed any signs of neither fear nor apprehension at this point. Instead of some horrific beast, Naruto seemed more like a curious animal more than anything else.

'I'm here for you, Naruto-kun. You don't have to hold this burden by yourself anymore…" Her voice had lost the last few traces of fear, and she was now standing directly in front of Naruto. "Remember, Naruto-kun…I love you."

She reached a hand out, and Naruto growled, his body tensing up again. Hinata fought every instinct in her body to pull away; that would only damage the progress she had made. She held her hand in place for several minutes, not making a sound. Naruto seemed to calm down after a while, and his body relaxed. He cocked his head to one side, as if he was trying to decide what to do from this point.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun…everything's okay, now…" Hinata said softly, giving him a gentle smile. She reached her hand out again, and this time Naruto didn't shy away from her touch. He sat there, eyeing her hand with curiosity.

Hinata could feel the heat from the chakra cloak, and it bubbled dangerously close to her hand. She felt a slight pang of fear well up inside her, but she quickly squashed it. She couldn't stop now. Her hand barely grazed near Naruto's cheek, and she had to fight herself from showing any pain. It burned, felt like her hand was going to cook. But Naruto seemed to be calming down; if she stopped it might undo everything that had happened so far.

She pushed her hand in deeper, ignoring the searing pain, and to her surprise, it began to cool. She stole a quick glance, surprised to see that while her hand did have some minor burns, it had stopped. With newfound confidence, she pushed her hand in even deeper, and found flesh.

Naruto's flesh.

She smiled again, gently rubbing her palm against his cheek. Despite the burning chakra on his exterior, the body within felt cool to the touch. Naruto seemed to like this feeling, and his tails, gently fell to the earth as he leaned into it.

'_Hinata…'_

Hinata's eyes widened. That had been Naruto's voice! She hadn't heard it, but rather she _felt_ it, within her spirit. Naruto was calling out to her, from whatever dark corner of his mind he had been forced into.

'_Hinata…is that…you?'_

"Yes, Naruto-kun…it's me." Please, come back to us…" she said softly, not once letting go of Naruto's cheek. It kept him anchored to her, she was sure of it.

Slowly, Naruto brought a hand of his own towards Hinata. The chakra cloak began to smooth itself out, and to Hinata's shock, she could barely make out the tips of Naruto's, the _real_ Naruto's fingertips. It was ever so slightly, but she could see them, and reached out with her free hand.

"HINATA, WATCH OUT!"

Kiba had misread Naruto's intentions, thinking he was going in for a surprise attack. He called out in fear, hoping Hinata could get away in time.

Naruto roared, and his tails began to thrash violently once more. Hinata yanked her other hand towards Naruto, despite the burning sensation flaring up again worse than before. Her hands were becoming seriously injured, but Hinata refused to yield.

"Naruto-kun, stay with me! It's me, Hinata! Naruto-kun!"

But it was no use. He was gone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of his tails whip in her direction, and she knew what was coming.

He knocked her back with great force, and she cried out in pain as her drove his tail into her shoulder. The chakra burned her flesh, and she shot back towards the rest of the group. She tumbled head over foot again and again in the sand, before finally skidding to a halt several dozen meters away from Kakashi and the others. She didn't move.

* * *

><p>"Dammit!" Kakashi swore, leaping to his feet. He quickly pulled out a scroll he had within his pouch, wiping a generous amount of blood on the seal. Naruto was heading straight for them, so he needed to act fast.<p>

The seal exploded in a great ball of light, and tendrils shot out, wrapping themselves around Naruto. He fought against the shackles ruthlessly, desperately trying to reach Kakashi. The light bound him even more, restricting any movement he tried to make.

Kakashi withdrew another scroll, placing it near Naruto's feet before jumping back to a safe distance. The seal began to glow, and the cloak surrounding Naruto began to subside, ripping itself from his flesh as the seal absorbed the demonic chakra.

Several agonizing minutes passed by. Kakashi had to watch helplessly as the seal pulled the chakra from Naruto's body, and when his face finally reappeared from beneath the receding cloak, he could tell he was in an extraordinary amount of pain. He screamed over and over again, and Kakashi had to resist the urge to remove the seal to ease his suffering. Naruto would just have to endure.

And then finally, the cloak fully receded. Naruto remained on his knees as his flesh steamed from the remnants of the burning chakra. His skin was entirely gone, and the ruby red tone of his blood and muscles beneath shone under the pale light of the moon. His eyes rolled in the back of his head, and Naruto passed into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Kakashi acted fast. He quickly placed his hand on the ground, summoning Bull, the largest of his ninken. He hurried over to where Naruto was, and as gently as he could, picked Naruto up, before securing him to Bull's back. Once he had accomplished that, he rushed back to check on the others.<p>

Sakura was attempting heal the worse of Hinata's injuries, while Kiba kneeled at her side. His knuckles were stark white, and the inside of his hands were bleeding, probably from where his claw-like nails punctured the skin. He was angry. _Very_ angry.

"How is she?" Kakashi said quietly, placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"The burns on her hand are the worse of it." Sakura replied, not once losing her concentration. "The problem is, by the time I finish with those, it's likely that her other injuries will developed some minor scar tissue. I can't say for sure right now."

Kakashi nodded. "That's better than nothing, I suppose. When you feel she's in a stable condition, we'll make for Suna. It can't be too much farther from here."

"Kakashi-sensei…what…what _happened_?" Sakura asked. It was the only thing on her mind right now; Hinata had gotten so close to Naruto, and he hadn't attacked her until…

She glanced up at Kiba, and gasped involuntarily. The bleeding from his hands had only increased, and now his lip was dripping blood from where he was biting his lip, worried sick over Hinata's condition. Sakura was about to say something, but Kakashi spoke first.

"I…don't know, Sakura. I've never seen or heard of anything like that every happening. Maybe Naruto and Hinata know something we don't, but right now they're in no condition for that."

"Hinata's gonna be alright, isn't she?" Kiba asked suddenly, keeping his head down. "She'll be ok?"

Sakura nodded, giving Kiba the best smile she could manage. "Of course she will. You have me here, remember?"

Kiba nodded hesitantly, but didn't seem any less worried. He remained by Hinata's side until Sakura announced that she had reached a stable condition. The injuries would take some time to heal, but she could at least be moved.

Akamaru kneeled by her side, whining. He gently licked the side of her face, before letting Kiba ease her onto his back.

Kakashi stretched his neck. "Alright everyone, let's go. We may not have been able to stop Sasuke, but he was after that man for a reason, and we're going to find out why."

He turned in the direction of Suna. The moon was beginning its descent, and in a few hours it would most likely be morning. Kakashi heard the distant rumble of thunder, and could see the remains of the storm rolling across the sky towards the south.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I hope this was better than the original. Looking back through, I can't dodge any of the complaints about it, and I know that it was poor writing on my part.

Like I said in the original A/N, I have a surprise coming for you guys, and hopefully it will be ready to present by this weekend. Thanks for sticking with me.

Until next time.


	25. Return to the Sand! Investigate!

**Author's Note: **Hey guys. New Chapter is up.

For those of you unaware, I have redone Chapter 24. After I read some of the comments people gave me, and looked through the chapter as well, I realized how right all of you were. I've said that battle scenes are not my forte, and this definitely proves it. I apologize for putting out a chapter with such inconsistencies, and I make a promise to you guys now that I will make sure from now on that all fights are well-balanced and are written well. I hope the re-do of 24 is better than what you guys originally read, and once again, I offer my apologies.

Onto other business. Thanks to **OGAFazer89AC**'ssharp eye, my forum can be found for those of you care. If you go to the Anime/Naruto forums, and select English only, it should be on the very last page or so. The Retrospects from the previous chapter can be found there, so if that's what you're looking for or if you want to add in a topic yourself, feel free to do so.

As for that **surprise** I told you about, you can find more information about it at the **Bottom Author's Note, **so please take a look when you finish with the chapter!

Thank you so much for your reviews. I am still very new at this, so when I read people's suggestions and comments, it helps me grow as a writer, which is invaluable to me. If you want to tell me what you liked and didn't like, or just want to say 'good job', I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 7 - Return to the Sand! The Investigation Begins!<strong>

Naruto was plagued by restlessness. His unconsciousness provided him no comfort, and he tossed and turned endlessly in the black expanse of darkness. He had no idea where he was; his senses failed him.

Every now and then violent images flashed before him, their intensity almost too much for Naruto to bear. He didn't recognize their contents, and was unable to understand their meaning. They were too distorted. He could swear that he saw someone or something he recognized once in a while, and would reach out to it, trying to bring it closer. But it would fade away before he got the chance, and Naruto would be left to wander once more. Time had no meaning in this strange place; it felt like he had already been here for an eternity.

He saw another shape, but didn't bother acknowledging it. It would only slip away once he got close. But as the shape took on more and more definition, Naruto felt himself irresistibly drawn to the shape. It was vaguely human, and only became more so as time wore on. Delicate hands of the softest skin slipped through sleeves of color and light. Hair, silky and soft as smoke, draped across the shape's back. A face began to form; a tiny nose, a warm smile, and beautiful eyes.

'_Hinata…'_ Naruto extended both of his arms. That was Hinata in front of him! He smiled warmly; she would know what was going on. She would help him through this.

But as his arms closed around her, they simply slipped right through her body. He seemed confused, and tried again. Hinata silently shook her head, and began to drift away from him. Naruto tried grasping for her clothing, hoping there was some way he could keep her with him, but his fingers could only touch his own flesh. He followed her. Maybe she was leading him somewhere.

Naruto was trying to remain optimistic, but he could see that Hinata was getting further and further away from him. No matter what he tried, he couldn't seem to go any faster, and watched helplessly as she started to disappear from his gaze. He tried waving his arms about, but she didn't see him. He tried calling out to her, but she didn't hear him.

As she got further away, something horrific was happening. Her clothes were becoming torn, and bloodied, and the heavenly glow that accompanied her flawless skin was fading, replaced with a layer of grime and sweat. Her mouth didn't open, yet he could hear her cry out in pain. She had her back to him, yet he could see the fear in her eyes. What was happening to Hinata? Naruto felt powerless.

A rumbling laugh echoed from beneath him in the darkness as the last wisps of Hinata's body faded away from view. It was a dark, wicked laugh, one Naruto was beginning to recognize. His body plummeted into the abyss, and he shook with fear. He blinked once, and the cage was in front of him.

"**THAT WAS QUITE A SHOW. IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO WATCH YOU SUFFER,"** the Kyūbi taunted.

"What's going on?" Naruto demanded. "I thought I told you that if you ever messed with my head again, I-"

Naruto was interrupted by another fit of laughter from the beast. The cage shook, and Naruto grew worried.

"**AS AMUSING AS YOUR STUPIDITY IS, I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR LITTLE **_**EPISODE**_** JUST NOW."** The titan sneered, his teeth gleaming in the murky light of his cage. **"NO…THAT WAS ALL YOU, LITTLE WHELP. IT IS YOUR OWN MIND THAT TURNS AGAINST YOU."**

"What're you talking about? How do I know you're not lying?"

It was too much for the demon. He clutched his side in his fits of laughter, taking huge gasps for air as he rocked back and forth on his feet. Naruto's heart thumped in his throat; something that made the Kyūbi this happy meant something very bad had happened.

"…what happened?" Naruto asked quietly, hanging his head.

In between his cacophony of mirth, the Kyūbi found time to speak. **"WHY DON'T YOU JUST ASK THAT LITTLE HYŪGA GIRL? I'M SURE SHE COULD TELL YOU BETTER THAN I!"**

Naruto demanded what he was talking about, but his pleas went ignored. The beast's laughter grew louder and louder, and even if Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice could not be heard. What happened to Hinata? Was she hurt? Was it something…was it something Naruto did?

* * *

><p>"No!" he yelled out, sitting up in his hospital bed. His sudden movement made Sakura jump in surprise; she had been attending to him all night, and had finally passed out in a nearby chair from exhaustion.<p>

"Naruto? You're awake?" Sakura eased herself out of her seat. Naruto found himself at the end of a quick check-up, with his teammate poking and prodding him to make sure everything worked alright.

"I'm fine, Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined, swatting her worried hands away. "You of all people should know how fast I heal!"

"Are you sure you're okay? That was quite an episode you ha-" A hand flew to Sakura's mouth as she realized what she had been saying. Naruto didn't seem too upset.

"Yeah…I had a feeling that happened." He leaned his body against the backboard of the bed, covering his eyes with one hand as he sighed deeply.

"Why can't I control it, Sakura-chan? I've been dealing with this since I was born, but I'm not any closer to keeping it under control than I was on day one."

"It's not your fault, Naruto." Sakura insisted. "Sasuke-kun was there. If I had something like…well, like _that_, I don't think I'd be able to hold it in either. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Naruto didn't seem comforted. "Yeah, but what if something happens to one of you guys? What if someone gets hurt?"

Sakura avoided his gaze, and Naruto's heart skipped a beat. Did something…happen? He could remember bits and pieces of a strange dream he had been having, but nothing more. It was intensely frustrating, and Naruto needed to know. He needed answers.

"Sakura-chan…what happened?"

Standing up from Naruto's bedside, Sakura walked to the window. Hinata was being kept in a separate room, and for good reason. If Naruto were to find out that it was him that had hurt Hinata…well, Sakura didn't want to imagine how he would take it.

She was no stranger to that experience. Naruto had lashed out at her as well during their encounter with Orochimaru on Tenchi Bridge. But this was different. Naruto had something else he could divert his attention to, so when he had swatted her away, it was more than likely him simply removing an obstacle from his path. But with Hinata…she had gotten so close to Naruto, and for a few precious moments it seemed like she was reaching through to him.

Sakura shuddered. The look in Naruto's eyes when he struck out against Hinata…it was foul. Sakura could see nothing but hatred in those eyes. If Kakashi hadn't been there, he would have killed her.

'_I can't tell him what happened…it would devastate him…'_ Sakura kept herself composed as best as she could.

"Sakura-chan…did something happen?" Naruto repeated his question. Sakura realized she had been alone with her thoughts, and her mind raced with what she should say.

"Well, uh…I couldn't really see what happened. You were kicking up a lot of dust, but from what I could tell, you were going after Sasuke-kun like you wanted to kill him." There…she wasn't technically lying to him. Maybe if she just avoided talking about Hinata, Naruto would forget about it.

"Dammit! I wanted to stop him, but not when _that_ gets the best of me…" Naruto scrunched up his sheets as he formed his hands into fists. "What about the others? Kakashi-sensei, Kiba, and Hinata? Are they alright? I didn't…do anything to them, did I?"

Sakura cursed inwardly. She shouldn't have hoped Naruto would forget about Hinata. They _were_ dating now, after all. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. "It was kind of amazing, actually."

Naruto sat up. "What was? What happened?"

"Well, after Sasuke-kun escaped, you went ballistic. We all got to a safe distance, but then Hinata-"

"Sakura-chan, did I hurt Hinata?" Naruto exclaimed, his voice rising. "What happened to Hinata?"

Something in the back of his mind was screaming for Naruto to find the answer. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he had a terrible feeling in his heart that he did something to Hinata. Did someone tell him this? Naruto felt like someone had, but his memory was failing him. He had to rely on Sakura's answer.

Sakura eased him back into his bed. "She's fine, Naruto. She was walking up to you, like she wasn't scared at all. She was calling to you, trying to get you to come back. You were starting to calm down when she got really close to you."

"I think I remember that…" Naruto said, breathless. It was true; he could vaguely make out Hinata's voice, calling out to him in the darkness. Her voice was so sweet; he had been drawn to it like a moth to a flame. "What happened next?"

Sakura rubbed her arm nervously, and took a deep breath. "I don't really know…but from what I could tell, I guess it worked. The next I saw, you were both unconscious." She held her breath. Would Naruto buy something like this? If he found out she was keeping something from him…

"Th-thank goodness…" Naruto let out the air he had been keeping in his lungs, a huge sigh of relief. "Where is she now?"

"She's in the next room. One of the Suna medics is taking care of her."

Naruto seemed confused. "Suna? I thought we were back at the village!"

Sakura shook her head, giving her bone-headed friend a half-smile. "Honestly, Naruto...did you really think we would go all the way back to the village when Suna was closer?"

To help prove her point, Sakura pushed aside the curtain, letting the warm glow of sunlight fill the room. Naruto shielded his eyes until they were used to it, and once they were, could see the bustling streets of the Sand beneath his feet. He tried getting up to get a better look, but Sakura pushed him back.

"You're not going anywhere. You overexerted yourself, and need the rest right now. I'm going to check on the others, but there will be someone right outside if you need anything."

Staying put was _not_ in Naruto's nature. He looked ready to protest, but could faintly hear Sakura crack her knuckles from behind her back, and quickly came to the conclusion that she was right; some rest would do wonders for him.

"Say hi to Hinata-hime for me, will you? I still feel a little worried about her." he called out as Sakura headed for the door. She didn't answer him, but held her hand up in acknowledgment before shutting the door quietly behind her. He could have sworn she had tensed up when he had asked her that, but he could have just as easily been seeing things.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He was incredibly thankful his _outburst_ hadn't harmed any of his friends. He decided he could at least take a nap since he wasn't going anywhere, blissfully unaware of the truth. The Kyūbi's mocking words bubbled beneath the surface of his memory. It was only a matter of time before they could not be contained any longer.

* * *

><p>"Where was he found?"<p>

"Several kilometers from the village, southeast of the canyon. Naruto-san had given his body to one of his toad summons for safe-keeping during the battle." Apparently Gamakichi had gotten a little worried when Naruto didn't summon him back to reclaim Raiā's body, so he had performed a reverse summoning technique to see what Naruto was up to. When the smoke cleared, and an unconscious Naruto covered in bandages appeared in front of him, he quickly moved to strap Raiā's body to Naruto's, before sending them back. One of the medics had nearly fainted seeing Naruto disappear and reappear with another body like that, but once they had realized who he was, they moved to transport Raiā to where he was currently.

Gaara eyed the man lying in the hospital bed. He had been one of their finest medics, and an all-around stand-up citizen to the village. Gaara had seen many lives saved by this man. And now he was strapped to a specially-made bed, designed for patients that, while they would be treated, were considered potential threats to the village. Gaara ran a hand along the edge of the many restraints tying the man down. He had been forced into this…_thing_, many times as a child, but instead of destroying it, he decided to use it for criminals, possibly such as the one that lay in front of him now. What did an international criminal from Konoha want with an elderly medical assisstant? Gaara was worried why Sasuke had come for him.

"Did you find anything on his person?" he asked, stepping back among the others.

"Nothing apart from what you've already seen," Baki replied. "Gaara-sama…does he look…older to you?"

Gaara nodded. "There's something this man is not telling us. When he wakes, begin the interrogation. If he lies, make him regret it." He gave another look over the evidence Kakashi had confiscated. Strange wrist guards emblazoned with seals, hidden weapons in his clothing, and enough supplies for quite the lengthy journey. Was this man running from something?

He would have stayed until the man awoke, but Gaara had other matters to attend to. Perhaps he could retrieve more information from Naruto and the rest of his group. After all, they were the ones who had found him in the first place, once they're main objective of stopping Sasuke failed.

That also disturbed him. Ever since his kidnapping, Gaara had decided that if their Kazekage wasn't safe, the villagers certainly weren't. He stepped up security to an almost ludicrous high. Guards everywhere, as far as the eye can see. And yet the Uchiha and two others seemed to infiltrate its walls so easily. It made Gaara worried.

As he made his way back to his office, several attendants bombarded him with even more problems. One of their senior librarians had gone missing, along with several books relating to the history of the village. Nothing confidential of course, but it was wise to be cautious nonetheless. There were also several guards found dead near the outskirts of the village, most likely from Sasuke's infiltration. He was doing his best to keep calm, but if Sasuke continued to lash out like this, it would take more than the Sharingan to keep Gaara from going after the Uchiha himself.

The door swung open, and Gaara made his way to his desk, acknowledging Kakashi with a simple nod. He quietly asked the attendants to leave the two of them alone; some of the information about to be discussed might be sensitive.

"Gaara-sama." Kakashi said, bowing low. It felt odd for someone so young, but the Kazekage had Kakashi's respect nonetheless.

"What do you know about him?" Gaara asked. It was blunt, but there was no time for pleasantries and other useless traditions.

"Not much of anything, really. He kept up the scared, innocent act until Sasuke knocked him out, but I don't buy it. He was covered head-to-toe with these strange symbols, and it looked like he had been in quite the battle."

Gaara leaned forwards. "Symbols? They were not present on his body by the time you brought him back."

"I know. It makes me suspect it's a technique, one that he can activate on command. It must have disappeared when he had been unconscious for a while."

"This man was a respected member of the village, Kakashi. To find out that Sasuke Uchiha, an international criminal from _your_ village, is after him is troubling."

It wasn't intended as an insult, but Kakashi felt his temper rise anyway, if only at himself. He felt just as responsible for letting Sasuke get away again as Naruto did, perhaps even more so because he failed to stop Naruto from losing control until he had already injured Hinata.

"Have you learned anything about him yet?" Kakashi asked.

"No. The interrogation won't begin until he awakes. Is there any other information you can offer us?"

The Copy Ninja shook his head. "Not from me, no. But it was Pakkun who first saw what was going on. I'll bet he knows more about this than I do."

"Then please summon him here, so that we can discuss it." Gaara stood as Kakashi prepared the summoning. A quick puff of smoke, and Pakkun was standing on the Kazekage's desk.

"Now doesn't this place look familiar…" Pakkun drolled. His leg was still aching every now and then, and while it wasn't intentional, Pakkun had a bone to pick with the Kazekage.

"Let's hope the next time you send me back to Naruto, there's not a sandstorm. That stings pretty bad, you know."

Gaara cocked his head to one side. "But, if that storm hadn't blown through, you would not have seen the confrontation between Sasuke and Yakuhin, correct?"

"Yeah yeah, I guess you're right. But my leg's been stiff for a few days now, so don't think you're off the hook yet!"

Gaara smiled somewhat. "Of course."

Pakkun turned to face the both of them. "Now, I don't know what you're talking about with 'Yakuhin'. When I was there, Sasuke referred to the guy as Raiā. He was a bit of a coward, really."

"This man's identity is now completely foreign to us," Gaara replied, folding his arms. "We have to assume that everything about him is a lie."

"Yeah, that guy could probably get a medal for it. From what he talked about. He'd been laying low for a long time now. Said he would have to find a new place to run to since Sasuke blew his cover."

"Do you know where?" Kakashi inquired.

"Can't say I do. Even with how confident that guy was, he wasn't comfortable with sharing any details."

"What about his abilities?" Gaara asked, hoping that would lead him to clues of his place of origin.

"I can't say for sure, because I was only there for a little while before Kakashi summoned me back to the village. All I can say is that he started off putting all these weird symbols all over the canyon. They looked like seals. Really complex ones at that."

Gaara leaned against the wall. "There were symbols on some of the 'Raiā's' possessions as well. Perhaps he was well-versed in the use of Fūinjutsu."

Kakashi felt the blood drain from his face. There was no way…this couldn't be connected, could it?

"Gaara-sama…what did Raiā look like in his first days in the village."

The Kazekage was worried with the urgency in Kakashi's voice. "He kept to himself most of the time, but the few public records we have of him, depict his appearance as elderly, with a very strong shade of red in his hair." Gaara continued with more details, but Kakashi didn't hear them.

'_That's what I was afraid of…_' Kakashi thought as his body involuntarily tensed up. Tsunade would need to know about this.

"Gaara-sama, there's something I need to discuss with you."

* * *

><p>"I see…and you believe these two events are connected somehow?"<p>

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, Gaara-sama. With your permission, I would like to search through Raiā's possessions, as well as his home with my team. It could help us come to a solid conclusion."

Gaara considered the offer. While he felt that since Raiā had been a member of the village, it should be their responsibility to handle it. But Kakashi and Naruto and the others were the ones who brought Raiā back, as well as prevent Sasuke from taking him.

"…Very well. I grant your request. Bring me everything you find, and you'll have as much access as you require. If this does lead somewhere, however, I do expect to be included in the investigation. There may be others in my jurisdiction."

Kakashi bowed low once again. "Of course, Gaara-sama. Thank you."

"How is…how is he doing?"

The Copy Ninja smiled through his mask. "Oh, you know how he is. He'll be right as rain within a few hours, by my estimate. They'll have told him he needs to stay in bed longer, especially Sakura, but then again, when has he ever listened to them?"

Gaara closed his eyes. "Good…good."

* * *

><p>Sakura moved at a brisk pace towards another wing of the hospital, where Hinata was currently residing. It hadn't really been necessary to separate the two that needed medical attention, but Sakura insisted it be for the best. That way, she could get to Hinata before Naruto could.<p>

It made her feel sick to her stomach, knowing she was on her way to convince Hinata to keep something else from Naruto. Hinata didn't like keeping secrets as it was, and this would only stress her out. But it was for the greater good; Naruto didn't need this on his conscience.

She opened the door to find Hinata chatting idly with one of the Suna nurses. She had numerous bandages covering her body, but other than that, Hinata was in good shape. It made Sakura feel relieved.

"Hey, Hinata…how're you holding up?"

The Hyūga smiled warmly. "I'm f-fine, Sakura-san. Thank you for asking."

The nurse quietly excused herself, leaving some glasses of water for the two kunoichi. Sakura stared at Hinata for a moment, before hopping down into the next bed over.

"Hinata…just what the hell happened back there?"

To tell the truth, Hinata didn't know. She hadn't really realized what she had been doing at the time; it was as if some overpowering force convinced her to be confident, and try and reach Naruto. The memory was a little fuzzy, but she could remember it well enough. She had almost succeeded.

"I don't really know, Sakura-san. I don't know what came over me."

"But that was…that was incredible! I've never seen Naruto that calm before! It was like he could hear you, and was trying to come back. But then…"

Sakura blinked. Now that she noticed, where _was_ Kiba?

Hinata could tell what Sakura was thinking. "He was in here a few minutes ago. I had been sleeping, but when he tried to sneak in, he woke me up. I pretended I was s-still asleep so he wouldn't feel bad."

"Something tells me that wouldn't be what he was upset about…" Sakura replied quietly. She was starting to become acquainted with Kiba's mindset; the way he saw it, he was the one who got Hinata hurt, not Naruto. Hinata was much more aware of the situation, and looked out of the window in worry.

"I hope he's not getting himself into trouble…" She brought a hand to her heart. Kiba shouldn't blame himself for what happened; it was she that decided to try something like that in the first place, and it had been the Kyūbi that had hurt her, not Naruto _or_ Kiba.

"I'll go out looking for him in a bit. But for now, let me take a look."

Hinata seemed flustered. "But, Sakura-san…"

"Now's not the time to be worrying about modesty! I'm a medic, so I deal with that all the time. Now strip!"

Hinata blushed from embarrassment, but relented to Sakura-'s expertise. She had Sakura shut the curtains, and began to unwrap the bandages from her shoulder and chest, taking great care not to aggravate her injuries. It was easier to manage since Sakura had done a great job repairing the damage to her hands, but Sakura had to step in to help her finish anyway when Hinata began to struggle.

Sakura held her breath. Now that the bandages had been removed, she could see the full extent of the damage. It wasn't as bad as she had feared, but there was still a sizeable scar in between Hinata's right shoulder and breast. If she wanted to hide it, tank tops were now out of the question.

"H-how does it look?" Hinata asked tenderly, wincing as Sakura gently turned her body towards a small mirror on the wall. She gasped slightly, but did her best to contain her reaction otherwise.

"That doesn't look too bad…" she said aloud, doing her best to smile. She didn't really have to worry about it that much, did she? The way Hinata saw it, she rarely wore clothing that revealing, if at all, and she didn't expect it to hurt once it had had some time to heal.

"You know we have to keep this a secret from Naruto, right?"

Hinata froze. No…no, she couldn't! She was already keeping something from Naruto as it was. She couldn't lie to him again.

Sakura picked up on Hinata's fears. "It's not lying to him if we just try and avoid it. I told him I don't really remember what happened, so I think it's best you do the same."

"B-but Sakura-san…Naruto-kun-"

"Hinata, you know as well as I do that if Naruto found out he hurt you, he would devastated. He might distance himself from you…or worse."

But Hinata wasn't convinced. "I d-don't think I can do it, Sakura-san…I can't hide the truth from Naruto-kun; he'll know something's wrong…"

"I know it sounds cruel to keep something from him, but this is for his own good. Naruto doesn't need to worry about us all the time. He's done enough for us already."

Deep within in her heart, and no matter how much she didn't want to, Hinata knew that Sakura was right. Naruto didn't deserve to worry about something like this. Hinata wasn't even injured that badly, when she thought about it. It shouldn't be too hard to keep Naruto from worrying about it, right?

"O-okay…Sakura-san…I'll try and keep it to myself." As of then, Hinata wasn't sure if she was just saying that to make Sakura feel better, or if she was truly intent on keeping something else from Naruto. She needed more time to think about it.

Sakura smiled softly. "I'm glad Naruto finally saw what was in front of him. I don't think there's anyone else more deserving of him than you."

Hinata returned the smile. "Thank you, Sakura-san."

The medic-nin stretched, and returned to her feet. She offered to open the curtain again for some light, but Hinata politely declined. She said she could use a long nap, and Sakura was only too happy to oblige.

She headed for the door, turning to Hinata one last time. "I'll go see if I can't find Kiba skulking around somewhere."

"Thank you for offering. I'm worried about Kiba-kun." Hinata replied sleepily, easing into the bed as Sakura gently shut the door.

* * *

><p>Left hook. Right jab. Claw. Fist. Foot.<p>

Kiba blindly attacked the dummy in a rage, striking with such ferocity that the wooden practice dummy only lasted a few seconds before it was reduced to splinters. He simply scooted down, and repeated the process on the next one.

Anger came easy for Kiba. He would often lose his temper during fights, and he had learned to take advantage of the anger. He used it to fuel stronger, faster attacks, and it kept him going long after the other members of his team were beginning to show signs of exhaustion.

But right now, Kiba was the one who was exhausted. He had been at this for far too long now, long enough to make him lose track of time. He didn't check the sun or the moon or anything; he was far too focused on beating the practice dummies to a pulp to notice things like that.

He felt ashamed, and it mixed with his anger. It was his fault Hinata had been hurt. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Naruto never really intended to do anything to Hinata. It was only because of his recklessness that he misinterpreted Naruto's actions, and now Hinata was in the hospital. Ever since Sakura had mentioned that there was the possibility of scar tissue, it had been all that Kiba could think about.

"I thought I'd find you out here."

Kiba didn't need to turn around. He could tell by her scent that it was Sakura. She used the same shampoo as Pakkun.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly, keeping his attention focused on the dummy in front of him.

"I came looking for you." Sakura folded her arms, like it was obvious. "Hinata and I are worried about you. Naruto would be to, but he's kind of-"

Kiba snorted "Don't bother worrying about me. I'm fine."

"Well, you don't seem fine. To me, you look angry."

A particularly strong slash with Kiba's right hand separated the torso of his current target clean in two. He spun around to face Sakura, and she could see the self-loathing in his face.

"Oh yeah, and how did you come to that fucking conclusion? How would you feel if you almost got a teammate killed? Someone who's like a little sister to you? You're GODDAMN right I'm angry!" He meant to punch the wall beside him, but Sakura's hand got to him first. She grabbed onto his wrist.

"Let go…" he said, his voice low.

Sakura shook her head. "No. You need to get it through your thick skull that you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened. You had no idea that-"

"That's exactly the problem! I did have an idea; of how useless I am!" Kiba shoved Sakura away from him, and she stumbled.

"No matter what I do, I'm always the dead last now. I'm a fucking joke to everyone I fight, and I hold the team back. You'd be better off if I just stuck to guard duty..."

"Will you listen to yourself?" Sakura demanded angrily. "This isn't the Kiba I know! The Kiba I know wouldn't let himself be brought down by something like this!"

"Yeah, well maybe you don't know a fucking thing about me! You've got no idea what it's like to feel useless to your team, to make them do all the work while you-"

It was as far as he got, as Sakura drove her fist into his jaw. He crumbled to a heap on the ground, crawling over to a wall to support himself. Akamaru growled in anger, but remained where he was. Sakura roughly grabbed Kiba by the collar of his jacket, bringing his face inches from hers.

"I know all too well what it's like to feel useless to your friends and teammates. You could say I know better than most…"

Kiba scowled at first, but the look in his eyes made him regret his words. Sakura looked severely distressed at what he had said, and looked as if she was trying to stop herself from hitting him again. She dragged his body up the wall, returning him to his feet.

"…So don't you _dare_ go shooting your mouth off at things you know nothing about. Go ahead and think it's all your fault Hinata got hurt, that's not my problem. But don't you _dare_ think you're useless!"

Kiba and Sakura stared at each other for a few seconds. Neither of them looked ready to back down, but a few people nearby were starting to whisper. Kiba pushed himself away from Sakura again, heading back into the village streets. He didn't say anything, but grunted instead.

Sakura rolled her eyes. If he wanted to sulk, she wasn't going to stop him. But she was going to make sure he didn't feel useless anymore. If she had to beat it into him…well, so be it.

* * *

><p>"Hey Hinata…you awake?"<p>

The Hyūga princess opened her eyes. It was the middle of the night, and even though there was little to no light in the room, Hinata could make out Naruto's blue eyes sparkling at her in the dark. He seemed to be in a good mood.

"Na….Naruto-kun?" she said sleepily. "What're you doing here? Aren't you worried they'll catch you out of bed?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. Naruto scooted a chair he found closer to her bed, giving her a small smile.

"Nah, I've got a clone in there right now, so no one will know the difference! I wanted to see how you were doing. How do you feel?"

Hinata began to sit up slowly in her bed, remembering her injuries. But then she also remembered Sakura's request to keep the truth from Naruto, so she tried to make it seem like it wasn't bothering her, even though the pain had increased from the lack of movement.

"I f-feel alright…" she said, groaning a little. "What about you?"

Naruto poked and prodded his body, giving her a goofy grin. "Ahh, you know me! I'll be completely healed up in a few days. Are you sure you're okay?"

Hinata nodded, but she knew Naruto wasn't through just yet. He was far too curious.

"So…do you have any idea what happened between you and me?"

Hinata bit her lip. She hadn't had any more time to think about what she wanted to tell Naruto. He deserved to know the truth, but at the same he deserved some peace of mind. He didn't need to worry about something like this, especially when there was as little lasting damage as there was.

"I tried asking Sakura-chan earlier," Naruto continued, "but she said she didn't really see what happened, so I thought I'd ask you!"

"I remember a little…I remember walking up to you, t-trying to get you to come back to us…come back to _me_." Within her mind, the vivid images of Naruto's expression changing from one of curiosity to anger flashed before her eyes, and Hinata had to blink several times to make them go away. 'It looked like you recognized me, like you were trying to remember who I was."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I can only remember a little of it, too…but I do remember your voice. I could barely hear it, and I tried to follow it. I guess I didn't make it." He laughed nervously. "At least I didn't hurt you, right? For some reason, I still feel unsure about it, but you said you feel fine, so that's great news! It makes me feel at ease. I'd feel really bad if I hurt _anyone_, let alone my girlfriend."

Hinata cringed. It felt like a blade between the shoulders as Naruto trusted what she had said. It made her feel dirty, and low. But when Naruto hopped up onto her bed, those feelings were replaced by a much stronger feeling. He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his head into her hair.

"You smell nice…my little Hinata-hime smells nice…" his muffled voice grunted, taking deep breaths through his nose. Hinata squirmed under his grip; it tickled, and she could feel him smile through her hair. He squeezed her even closer.

"I know you said you feel fine, but I can't help but feel uneasy about all of this. I could have sworn something was telling me I hurt you or something. I'm glad it's not true, but it still bugs me, you know?"

Hinata hugged him back. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. You would never hurt me." She blinked. That _was_ the truth, wasn't it? It wasn't Naruto who wanted to hurt her, it was the Kyūbi. Naruto tried to regain control, tried to stop her from being hurt. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like the truth, and she began to feel more at ease with having kept the events of that night vague. She wasn't lying to him anymore. It made her _want_ to tell him about what happened now. It wasn't Naruto, so why should he feel bad? He may be upset at first, but Hinata firmly believed that Naruto shouldn't be angry with himself. Right then and there, she made a promise to tell Naruto about what happened, when the time was right.

"I'll let you get some sleep. Maybe we can pick up where we left off some other time…" She could see him smirking, and a deep blush heated up her face. Remembering to tell Naruto would be more difficult if he was talking about what she _thought_ he was talking about.

Naruto gently closed the door to Hinata's room, before heading back to his own. His smile was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Uh-oh...that can't be good.

Anyway, I have a surprise for you guys. No, it's not another chapter or something like that...

It's a NEW STORY! I've been playing with this idea for a while now, and I couldn't keep it in my head any longer. I noticed that there are extremely few stories on this site that star just the Tailed Beasts, so I thought to myself, why not give them the spotlight? Naruto and Hinata and the others _will_ be featured in the story quite heavily, but Kurama and the others are the main characters.

It's mainly going to be a humor/action story, as I was inspired by the American film **The Expendables**. It won't be updated like this one will, as this has my main concentration. I will update it whenever I work my way through it, so I'll let you know here as well when a new chapter for that story has arrived.

To get a better idea, here's the summary I have for it:

**The Bijū 9 is quite possibly the most unconventional private security in Tokyo. Their methods are unorthodox, professionalism all but absent, and the only thing keeping them and their clients alive at this point is pure luck. So when Naruto Uzumaki needs protection from a ruthless gang, they're called in to help. After all, a little luck can go a long ways.**

Eh? Does that sound like something you'd read? More information about it will be included on the actual story page, including details and inspiration and such. **It's called Collateral Luck**, and while I hate asking, I would really appreciate it if you guys would check it out if you get the time.

Thanks again! Until next time.


	26. The Search for Information! Who is Raiā?

**Author's Note:** Wow...just wow.

I want to thank all of you who took the time to take a look at the other story I had started, and encouraging me with your kind words! I never expected the feedback and response I got! I'm glad to know it's an idea many of you are willing to look into, and I promise that I'll put as much effort into making it a fun story to read as I do with this one. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I released the first chapter of my new story **Collateral Luck**, and if you'd like, you can see if it's something that interests you.

Next up is the summary for the previous chapter.

**Summary:**

Naruto awakes to find that his teammates have carried him to the Sand. He attempts to discover what had happened that night when he encountered Sasuke, but Sakura intentionally leaves things out from her story in hopes that she can protect him from the pain of knowing he hurt Hinata. She later tries to convince Hinata to do the same, but Hinata resolves that she can't keep something like this from Naruto, and will tell him when she gets the chance. Sakura fails in trying to convince Kiba that he shouldn't be angry with himself for what happened, and he storms off. In the meantime, the investigation into Raia's past is about to begin.

**End of summary**

So I noticed that I've been really lax with the music lately. That is my bad. I would have really liked to have used music for the scene in Chapter 24 (I imagine you know which one I'm talking about), and will maybe add it later. I'll try to get back onto adding music to the scenes again, since you guys liked them as a whole. **Actually**, you might just want to go back and read that scene, as I feel like adding some music now. I think you'll find the choice appropriate.

On with the chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 8 - The Search for Information! Who is Raiā!?<strong>

The night passes by rather quickly. Both Hinata and Naruto slept soundly, and soon the hustle and bustle of the village was stirring them from their sleep. Hinata was glad to be awake, and she gratefully began to stretch out her sore muscles as the sun greeted her brightly.

Naruto, however, wasn't so keen on getting up. He had become extremely comfortable in the hospital bed, a rare occurrence, and now it was taking several medics to try and pull him off of it.

"Come on, five more minutes!" he howled, wrapping his arms around the metal backboard. The medics pulled harder, and he just about lost his grip.

"No, Naruto-san! Gaara-sama and Kakashi-san request your presence in his office immediately! There is no time to rest!"

"If Gaara wanted me to come visit, he would come himself! I rarely get to sleep in back in Konoha, so can't you give a guy a break!?"

"Naruto, you better not be lying through your teeth in there."

He could tell Sakura was coming, and rather than endure her wrath, he let his grip slip. The medics flew backward into the wall, dragging the Uzumaki with them. When Sakura walked through the door, she saw Naruto scratching his head nervously, while the four people beneath him groaned in pain.

"Heh, good morning, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>The walk to the Kazekage's office was rather pleasant. Despite its reputation for searing heat, the morning turned out to be quite cool, with large clouds keeping the harshest of the sun's rays from bearing down on the village. Unlike Konoha, more of the market spilled out into the street, with vendors of everything you could imagine peddling their wares, each claiming their prices to be better than their neighbors.<p>

"You have any idea what this is about?" Naruto asked, picking his nose. "Because I was still sleeping, so I hope it's a good reason."

Sakura took a deep breath, trying to keep her temper in check. "Naruto, Gaara is the Kazekage! It doesn't matter what the reason is! You'd have to accept his summon if he wanted you to clean his toilet!"

Naruto seemed to be horrified by the notion. "You don't think…you don't think that's what he wants, do you?"

"Idiot…"

As they walked by, several citizens seemed to be whispering amongst themselves. Naruto craned his neck to try and hear what they were talking about, and grew slightly worried. He could have sworn he heard his name, but before he could get any closer, Sakura yanked him back onto the main road.

"Your curiosity is going to make us late," she said. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait."

"Yeah, but I think those guys were-"

"You're just being superstitious," Sakura interrupted, patting him on the back. "I'm sure they're just surprised to see you is all. After all, you're pretty famous here too, you know."

Naruto didn't seem fully convinced, but with the Kazekage's office looming in the distance, he pushed it out of his mind. It was probably nothing, just like Sakura said.

They quickly climbed the stairs to the top floor where the rest of their team was waiting for them. Kakashi stood leaning against the wall on the far side of the office, keeping an eye on Kiba, who looked like he had been dragged there. Hinata, noticing Naruto and Sakura arrive, hurried over to greet them. Naruto smiled broadly at her, and took his place next to her, while Sakura stood on the other side.

"Thank you for coming, everyone," Gaara said from behind them, having just arrived himself. Everyone snapped to attention as he made his way over to his desk, and remained so until he had sat down.

"You think you could have let me sleep a little longer?" Naruto teased, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

Gaara organized his papers. "You would have missed this important mission I have for you if you had remained in the hospital, Naruto."

The blonde snapped to attention. An important mission? He rubbed his hands together excitedly, his mind beginning to spin with the possibilities.

"As you are all aware, it was because of Kakashi's ninken summon Pakkun that you were able to receive the information that Sasuke Uchiha was in the Land of Wind. However, it was because of _you_ that you stopped him from harming one of our citizens, even if Sasuke escaped in the confusion."

Nearly everyone tensed up at the reminder that Sasuke had gotten away yet again, but Naruto seemed to take it the worst. His hands balled up into fists, and he only relaxed after Gaara had kept his level gaze on him for several moments, silently telling him that it isn't something he should blame himself for.

"It had come to our attention that this man you brought back, Yakuhin as he was known among the villagers, is most likely not who he claims to be. According to Pakkun's intel, Sasuke referred to him as Raiā, and he was apparently very skilled in battle, able to hold his own against Sasuke as well as three others.

"Three?" Naruto asked. "When we got there, there were only two guys with Sasuke."

Gaara nodded. "Yes, it seems one of them was killed by 'Raiā'." He stood from his chair, picking up a stack of documents from his desk. "Your mission, due to your intimate knowledge of the situation, is to discover anything you can about Yakuhin's past. We will search through his home and workplace, as well as through the records of our village. In the meantime, he will be interrogated in a secure location in an attempt of divulging any details he may have hidden."

He turned to Kakashi. "While I have some of my best people on it, I want you to sit in on the interrogation. Your Sharingan could prove helpful to the others."

Kakashi nodded. "Of course, Gaara-sama."

"You are Kiba, correct?" Gaara asked.

Kiba grunted in response.

"I would like to ask that you and Hinata search Yakuhin's home. You're skills in tracking would be best used there."

Kiba snorted. "Heh, I guess that's all I'm good for." Without waiting to be dismissed, he headed for the door. Hinata tried to say something, but he ignored her.

"I apologize for his behavior, Gaara-sama." Kakashi said, bowing. Gaara waved it off.

"Please, do not worry. Hinata, you may go ahead and accompany him."

Hinata bowed as well. Before she left the room, she glanced over at Naruto. She had been hoping for some time for her to talk to Naruto today, but it seemed that if only she and Kiba were going to the man's home, Naruto was most likely going somewhere else. Naruto smiled at her, and while it gave her some comfort, a strong feeling of nervousness overcame her, and she stopped.

"Naruto-kun…I need to talk to you when we get some free time, okay?" she whispered, leaning into his ear.

"Yeah, sure thing!" he replied, smiling again. Hinata returned the smile, and headed out the door.

"Sakura, your medical knowledge is unparalleled here in Suna. Having you at the hospital to talk with the doctors about Yakuhin's duties as an assistant will hopefully give us some information."

Sakura nodded wordlessly, and she headed for the door as well. Kakashi decided he might as well get going, and followed shortly after her, leaving Naruto and Gaara alone.

"Where do you want me?" Naruto asked brightly. "I'm ready to do anything!"

Gaara nodded. "That's good, because you will be helping me search through the records of the village with me."

Naruto's face fell. He had to look through paperwork? He couldn't stop the groan from escaping his lips, and Gaara almost smiled.

"Call it me being selfish and wanting to see you, but I do believe you might find something that I cannot."

"Well, alright…but I'd still rather be doing something a little more exciting!"

Another sigh, and Naruto followed after Gaara, who was heading for the library where the records were kept. This wouldn't be so bad, he told himself. At least he wouldn't have to worry about being out in that blazing sun.

* * *

><p>"K-Kiba-kun, wait up!"<p>

Hinata had to run a short distance to catch up to her teammate. The heat didn't help, and Hinata wiped some sweat from her brow. These were the times that she really regretted wearing her jacket.

She tried several more times to start up a conversation with Kiba, but every time she said something, he seemed to either miss what she said, or he just outright ignored her. She even tried to see if Akamaru could help her figure out what was making Kiba like this, but he could only whine. She relented to the silence, and it remained this way until they arrived at Yakuhin, or Raiā's, house.

"I'll check the upstairs." Kiba said bluntly, shoving the door out of the way before beckoning Akamaru to follow him. Hinata wanted to protest, as she still wanted a chance to see what was bothering him, but she felt the words catch in her throat.

'_Kiba-kun…_' she thought to herself, letting out a deep sigh. She hated it when Kiba got like this. But, seeing as there wasn't much she could do until she could corner him, she decided she might as well start their investigation. Hinata activated her Byakugan, and went to work.

If Raiā was anything, it was careful. Had they not encountered him in the desert, Hinata would have guessed that this man was a mysophobe from how clean his home was. Not a speck of dust or filth anywhere, surprising considering the city was covered in sand. To most, this would simply exemplify his need for cleanliness, but Hinata saw things differently.

To her, it meant that he was careful to hide any evidence. And with the magnitude, this man was either obsessive-compulsive, or paranoid.

It was going to make looking for things a lot harder than she originally thought, but Hinata certainly wasn't about to give up. She headed for the kitchen, deciding to start her search there.

There wasn't much to look through here. Only a few pots and pans lay scattered among the cabinets, and there was little to nothing in the fridge apart from crumbs. From what Hinata could guess, he ate out most of the time, so that he wouldn't have to keep or wash anything at his own home. Whether or not this was a personal preference, or an extension of his suspected paranoia was unclear to Hinata, but she knew as much that she had to remember all the little details, as any information could be useful in the future.

She tried the living room next. There weren't any pictures on the wall of him, just landscape portraits and other similar paintings. This man obviously did not like to have documentation that he even existed. She looked underneath the couch and chairs, flipped through the magazine that sat on the coffee table, but found nothing.

There wasn't much else she could search on the first floor, apart from a small bathroom and a closet. She sighed; Hinata had been hoping for a more productive search, as the only thing she managed to learn so far was that this guy _definitely_ wasn't who he claimed to be. The problem was…who was he?

'_Maybe Kiba-kun has had better luck…_' She headed upstairs, hoping Kiba might have found something in the man's bedroom.

"K-Kiba-kun?" she called out, quickly climbing the stairs. She peeked inside the man's bedroom to find Kiba sitting on the bed, head in his hands.

"Kiba-kun…what's wrong?"

He didn't answer. Hinata moved a little closer. Akamaru was sitting beneath his master's feet, motionless as well. Hinata grew a little worried.

"Kiba-kun? What's the matter?" she asked, reach out to touch his shoulder. He suddenly jerked in her direction, and she could see that he was upset.

"Why am I even here, Hinata?" he demanded, knocking over a lamp in the process. The crash made Hinata jump, but she didn't let him see that.

"What're you talking about?"

Kiba leapt to his feet. "I'm completely useless! I haven't found shit up here… I haven't even been the slightest bit useful! I don't even know why I belong here anymore!" He was about to knock something else over, but Hinata snatched his wrist before he could.

"Kiba-kun, stop it!"

The tone in the usually quiet girl made Kiba stop, and he turned to look at her. He could see the sadness in her eyes, but he also detected a hint of anger.

"You mustn't think like this anymore! You're holding yourself to impossible standards!"

"Yeah, but-" Kiba tried to interrupt, but Hinata wasn't having it.

"No buts! You have done nothing wrong. If we cannot find anything here, you can't blame yourself for that; it might be because it is beyond our skill, or it might be because there simply isn't anything at all. If we always assume we failed, failure is all that awaits us."

"Hinata…"

Hinata hung her head, sitting down on the bed. "I used to think like that as well. I never thought that I was good enough for my father's expectations of me, that I had failed when he looked disappointed." She raised her head slowly, and Kiba could see that she was smiling now.

"But Naruto-kun showed me the right way. He taught me that it doesn't matter how long it takes for you to succeed. As long as you try your hardest, you will get there eventually. I stopped trying to meet my father's expectations, and simply tried the best I could. If it's not enough for him, so be it."

She turned to look at Kiba. "I know you blame yourself for what happened that night, but please don't think like that! You were only trying to look out for me, and I'm grateful for that! It was my decision to try and help Naruto-kun, and I understood the risks."

Kiba was speechless. He sat there, opening and closing his mouth while he tried to think of something to say. Akamaru began to wag his tail, and gently licked Hinata on the hand.

Hinata smiled, rose from the bed, and offered her hand to Kiba. "Maybe it's time you stopped trying to surpass Naruto-kun, and just start trying to surpass yourself."

Kiba stared at her hand as the words started to sink in. He had grown jealous of Naruto's success, and had been trying to catch up for a long time now. And every time he would get further behind, he would blame himself. So maybe Hinata was right? Maybe it was time he started thinking about what _he_ wanted, instead of what he thought he should be doing. Find his own spotlight, instead of trying to get into Naruto's.

He smiled. "Fine, but don't think I'm going to let your boyfriend off the hook that easily." He took Hinata's hand, and let her pull him up.

"Have you found anything?" she asked, taking a quick look around the room. It was just as bare as downstairs was, with little furniture other than the essentials, and no decoration.

Kiba shook his head, scratching at his nose. "Nah, it's like this guys is a ghost. I swear, he probably…augh! Hinata, you stink!" He covered his nose, waving the air in front of him. Hinata blushed, embarrassed.

"W-what're you talking about?" she asked, sniffing the sleeve of her jacket. She took a shower this morning, hadn't she?

"How can you not smell that? It smells like rotten fish and seaweed!" Kiba took another whiff. "Where were you just now? Did you find anything?"

Hinata shrugged. "Not anything of use. Everything was completely bare downstairs. I was going to take another look when I got back down there, but I don't think there's anything of use."

Kiba wasn't sure, but he asked Hinata to show him anyways. As they descended back to the main floor, the scent grew stronger, and Kiba had to hold his hand over his nose to keep it from overpowering his senses. Hinata suspected where the scent was coming from, and hurried over to the cabinets next to the fridge, and from the look on Kiba's face, they had found the source of the smell

"Holy Crap!" he exclaimed, turning away. "Hurry up and close that door before I pass out!"

Hinata hurried to do so, but even as she shut the door, Kiba didn't seem at ease.

"Is it closed all the way?" he asked, sniffing the air hesitantly. Hinata nodded wordlessly, checking to make sure it was. Kiba sniffed the air again, spinning on his heels.

"Hinata…it's coming from somewhere else in the house, too." He took another whiff, and made towards the southern wall of the house. He held his nose again, and Hinata began to suspect that there was something major in this house that she would have looked over.

"Akamaru, come here!" Kiba called out, wanting a second opinion. Akamaru bounded over, and after a few quick sniffs, barked in agreement. There was something here, and even though none of them could see it, they needed to find out exactly what it was.

"Let me try something…" Hinata muttered to herself. She kneeled down on the floor, scooping up some of the dust that had accumulated on the floor due to Raiā's absence. It was a small handful, but with her Byakugan, it would be enough. She tossed the dirt into the air, and concentrated on it as it floated through the air. At first it seemed it would simply fall back onto the floor, but Hinata's sharp eyes noticed that the specks were just barely drawn to the wall, edging closer to one side of it.

"I think there's a door here…" she gasped. She magnified her vision, and sure enough, there was a crack in the wall.

"Uhhh, Hinata…."

Hinata turned around to find Kiba staring at the wall, wide-eyed. She took a step back, and gasped. A massive seal of highly complex shapes and symbols was beginning to appear on the wall, slowly burning its way across the plaster. Kiba took a hesitant step away as the seal began to hum, louder and louder as the seal grew brighter in intensity. When the seal had been fully uncovered, it flashed with a brilliant light, and a portal opened in the center of the wall. Along with it, hundreds of paper bombs.

"Shit! HINATA, GET DOWN!" Kiba yelled, grabbing her as the bombs began to glow. They had seconds at the most. Time crawled by, as Kiba dragged Hinata in the search for a safe place to hide. And then, the bombs began to go off, one after another, engulfing the home in flames and smoke.

* * *

><p><span>( watch?v=draI8rbyHgg<span>)

"Wake up."

A shadowy figure stood before Raiā's unconscious body, which lay restrained on a modified hospital bed. Multiple buckles and leather straps bound Raiā's arms and legs the bed, allowing no movement whatsoever.

"I said…wake up." The voice said again, slapping Raiā across the face. He suddenly howled as consciousness took him, and he panted heavily.

"Where…where am I?" he demanded. He struggled against his bonds, trying to tear his limbs free. But no matter how hard he struggled, his shackles remained firm.

"You might as well stop that. You're not getting out of here that easily," a new voice called out. Raiā craned his neck in the voice's direction, and smiled underneath the light.

"Kakashi, the Copy Ninja. Even to the old such as me, you're quite famous."

The silver-haired jōnin stepped into the light, eyeing Raiā carefully. "You seem to know my name, but I don't know yours," he said quietly, leaning down towards his face. "Why don't we change that?"

Raiā smiled again. "Oh come now, Kakashi. I'm no one interesting. Just a simple medical assisstant, that's all. Please, will you kindly men let me go?"

"That's not going to fly here anymore…Raiā."

The elderly man suddenly scowled. It was an ugly thing. He began to struggle against his bonds again. "Release me at once! How dare you treat me like this! I've helped this village for decades, and this is how you repay me?"

"We do not deny you have helped the village," a voice from the shadows called out. "But because you have lied to us about your true identity, we must assume you are now a danger to the village, and must be treated as such."

Raiā spat on the ground at Kakashi's feet. "How noble of you. Turning against one of your own the moment you see fit to gain from it. I will tell you nothing."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Kakashi said. "You've already told me so much. Did you really think you could escape the past? Fate has caught up with you, Raiā. It's time you made it easy on yourself and start giving us the information we want."

Raiā laughed. "You must take me for a fool! Do you truly believe I would fall for such a pitiful scheme? You know nothing about me. Nothing!" He spoke with confidence and defiance, but within his mind, he was beginning to grow worried. Those words Kakashi spoke of fate were the very ones he himself relayed to the Uchiha before their battle. Was this just a lucky coincidence, or something more?

Kakashi shook his head. "You'll find I know more about you than you think. I know that you were running from some Sasuke Uchiha in a bid to save your own life. I know you were running because Sasuke was bringing your past with him, coming back to haunt you. I know you used some kind of Fūinjutsu in your battle…"

He leaned in close so that only he and Raiā could hear his voice. "I know who you _truly_ are."

It was a gamble, and a large one at that. Speaking honestly, Kakashi only had a faint idea of who this man truly was, but if the past he was running from was truly that horrible, Raiā would fill in the blanks himself.

"H-how? How would you know these things?" Raiā cried out, growing angry. Kakashi took a step back, and shifted his headband so that his Sharingan gleamed in the dark.

Raiā began to thrash against the bed, growling and muttering like some wild beast caught in a frenzy. "Blasted Sharingan! Damn you to the Death God! Damn all those with that accursed eye!"

He suddenly calmed down, taking a deep breath. "Perhaps you know as much as you say you do, perhaps you don't. I doubt the truth in your words, but if you are telling the truth, and you do know my true nature, then you will know that it is only a matter of time before we are dead. There is nothing you can do to stop, me, not with _him_ chasing after me."

Kakashi tried to hide his interest. "Him? Who are you talking about? Raiā, if you tell us, we may be able to provide protection. You will be able to keep your life."

Raiā laughed again. There was no joy in his voice. "It is only a matter of time before my life is claimed by that man, Kakashi. Neither you nor anyone else in this pathetic village will be able to stop him from taking me. You will all die trying." Raiā was bluffing. He was far too proud a man, and believed that if he could convince the people here that trying to protect him was useless, they could give him a chance to escape. They would want to save their own lives, protect their own people. Letting him go would be their best option. He knew the minds of men. They only sought justice until it was their own lives that would be forfeit. From then on, it was every man for himself.

'It would be wise to consider our offer, Raiā. We have other ways of getting the information we need. Even right now, I have my best people searching your home. They'll find what we want, and you'll no longer be needed."

"Then you have sent them to their deaths, fool. I am more careful than you realize."

As if on cue, a thunderous boom echoed from the interrogation room. They were underground, so the explosion must have been sizeable. Raiā grinned broadly, before erupting into malicious laughter.

"It seems your 'best people' have found something. It is your turn to search, Sharingan Kakashi, but the only thing you will find are their corpses."

Kakashi's eyes widened in horror. Were Kiba and Hinata alright? He excused himself from the room, and raced up the stairs in the direction of the blast, Raiā's mocking laughter echoing through the stairway.

* * *

><p>"Hinata! Kiba! Are you alright? Where are you?" Kakashi called out, leaping down from the rooftop. He surveyed the damage in shock. There was quite a large amount of rubble surrounding where Kakashi assumed Raiā's house use to stand. A crowd was assembling around the rubble of the house, whispering in hushed tones about the fate of those they saw go in. Kakashi pushed through them, and began to kick around the remains.<p>

"Kiba! Can you hear me? Hinata!" He pushed the stones out of his way, his search becoming desperate. Then suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a piece of rubble moving. He quickly rushed over to the spot, lifting the heavy piece of rock out of the way, along with some unknown force pushing from underneath it. Once it was out of the way, Kakashi couldn't help but smile in relief. Lying among the wreckage lay a refrigerator, and though it was dented and heavily burned, it remained standing. The door was clamped shut, and Kakashi could hear Kiba's voice through the metal, swearing as he tried pushing against the jammed door. Kakashi reached down with both hands, and pulled with all his might. The door went flying off its hinges, and Kakashi was relieved to see Kiba, Hinata, and Akamaru all huddled in the small space, looking extremely cramped, but thankful they had survived.

"That was some quick thinking, you guys," Kakashi praised. He reached down, and helped Kiba out of it first, as he was closest to the door. Hinata came next, and Akamaru bounded out after her, happily licking Kakashi in gratitude.

Kiba patted the remains of the fridge proudly, thumbing his nose. "This nose never fails! I recognized the scent of the metal they use in these things as the same metal they use to support the larger buildings in the village. If there was one thing in this dump that was going to keep us safe, it was this. Though my back hurts like hell now."

Kakashi smiled at the dog ninja. "So…you're feeling better now?"

Kiba snorted back, pointing to Hinata. "Yeah, you can thank _her_ for that."

"Are you alright, Hinata? Everything in working order?"

Hinata stretched momentarily, making sure everything moved the way it was supposed to. Satisfied with the results, she nodded happily.

"So what happened?" Kakashi asked, sitting down against one of the larger pieces of rubble. "I heard that explosion from across the village."

"We were snooping around, just like you asked. Hinata was checking around down here, and I was looking upstairs. Up until Hinata came to see if I had found anything, we had squat. But I smelled something on her, and when we went back downstairs, it were these weird spices from the fridge."

"And did these spices blow the house up or something?" jokes Kakashi.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "No, nothing like that. I realized the scent was coming from a second location, and with help from Hinata, we found out that there was a secret door in the house. We tried to get it to open, but this seal appeared out of nowhere, and next thing you know, the place is covered with paper bombs. I had smelled the metal lining the fridge when we had come in, and figured that would be the safest place for us to hide. It kept us from burning to a crisp, but my back hurts something fierce now!"

Kakashi smiled. "Well, I'm glad you two are alright. Could you show me where this door was? If we're lucky, the explosion opened up the door, and we can see what Raiā was trying to hide from us. I was interrogating him before I heard the explosion, and he seemed relieved when he heard it, like some secret he didn't want us to know was now safe."

They wandered through the wreckage of the home, while curious onlookers watched on. A few seconds of sniffing the air, and Kiba was able to roughly pinpoint where they had been standing when the seal had appeared. The area was covered in rubble, and finding a way through it was would be much more difficult than Kakashi had originally anticipated.

"Stand back, you two. I have an idea that should help us get through this mess." Kakashi said, motioning for Kiba and Hinata to get behind him. Once they were safely behind him, Kakashi pulled up his head band for the second time that day. He intended to use Kamui, and soon the reality surrounding the rubble began to distort, as a portal appeared in the center. This portal dragged all the stone and rock with it, slowly revealing a hidden staircase leading underground. Kakashi's eye began to strain, and he was forced to release the technique a little earlier, but it was more than enough. The remaining rubble was cleared by Hinata and Kiba, and soon they had a clear path to this mysterious new room.

"Okay, let's see if we can't learn anything about our friend." Kakashi was the first to go in, followed by Hinata, and with Kiba and Akamaru trailing after her. The staircase turned a corner as it went further underground, and soon they had disappeared from sight.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Sorry this update came a little late. I got stuck with some major writer's block for a chapter a few ahead, and I like to make sure that I have several more I can update, just in I'm somewhere without access to my story for an extended period of time.

So some of you may actually read the titles, and for the most astute of you, you'll realize that they are inspired by One Piece, at least with the anime. I've started back watching the show again after having forgot about it for years and years, and I'm extremely glad I did so. The overall tone of the show is much more adventurous than Naruto is, and the world far more interesting to explore. To be perfectly honest, I think I prefer One Piece over Naruto at this point.

But do not despair! I still love Naruto, especially the music and the fight scenes (though the manga usually leaves me somewhat disappointed, but that might be because I just _hate _waiting a whole week. But for example, for those of you that are keeping up, I'd have preferred if they had _all_ died, not just on the brink of death. That would have made the scene much more pungent), and I will continue to enjoy writing this story as much as I enjoy knowing you enjoy reading it!

Until next time.


	27. Into the Bowels of the Secret Room!

**Author's Note: **Hurray, new chapter!

Shout out to **project 501D13R **for catching the silly Indiana Jones reference in the last chapter. Good eye. I also want to thank **OGAFazer89AC **for pointing out some of the grammar and other issues in the last chapter.

**Summary for the last chapter**:

Naruto and the others are given the official mission to look into Raia's past by Gaara. Sakura goes to the hospital, Kakashi helps in the interrogation, Kiba and Hinata head towards Raia's home, where they discuss Kiba's issues with his pride, and Naruto helps Gaara himself sort through the village records. We follow Kakashi, who has little luck with interrogating Raia. He is warned that Kiba and Hinata are in danger, and arrives at Raia's home to discover a trap has destroyed the building, but at the same time revealed a secret entrance to an unknown place.

**End of Summary**

Other than that, there's not really much else to discuss, so onto the next chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 9 - Into the Bowels of the Secret Room! What Mysteries Lay Within?<strong>

"So what exactly are we supposed to be looking for?" Kiba asked. The further they went down Raiā's secret room, the darker it got. He had to begin holding his hand against the wall so that he wouldn't trip.

"Seeing as how no one in the village knew this room even existed, anything is open for investigation." Kakashi replied. "This could be documents containing secret information, letters he wrote or received, pieces of equipment or just knick-knacks that are unique to a specific part of the world. We'll need to even look through the trash to see if he's thrown anything away recently that could hint at his whereabouts. "

"What about that awful smell I caught a whiff of earlier? If we hadn't gotten ahold of that scent, we wouldn't have even known about this place."

"That's what I want you and Akamaru to be paying the most attention to." Kakashi pointed out, taking another corner into the depths of the secret room. "If you can figure out where that smell is coming from, it might give us a clue as to who this really is."

Kiba waved the air in front of his face, taking a deep breath. "Well, I sure as hell hope it doesn't get any stronger than this! I'm about to pass out as it is!"

They continued downstairs for a little while longer, before arriving at what appeared to be a dead end. Kakashi was no fool, however, and he had guessed that Raiā may have introduced additional obstacles to keep anyone from discovering what he was trying to hide.

"Hinata, I need to you to take a look around. There has to be a way in somehow."

The Hyūga stepped forward, activating her dōjutsu. The walls disappeared, and Hinata had a clear view of what lay before them. To her surprise, the walls of the room were incredibly thick, made from a material much harder than the rock and sand that dominated the landscape of the Land of Wind. A paper bomb _could_ be capable of blasting through the rock, but it would take hundreds of them to reach the other side.

Hinata relayed her findings to Kakashi, who leaned against the wall, seemingly unperturbed by the news.

"That's quite alright, Hinata. I'll take it from here. Thank you for your help."

He turned around to face the wall of the dense material, placing his palm on the smooth surface. He placed his other hand behind him, and motioned for Kiba and Hinata to get out of the way.

"You two are going to wanna step back for this one." He dug in his shoulders, and pushed. "Doton: Iwa kadō!" (Roughly- Earth release: Rock Mover). The rock in front of Kakashi began to disappear, being sucked into his left hand, before shooting out of his right hand pulverized into dust. It was one of Kakashi's many techniques that, while not useful for combat situations, could be very practical when the time came.

The process was slow, but Kakashi was making good progress through the denser stone. Hinata and Kiba watched in fascination as he made a man-sized burrow through the wall, but after about thirty minutes, they began to get bored. Suddenly, through the deep cave Kakashi had carved out, they heard another explosion.

"It's alright!" they heard Kakashi yell from inside. "It was just another paper bomb, but I took care of it!"

"How do you just 'take care' of a paper bomb…" Kiba muttered to himself. Then again, it _was_ Kakashi they were talking about, and he was usually full of surprises.

They suddenly heard another loud sound, though this one sounded more like something splitting open than something exploding. Moments later, Kakashi emerged from his whole, covered with dirt.

"We're through."

* * *

><p>"You have disappointed me, Sasuke."<p>

Tobi looked down at Sasuke, and while he couldn't see his face, he could feel anger and annoyance emanating off of him. Sasuke didn't say anything in return, or more accurately, couldn't. His body was still far too weak to handle even the slightest of movement.

"I warned you that Raiā was a dangerous opponent, but your arrogance cost you dearly. Now you are without another teammate, which will only make things harder on you."

He sat down on the bed next to Sasuke, and roughly grabbed his neck. Sasuke grunted in pain, but Tobi didn't let up.

"I have told you that I do not tolerate failure. If you continue to disappoint me, you will have to go through me before you enact your revenge on the Leaf. Consider yourself lucky that I decided not to kill you right here and now."

The Uchiha glared at Tobi, his Sharingan gleaming in the dark. Tobi wasn't the least bit put off by this, and only increased his grip.

"You disgrace your clan, Sasuke. Itachi would be ashamed of you."

Sasuke snapped, and despite the overwhelming pain in his entire body, he fought against the restraints keeping his bones from shattering, and tried to grab onto Tobi, who merely chuckled before roughly throwing Sasuke back into the bed.

"It will be quite some time before you're ready to go anywhere, Sasuke. Until then, I will have to take matters into my own hands. I will be keeping an eye on you, and if you try anything, I won't hesitate to kill you."

With those words, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving Sasuke to contemplate his failure.

How dare he bring his brother into this. Sasuke's hands curled into fists as anger threatened to shake his entire body. There were things out of his control that prevented him from capturing Raiā effectively. Perhaps if the other members of his team had been a little stronger…

Sasuke stopped. That was what Tobi warned against, wasn't it? He had been afraid that something would hold them back from accomplishing their mission. This must have been what he was talking about!

Yes, as time wore on, Sasuke became more and more fixated on the idea that it was his team that had prevented him from capturing Raiā. They had held him back, forced him to protect them when he could have used precious chakra to focus on Raiā. After all, it was Jūgo that had died, not Sasuke. Sasuke had lived on, while the others had barely survived the encounter. Yes, Sasuke was sure of it. He was strong, and the others were weak. He would need to fix that if they were going to accomplish any of their goals.

Still, Sasuke could not avoid the fact that he could still grow stronger himself. Raiā had given him more trouble than he had expected, and that battle with Naruto…even though Sasuke was exhausted, he could tell that the blonde was rapidly improving his skills, and could soon be a threat to his goal of revenge.

He couldn't let that happen. He had to attain more power. There was one option left available to him, and if he gained more power from it, he was willing to go through with it.

Sasuke turned as much as he could in his bed, and could see his clothes hanging on the opposite side of the room. The Uchiha symbol was barely visible in the dim light, but Sasuke concentrated on it. He could only see out of one eye, but that didn't matter to him.

Yes, after that night, Sasuke had completely lost the use of his left eye, and with it the abilities of both Amaterasu and Susanoo. This left him at an extreme disadvantage, which called for an extreme solution.

'_I apologize, brother….but I cannot fail in my revenge.'_

* * *

><p>"Come on guys. Let's see what we can't learn about Raiā in here." Kakashi motioned for the others to follow him through his makeshift tunnel, and soon they were on the other side of the wall, having emerged in Raiā's secret room.<p>

It was dark, gloomy, and covered from floor to ceiling in a thick layer of dust. Kiba sneezed, sending a huge cloud of it into the air before it settled back down on top of them. The others shot Kiba a dirty look, who laughed nervously before apologizing.

They took a look around. It was a sizeable enough room, with several main features. First and foremost, against the back wall, stood a desk, bordered on either side with thick cabinets. Documents of every shape and size littered the floor all around the work area, and from what Kakashi could tell, had been sifted through somewhat recently. Raiā had most likely gone through all the files he had here, and may have taken away all the files that could be traced back to where he had come from.

On the far side of the room, stood a training dummy and several targets. They hadn't been touched in quite some time by the looks of it, but Kakashi took in every detail he could anyways. What _wasn't_ there could sometimes be just as useful as what was.

"Kiba, can you tell where that smell you had earlier came from?"

The dog ninja stepped forward, giving the air an experimental whiff. Their trip downstairs had given him the time to get somewhat used to the scent, and now he could freely test the air without having to worry about his sense of smell completely flaring out from the overpowering odor. He turned to the left, and sniffed again. He turned to the right, and sniffed once more. The scent on the left seemed to be ever-so-slightly stronger, so he headed in that direction.

"Remember Kiba, there could more-"

A kunai with a paper bomb shot across the room when Kiba unknowingly set off a trip wire, forcing Kakashi to grab Kiba and throw him backwards to avoid the coming blast. He saw out of the corner of his eye that the bomb was heading straight for the documents, and he jumped in its path, and deflected it towards one of the unmarked walls so that the information would be spared. Another explosion, but everyone remained unharmed.

"…there could be more traps." Kakashi finished, letting out a held breath. "I had a feeling there would be more than one in here."

Kiba whistled, looking at the large crack in the wall the paper bomb had made. "Man, this guy must have been _really_ paranoid. What if he had come downstairs and forgot about just_ one _of these things?"

"Let's just concentrate on the task at hand."

"Right. Sorry then." Kiba took another smell in the air, and even though the smoke from the bomb was permeating through the room, Kiba was swiftly moving towards the left of the desk. At first it didn't look like anything was there, but Kiba suddenly bent over and picked something up, turning around to show to the others.

It was a trashcan. Kiba was holding his nose, and even without a superhuman sense of smell, the others caught ahold of a pretty rank odor.

"Any idea what it is?" Kakashi asked, waving the air in front of him.

"From what I can tell, it was some snack he must of half-eaten before splitting out of the village. It's some kind of spices. Definitely not from around here." There was a small amount of the spice sitting on top of whatever half-eaten food was sitting at the top of the trashcan, and Kiba licked the top of his finger to grab some of it. He lapped it up with the tip of his tongue, and immediately spit it out.

"Damn, this stuff is disgusting!" he exclaimed, wiping his tongue on his shirt multiple times in an attempt to get the taste off of it. "Who in their right mind would want to eat something like that?'

Kakashi studied the seasoning carefully, having crossed over to the other side of the room. He took a little bit of the spice himself, but instead of eating it, he pulled out a small bag and set it inside, letting it sift to the bottom. Without another word, he put the bag back in his pouch, and moved on.

"Let's see what else we can find."

* * *

><p>"Maaaan, can we take a break now? This is getting so boring!"<p>

This was the fifth time Naruto had complained in the past twenty minutes, and even Gaara's immeasurable patience reserves were starting to wane. They had been looking through the official documents of the village's visitors and permanent guests for several hours now, and Naruto had begun to find it impossible to keep his boredom to himself any longer

Iles and documents were scattered all over the Kazekage's office. While a more organized approach to their task would have suited Gaara, Naruto insisted in just tossing the files they hadn't looked through onto the floor, and looking them over when their contents spilled out. It was surprisingly effective, but Gaara loathed the thought of having to reorganize all of them once they found something useful.

They had long since discovered the time when Raiā had arrived at the village, placing it aside for whenever they needed to look over the file again. At this point, they were checking through every time he ever left the village, for how long he was gone, _where _he had gone to if that information had been available, and when he had returned. It was very hard to come across this information, and Gaara came to the conclusion that Raiā tried to keep his travels as quiet as possible. The strange thing was, was that even though he was extremely careful to make sure that whenever he left, and that it was documented as little as possible, Gaara had seen a pattern emerge. Like clockwork, he left every couple of months in the third week, and returned to the village midway through the last week of the month. Gaara had hoped to discover why this pattern existed, but so far neither he nor Naruto had had any luck.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, sighing rather loudly. "Why couldn't we get more people to help us? I mean, I know this stuff is supposed to be kept to ourselves, but couldn't we at least-"

"I'm sorry Naruto, but this information is too sensitive. Even if we were to keep the true purpose of what we are doing here, any potential help would need to become involved nonetheless. Raiā infiltrated our village with little to no problem, and our background checks provided nothing. This leads me to believe that he had resources available to him that makes trusts a valuable commodity for us."

Naruto huffed, but couldn't argue with his friend's logic. He stood up to stretch his muscles, and accidently knocked over a large pile of irrelevant files that Gaara had set aside on his desk while they were working, sending them scattering across the floor. Naruto grinned in embarrassment, and bent over to begin picking them up. He was about halfway through, when a name caught his eye.

He furrowed his brow. They had been looking through more recent files, but looking at the dates of these new ones, Naruto saw that they were from the village's founding, and this name popped up several times.

"Hey Gaara, who is this guy?" he asked, flipping the file around for Gaara to see. "Monzi…uhh, Mozai-"

"Monzaemon Chikamatsu." Gaara finished for him, taking the file and spreading it out on the floor.

Naruto squinted. "Who was he, this Digimon guy?"

"_Monzaemon_ was a great man of this village. Apart from being one of its most legendary shinobi, he was credited as the creator of the Puppet style of shinobi combat."

Naruto shuddered. Those puppets always gave him the creeps, what with their unblinking eyes and that horrible clattering sound whenever they moved. It wasn't his favorite, but Naruto couldn't deny the style's usefulness, especially in the hands of the people who were really good at it, like Kankurō and this Montezuma guy.

"How come his name only shows up at the beginning of this file? If he was as important as you say, I would have thought he would be a little more active in the village."

Gaara closed his eyes. "Unfortunately, he was murdered by an assassin in the prime of his life. It is the fate of several of our greatest citizens of this village."

"Yeesh, that must have been some assassin, taking down this guy and all." Naruto set the file back on Gaara's desk, before picking up the others that had fallen down. In the meantime, Gaara had quickly moved through the rest of their work, and to Naruto's relief, they were finished.

"Awesome! What can we do now?" he asked excitedly, heading for the door.

"Actually Naruto, there's something we need to discuss." Gaara said quietly, standing. Naruto heard something in the way he said it, and felt an odd lurch in his stomach. This didn't sound good. He wandered back over to the seat opposite to Gaara's, and sat down.

"…what is this about?" he asked quietly.

"This is about what happened among you and your group the night you discovered Raiā and Sasuke."

Naruto lowered his head, keeping his gaze downcast. "What's to talk about? I lost control…_again_…and almost hurt my friends."

"I'm afraid that's not what happened, Naruto." Gaara replied bluntly, interlacing his fingers.

Naruto froze. No…he couldn't be serious. He wasn't talking about…_that_, was he? There had been a small feeling in his stomach that this was true, and when he had gone to visit Hinata that night, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Hinata had been draped in a blanket the entire time, and when Naruto had gotten close, she seemed to draw it up closer to herself. Had she been hiding something

"The others feel it was best to keep this from you, to keep this burden off your mind and heart, but this was in the Land of Wind, my jurisdiction, and I don't wish to keep this from you any longer.

"Gaara…what're you talking about?"

The Kazekage leaned back in his chair, and took a deep breath.

"Naruto…you _did_ hurt Hinata."

* * *

><p>The world around Naruto collapsed. He stopped seeing what was in front of him, stopped hearing what was around him. The only thing he could concentrate what was Gaara just said.<p>

"I….I did…." It was the only thing he could say, and while it pained Gaara to nod, he knew it was something he had to do. He didn't want to keep something like this from his friend, even if he had to go against Sakura's and Hinata's wishes. While he was unaware of Hinata's recent resolve to tell Naruto herself, he was aware of their previous plan to keep this from Naruto when a nurse passing by their room overheard their conversation. Kakashi had told him right from the start in his report that Naruto had injured Hinata in his loss of control, and Gaara felt that if Naruto were to gain control over that power, he needed to understand what was at risk.

"Yes Naruto, you did. Kakashi informed me in his report that during your loss of control, you injured Hinata before Kakashi was able to bring you under control. I am…sorry you had to hear this from me, but I don't feel that it should have been kept from you."

Naruto didn't reply. He stared at his own hands, watched them begin to shake in front of him. Blood appeared on his hands, and no matter how hard he tried to get it off, it remained. He knew he was just seeing things, knew it was his mind playing tricks on him, but it just felt so real. His breathing became more labored, and a voice boomed in his head.

"_**WHY DON'T YOU JUST ASK THAT LITTLE HYŪGA GIRL? I'M SURE SHE COULD TELL YOU BETTER THAN I!"**_

He heard this over and over again, coupled with the beast's taunting laughter. So this was what the beast had been talking about…the very thing he hoped to prevent by losing himself to his inner rage, was the very thing that had happened.

Naruto's hands balled into fists, and he felt his anger rising. Gaara was quick to respond.

"Naruto, calm down. I am merely telling you what happened, not that I agree with it."

"What the hell do you know?" Naruto suddenly yelled, turning on the Kazekage.. "You think that just because you don't have to deal with _this_ anymore, you can talk down to me like I'm some kid? You have no idea-"

"Are you really going to say that I don't understand what you're going through?" Gaara replied coolly. "That I have no idea what it feels like to hurt someone close to me? To feel that pain in your heart when you believe that it is your fault?"

Naruto turned away angrily. He knew Gaara was right, but it didn't help him calm down any. Why was he so weak? He continued to hurt the people closest to him, and now he had hurt someone who had become close in a way Naruto had never experienced before. Why would she keep this from him? He had even hinted at the idea that she had been one of the very people he trusted completely. Deep within his heart, he knew that she _was_ one of these people, but to hear from Gaara that she wanted to hide this from him…

"Why…why would she lie to me…?" Naruto muttered to himself, slamming his fists against the wall. He did so over and over again. His fists became numb, blood began to trickle down his knuckles, but that didn't stop him. Only when Gaara intervened, throwing some sand in between Naruto's arm and the wall did he stop.

"I told you before that I do not agree with it. What I mean by that is it is not _your_ fault you injured Hinata. It was the beast within, and it alone."

Naruto wheeled around. "But it was me who lost control in the first place! If I hadn't let my anger get the best of me-"

"Pushing the anger away doesn't help either, Naruto. If you just try and keep it caged away, like the monster sealed within, you will only succeed in _delaying_ it, not freeing yourself of it altogether. If it weren't for you all those years ago, I would have succumbed to that anger. You helped me realize that I needed to accept others in my life, and let them help me with this problem. I suppose it's time for me to pass that onto you."

Gaara had been walking up to Naruto, and was close enough to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He could feel Naruto's body tense up, but he didn't move.

"You cannot believe that this is something you can handle on your own anymore, Naruto." He paused, trying to find a way he could reach the blonde. "…do you remember the letter I sent you?"

Naruto didn't say anything, but he nodded ever so slightly, giving Gaara the signal to continue.

"I told you that you needed to find someone to hold dear to you. Someone you can rely on."

"Yeah, but I-"

"Let me finish." Gaara's voice had the slightest edge to it, and despite his temper, Naruto shut his mouth.

"I can tell that Hinata is special to you. Even now, when I have only known her for no more than a day or two, I see a kindness and love like no other. It…it reminds me of the stories I was told about my mother."

Naruto eye's widened. Where was Gaara going with this? He had never heard Gaara speak of his mother, and Naruto had begun to assume that he never would.

"I believe that Hinata is the one you can rely on, someone you can confide in and place your trust in."

"How can I trust her when she kept this from me? You should know as well as I do that trust is hard to come by! You start to think that everyone is keeping something from you, lying to you for their own reasons!"

Gaara returned to standing behind his desk, folding his arms. "Are you sure that it was her intention to keep something like this from you?"

Naruto was ready with a counter, but found the words caught in his throat. Something in his mind was holding them back. Hadn't Hinata…

'_Naruto-kun…I need to talk to you when we get some free time, okay?'_

He remembered now. She had told him that they needed to speak with one another when they got the chance. Was this what she was talking about? Had she planned on telling him?

"It seems you remember something," Gaara noticed. "Perhaps Hinata had the intention of telling you what happened that night?"

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Maybe…I…I don't know right now…"

"You need to let other people in, Naruto. It's time you stopped keeping this burden to yourself."

It sounded like the right thing to do, but Naruto was finding trouble accepting Gaara's words. After all, he no longer had to worry about having this _thing_ inside of you that will kill everyone you care about if you let it. He had been dealing with this himself his entire life. It felt like giving up when he put this burden on others, especially on someone like Hinata. It was confusing, and frustrating to think about.

Maybe…maybe he should let Hinata in? If she was planning on telling him what had happened, than he could trust her, right? Naruto mulled it over, before coming to a final decision. He would talk to Hinata later today when he got the chance.

He smiled softly to himself. Yeah, maybe he _could_ trust Hinata with this. She had always been honest with him, always ready to listen to what he had to say…he still felt horrible about what he had done, that hadn't changed, but he at least felt a small bit of comfort knowing he could take this to Hinata and she could be honest with him about it.

"Naruto?"

Gaara's voice pierced through Naruto's thoughts, and he snapped his head up to find Gaara looking at him, concerned.

"Are you…feeling better?" he asked.

Naruto smiled again, wider this time. "Yeah…I think I'm gonna talk to Hinata about this!" Naruto still felt a little uneasy about this whole situation, but maybe Gaara was right. Maybe he should talk to someone about this. It certainly couldn't hurt to try, could it?

Gaara nodded. "I am glad to hear that. I imagine that Hinata will be able to help you with this in ways neither of us can truly comprehend yet."

'_I hope so…'_ Naruto thought to himself, sitting back down among all the files. "So what are we supposed to do now? We haven't exactly found anything about this guy that we can use, have we?"

"It has been…frustrating, yes." Gaara replied. "Years and years of the village's records and we find so little on this man. I am worried for the safety of the village. How many others are there out there, hiding in the other villages, carrying with them a mysterious past and the possibility of violence?"

"Others?" Naruto asked, confused at Gaara's choice of words. The Kazekage mentally scolded himself for letting something like that slip, and hastily came up with another meaning to his words.

"I was simply wondering if there are others like Raiā, people who lie and hide their past from others in order to protect themselves."

Naruto scratched his chin. "Heh…maybe. But I'd really have expected us to have something on him by now. Didn't you say that he left the village every couple of months?"

Gaara nodded. "Yes, and I tired looking into if he brought anything back with him from his travels, to give us a clue as to where he might have been, but because he was never under any suspicion, we never looked that far into it."

"What do you mean by 'that far'?" Naruto asked.

"Allow me to explain. Here in Suna, we make sure any and all travelers make sure to document their comings and goings with the guards, something Raiā had managed to avoid all but a few times. If these people are merchants or people that have any sort of criminal record, our village also keeps track of the supplies they took with them, as well as what they brought back. Unfortunately, because he fell under neither category at the time, we don't have any documentation of what he may have been carrying with him."

Gaara had watched Naruto as he spoke, and he could tell that the gears were turning in Naruto's brain. He was hoping something like this would happen. If there was some unorthodox way of getting the information they needed, he had hoped Naruto would be the one to discover it. And from the way Naruto was furrowing his brow, he was onto something.

To be more specific, what Naruto was thinking of was the way Konoha handled these matters. While it was very similar to how Suna handled it, a particular detail stuck out to the blonde. When the other deliveries had begun to arrive at the village, and Naruto needed to meet them at the front gate, he had become pretty well-acquainted with Izumo and Kotetsu, who were usually stuck on guard duty. He enjoyed the time he hung out with them while he waited for the deliveries to arrive, but he could distinctly remember an amusing game Kotetsu had come up with to pass the time. Whenever someone arrived at the village, everyone would write down what they could tell about the person, if this thing was weird or funny in some way. If someone smelled like rotten fish, or if another had buck teeth, they would secretly write it down, and tell the others their findings, much to their hilarity. It was a longshot, but Naruto was always willing to try anything at least once.

He informed Gaara of this, and the Kazekage leaned back, considering the idea. It certainly wasn't out of the question that the guards found something similar to do, seeing as how guard duty could often rag on and on. There wasn't anything else they could do, so Gaara stuck his head outside his office, and requested that the officer's notes for the dates whenever Raiā left or returned to the village be brought to them as soon as possible. Within moments, an assisstant came scurrying back down the hall, carrying several large folders with her.

"Here you are, Gaara-sama." She passed the files onto him, and he bowed in thanks, and quietly shut the door. Gaara crossed back over to where Naruto was waiting, and gave him half of the stack, which they both immediately began looking into.

As it turned out, Naruto was right. In order to make their shifts go by faster, the guards had taken a liking to pointing out whatever they found unusual or unpleasant about their visitors. It was only a few minutes before Naruto noticed something.

"I think I may have found something," he said aloud, passing over the file to Gaara. He had circled the certain information with a bright red marker. Circled several times was the phrase 'Iyana nioi-san' (Roughly translates to 'Mr. Stinky Smell').

"What…is this?" Gaara asked, staring at the words on the paper.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. It looks like the guards who were on duty gave him a nickname or something. I guess he smelled really bad!" He took a closer look at the notes. "Yeah, it says here that they called him that 'cause he smelled like rotten fish and seaweed. Maybe he came from the Land of Water? There's lots of oceans and stuff there, right?"

Gaara nodded. "It's certainly better than what we had before. Perhaps Kakashi or the others managed to come across something of importance. It could even relate to this information we have now."

"Seems like a longshot to me…but anyways, what do we do now?" Naruto asked. His impatient streak was acting out again, and he was eager to go out and do something.

Gaara took a look outside the window. The sun was beginning to set, so the weather would feel more pleasant.

"Perhaps we can go find somewhere to eat? After your insistence, a ramen stand was finally in-"

"Ramen? Here?" Naruto jumped for joy, and with his usual lack of foresight, grabbed onto the sleeve of the most important figure in the entire Sand, and dragged him out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> For those who are anxious to see what Naruto was worried about, don't worry; it'll be here soon enough. I'll also have the Retrospects for this chapter up later today, if there's anything worth looking at again.

Again, a big thank you to those who take the time to review! It means a lot to me!

Until next time.


	28. A Truth Revealed! Hinata's Tears

**Author's Note:** I don't really have anything on my mind for once, so other than thanking the awesome people who take the time to review and the summary, there won't be much written here this time.

**Summar**y:

Kiba, Kakashi, and Hinata continue their search in Raia's secret room, discovering little information that could be considered useful. Meanwhile, Naruto and Gaara work through the records of the village, hoping to find a clue themselves. After coming up with as little as the others did, Gaara chooses then to reveal to Naruto the truth about the incident with Hinata, much to his shock. They head to a small place in the village to discuss their findings with the others.

**End of ****Summary**

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 10 - A Truth Revealed. Hinata's Tears.<strong>

Evenings in Suna were far different from the atmosphere that the heat of the day brought with it. While its lifelong citizens could tolerate it more than visitors, assuming they weren't elderly or sick, but most of the people kept to themselves, staying in the relative coolness of inside to keep their bodies from overheating. It made the overall feeling of the city during the day seem very deserted, and not very interesting at all.

Once the sun set, however, that was a different story.

Suna suddenly jumped into life once the outdoor temperature cooled, and seeing nearly every citizen outside socializing with one another after dinner was not uncommon. Children would take this opportunity to play with one another, while their parents would chat among each other, sharing the small stories of the day. Shops held sales and special deals during this time, as the most foot traffic at this time meant the greatest possibility of more customers. Lanterns of all colors were light outside homes and businesses alike, the bright, vivid colors reflecting off of the sandstone that most of the buildings were made from.

Not wanting to miss being among the people he cared for so dearly, Gaara had insisted he and Naruto take their evening meal outside, and to Naruto's delight, at a newly installed ramen stand. A particularly devious business man had capitalized on Naruto returning their Kazekage to them safely by opening this restaurant, and now it was one of the most popular places to enjoy an inexpensive meal in the city. It would be packed all-to-wall at this hour, but Gaara wasn't exactly worried. He didn't need to be with his present company.

"So we can just skip the lines and everything?" Naruto asked hopefully, his stomach growling loud enough to gain the attention of several of the stand's patrons. He waved awkwardly at them.

Gaara shook his head. "I refuse to take advantage of my people over something as trivial as dinner. However, if they offer-"

"Gaara-sama!"

The rest of the people waiting in line to be served turned around upon hearing their celebrated leader's name, and their eyes widened when they realized who was accompanying him. In hushed tones they chatted with one another, trying to divulge why Gaara would visit such a place, and with the Leaf shinobi who saved his life of all people.

"Gaara-sama! Please, take my spot in line!"

"Take mine as well. It's an honor to give my spot to our Kazekage and the man who saved his life!"

"I insist you take my place in line, Gaara-sama."

Naruto smirked inwardly at Gaara's deviousness. He wasn't outright demanding that the villagers step aside so that he and Naruto be served first, but his present company certainly made people a little more willing to take one place back in the ever-growing line. Gaara, not wanting to offend his people (and because his stomach was beginning to growl almost as loudly as Naruto's), gladly accepted their offer, and was at the front of the line in moments.

After ordering from an extremely flustered owner, he and Naruto were able to snag one of the tables that lay scattered outside the stand, as the group that had used it before had just gotten up to leave.

Naruto took a look around. Kids were ducking and weaving through the tables in a game of tag, while their parents scolded them not to run through such a busy place. The different-colored lanterns hung above his head, gently swaying in the cool breeze the setting sun was bestowing upon the desert. In a few hours, he might even be cold!

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," a voice from behind them said. Naruto didn't need to turn around to know it was Sakura, and he waved with the back if his hand.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" he replied happily as she sat down. He had been grinning like an idiot, but when he saw the look on Sakura's face, his smile diminished somewhat.

"Everything alright, Sakura-chan? You look a little…"

"Tired? You don't even know the half of it. I _was_ supposed to be going to the hospital to interview the staff about this guy we knowing almost nothing about, and that's what happened for the first few hours."

"Then what happened?" Naruto asked.

"One of the doctors comes rushing down the hallway, looking for a doctor that apparently forgot that he was going on vacation this week. One of their patients was slipping away, and they had absolutely no idea what to do. Me and my big mouth volunteered to help, and the next thing you know, I'm helping everyone in the entire hospital! The things they asked me to do stopped being important after the first 45 minutes! I feel like all my limbs are about to fall off…"

Naruto laughed. "Well, at least your day was interesting! Me and Gaara just spend all day looking through paperwork. Borrrring!"

Sakura scowled at her teammate. "You really think that running around helping a bunch of doctors and nurses with their jobs is better than sitting in an air-conditioned room looking at papers all day?"

Naruto completely missed the sarcasm in her voice, and agreed happily, earning him a nice smack to the back of his head.

"Idiot…" she said aloud, shaking her hand off. "So did you and Gaara-sama find anything useful about this Raiā guy?"

Still rubbing the back of his head, Naruto shrugged. "Can't really say for sure. We think we find _something_, but right now we don't really know if it's important or not."

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura asked. She had been hoping the others would have had more luck than she had in looking for information about Raiā. Not surprisingly, he had been extremely tight-lipped about his home life during his shifts at the hospital, and so no one there could give her anything about him other than that he liked to eat fish during his lunch breaks. How is _that_ supposed to be useful?

Gaara had been eating during Sakura's and Naruto's brief conversation, having ordered a small appetizer for himself when Naruto insisted that he wanted to save all of his room for ramen. He felt it was time to join in the conversation.

"As Naruto discovered, the guards manning the main entrance to the village seemed to have noticed something about Raiā whenever he returned to the village. It was a very small detail, but according to the records we have of him, he possessed quite the stench."

As much respect as she had for Gaara, Sakura couldn't help but look a little skeptical. Was that really _all_ they had? Sakura didn't exactly have anything more than them, but a detail along the lines of what he smelled like when he came back to the village seemed more than a little trivial.

Gaara seemed to pick up on this. "It may seem like a minor detail, but we can't afford to look over anything. Something that seems trivial could be the confirmation of our suspicions in the long run.

Sakura shrugged. "Alright, but I still don't know. Seems like more than a longshot to me. You sure neither of you found anything else?"

"Nope. What about you?" Naruto replied. Sakura awkwardly rubbed the back of her head, and immediately tried changing the subject. Naruto was not to be fooled, however, and pointed an accusing finger at the medic-nin.

"You didn't find anything useful at all, did you? That's just like you to complain about what we found, and try to hide the fact that you came back with diddley squat!"

Sakura flexed her fists as she placed in on the table in Naruto's direction, giving him a dangerous smile.

"What was that, Naruto?" she asked, the mere sound of her voice making sweat pour down Naruto's forehead.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all, Sakura-chan!"

* * *

><p>"Tell me again why we can't look at any of this."<p>

"I'm sorry Kiba, but right now this information has to remain private between only certain parties."

What Kiba was referring to was the information he and Hinata had spent all day trying to recover. Instead of going through the individual files and finding which ones would be important in trying to figure out Raiā's past, Kakashi had simply gathered them all up, before sealing them away in a scroll. Kiba was now currently in the middle of trying to get the jōnin to release the information, since both he and Hinata had risked their lives to get to it.

"But this is bullshit!" Kiba exclaimed, ignoring the looks of angry parents as they covered their child's ears. "We have a right to know what's written down on those documents! We're just as much a part of this mission as you are!"

"K-Kiba-kun…" Hinata tried to say, racking her brain with something that could calm the Inuzuka down. The problem was, she was just as, if not more curious to find out what Kakashi wanted to keep to himself. Even if Kiba was going about it in the wrong way, they _did_ have a right to know what was going on, didn't they?

"Kiba, calm down." Kakashi stopped walking, and turned to face the two chūnin. "I know how much you want to be involved in this, I really do. But I have direct orders from both Gaara-sama and Tsunade-sama that this has to remain between me and them for now."

It didn't help. Kiba was only more confused now. "Tsunade-sama? How could she give you those orders when she didn't even know we were coming out here in the first place!?"

Kakashi didn't answer. They had turned a corner in the streets, and were in sight of where Naruto, Gaara, and Sakura were currently sitting. He used this to calm Kiba down, offering to pay for his meal. Kiba looked ready to argue more, but he could see Hinata giving him a concerned look out of the corner of his eye, and decided to drop the issue.

For now.

Gaara rose to greet Kakashi, and when the two were in close quarters, Kakashi murmured something in the Kazekage's ear. Gaara kept his reaction as stolid as possible, but Naruto could have sworn he saw his eyes widen ever so slightly.

"I apologize for being so abrupt, but Kakashi and I have things to discuss. Please, continue your meal without us. I have informed the owner that he will be paid in full whatever the amount, so feel free to eat as much as you'd like."

Sakura noticed Naruto rubbing his hands together in excitement, and mentally prayed for Gaara's wallet to survive the beating it was about to take.

As Kakashi and the Kazekage disappeared down the street, Kiba pulled up a chair from a nearby table, and Hinata, seeing that another chair couldn't be found, pulled up a small box sitting over by the edge of the patio area they were sitting under. Naruto wasn't about to be the non-chivalrous, and graciously offered his chair to Hinata, who while she insisted that she was fine where she was, relented when Naruto jokingly threatened to have a few shadow clones pick her up and move her themselves.

Sakura noticed the look on Kiba's face, and could tell that it was directed at Kakashi.

"What's eating at you?" she asked, not as nicely as she could have. She was still a little sore about what happened between the two of them when she gone looking for Kiba, and wasn't ready to forgive the way he had acted. From the way Kiba responded, which was a simple snort and something about 'going to the bathroom', Kiba still wasn't over what had happened either. Naruto shot Hinata a questioning look, but she shrugged.

"H-how did your day go, Sakura-san?" she asked, trying to recover from the awkwardness of what had just happened. Sakura was only happy to oblige, and immediately spilled into what had transpired for her in trying to find out anything about Raiā.

According to her, the majority of the doctors there were so air-headed that they wouldn't have realized if they were working with a dog, let alone notice anything about Raiā for the decades he worked with them. They only had nice things to say about the elderly man, complimenting his work ethic or his timeliness, and were totally shocked when Sakura revealed his true, mysterious nature. She would have hoped that that would open some doors, maybe reveal some small details about Raiā that the other doctors hadn't noticed until now, but most of them could only scratch their head and apologize for their being _completely useless_. That, coupled with Sakura being dragged into free medical work left her in an overall foul mood, and it was only what she saw from Naruto and Hinata that kept her happy.

Naruto seemed to have forgotten about what had happened that night with Hinata, as it appeared to Sakura. If it wasn't that, at the very least it no longer bothered him, and Sakura was grateful for that. This was something that it would be best if they put it behind them.

"What about you, Hinata? Did you and Kiba find anything?"

Hinata nodded shyly, just as Kiba returned. "Yes. We found that Raiā had a room hidden from the rest of the house…"

Naruto sat forward in his seat, eager to hear more. "Wow, a secret room? Like, with a secret entrance and everything? That is so cool, Hinata!"

Hinata blushed. "Th-thank you. Naruto-kun, but it was Kiba-kun who found the door in the first place."

Kiba, who had been picking in his ear, grinned in pride. "Yep, thanks to the old schnozzle! If it weren't for that overbearing stench, I don't think we would have found all of those documents and stuff. It still pisses me off that Kakashi told us we couldn't look at any of it, though…"

As he spoke, he didn't notice Naruto's ear perk up when he mentioned the smell, and continued on with his brave story about how they dodged innumerable traps and risked their lives dozens of times to get to this valuable information.

"So I don't see why the only thing me and Hinata get to know about is that stupid smell! I mean, we were the ones who-"

"What did it smell like?" Naruto suddenly asked, an idea formulating in his head.

Kiba shuddered slightly, remembering the overbearing stench. "Dude, it was like the worst smell you could ever imagine. Take rotten fish, and mix it with this weird seaweed smell."

Now Naruto was interested. "That's really strange…me and Gaara found something in the village records that said this Raiā guy smelled like that all the time."

"Yeah, but how could that possibly be important?" Kiba asked.

Hinata thought of something. "Well, m-maybe if he ate something very unique all the time, something where the ingredients could only come from certain places, it could give us an idea of where he lived or visited. I know that sounds a little silly, but…"

"What're you talking about, Hinata? That's genius!" Naruto smiled broadly, through a large mouthful of his food. He had ordered first, and by the time he was on his fourth or fifth bowl is when the other's orders started arriving.

Sakura leaned back in her chair. "He's right, Hinata. I never thought of it that way. In fact, now that I think about it, a bunch of the people at the hospital told me that the only complaint they had about this guy was that he smelled a little funny. They also told me he ate fish every time they saw him in the cafeteria, which wasn't that often."

"So if we find where he went to get his food, we can take a pretty good guess that's that where he lived before? Awesome!" Naruto said happily.

"I guess so, but what I want to know is that stuff Kakashi kept from Hinata and Kiba. What do you think that stuff was?"

She turned to Kiba, hoping he could offer something that would help them understand. But he was already digging into his food, and had no better manners than his closest friend, who was scrounging up the scraps from nearby tables.

Hinata decided to answer instead. "We don't really know. It l-looked important, and it must have been, if he was willing to lay traps to keep it safe. They were documents, so maybe it's a birth certificate, or a deed to property? There were also plenty of papers that were smaller than the others…maybe letters he sent or received. If I h-had known Kakashi was going to take them away, I might h-have stolen a peek or two…"

Naruto grinned through his food. "Sounds like I'm rubbing off on someone!" he joked, turning Hinata's cheeks a bright red.

Sakura groaned in mock disgust. "That's _all_ we need, two Naruto's running around!"

Kiba, who hadn't been listening, heard wrong. "What, you guys are thinking about kids already? Isn't that a little...you know, soon?"

Naruto turned as red as Hinata.

* * *

><p>The rest of their evening went rather pleasantly. Kiba didn't seem to be as talkative as he usually was, but as the night wore on, he finally warmed up to mostly his old self. Naruto and Hinata both noticed he would quiet down when Sakura was talking, and even though they were curious about it, the look on his face suggested that they leave it alone, at least for now. They had been expecting Kakashi and Gaara to come back at some point, but after they had eaten their fill and relaxed for about a half hour or so, they decided they were getting the night off.<p>

After Naruto accepted the bill, which was several feet long by the way, the four of them headed out to see what the nightlife of the Sand had to offer.

It was only a short distance into their little tour when Kiba stopped walking.  
>"I'm calling it quits here, guys. I'll see you later." He had stopped in front of the training center for Suna shinobi again, and made to go inside.<p>

"You sure that's what you want to do?" Sakura asked, a strange tone in her voice. Kiba turned around, and although he was smiling, he promptly gave her the finger.

"Yes, I'm sure." he disappeared inside. Sakura stood there, fuming, but Naruto seemed to think that the whole situation was hilarious, and rolled along the ground laughing. Even Sakura stomping into his gut didn't seem to slow him down, and it was only when Hinata asked him if he felt alright did he calm down. He got to his feet, and they were back to just wandering around the village.

Another thirty minutes passed, and Sakura was finding it hard to keep her eyes open. Naruto and Hinata were chatting with one another, completely unaware until Sakura nearly stumbled over her own two feet, and falling against Naruto's back.

"Looks like someone needs a little rest!" Naruto joked. Sakura tried to hit him in retaliation, but was too weak to do anything other than pat him on the back with her fist, and that only made Naruto chuckle to himself.

He turned to Hinata, and nodded in the direction of the center of the village. Gaara had set up several rooms for them in a hotel close to the Kazekage's office. Hinata understood what Naruto had meant, and put her head under Sakura's right arm to support her. It might have been a bit much, as Sakura was still certainly capable of walking herself, but she decided not to complain.

"Mmm…thanks, guys…" Sakura muttered, as Naruto and Hinata eased her down onto the bed, taking care that her head didn't bounce off of the headboard. Naruto hadn't even gotten one shoe off before he heard the deep breathing indicative of sleep. His face crinkled in a small smile.

"Come on, Hinata…let's get out of here so Sakura-chan can get some sleep," he said quietly, taking her by the hand. Hinata blushed by the way he gently interlaced his fingers with hers, and said nothing as they made their way back outside.

* * *

><p>They wandered about the village, watching as the citizens flooding the streets began to thin out, until they were some of the only people still out. The lanterns were being extinguished as they strode through the streets, and soon only the pale light of the moon guided their footsteps. They didn't know where they were headed, but they didn't care. It was just nice being in each other's company.<p>

Naruto stole another peek at Hinata as she admired the moon above. He had been doing this the entire night, as his thoughts were plagued with doubt. He was truly enjoying this personal time with Hinata, but there was still the matter of that night they had yet to discuss. Naruto was hoping that Hinata would be the one to bring it up, but with every step his confidence was beginning to wane.

But then, they arrived at a garden. It was a small place, merely meant to offer a resting point for the busiest citizens, but beautiful nonetheless. Exotic, wild flowers decorated the planters that lay scattered around, and several healthy palm trees swayed gently in the wind. With scenery like this, Naruto was beginning to understand why these people chose to stay in the desert.

Hinata gently tugged at his hand, leading him over to a bench before sitting him down and taking her place by his side, nuzzled into his arm.

"It's so peaceful out here…I wish it could stay like this forever…" Hinata muttered aloud, sighing deeply as she eased into the back of the bench.

"Me too…" Naruto didn't really mean it. He was still holding onto the last sliver of hope that Hinata would finally-

"But…th-there's something we need to talk about…"

Naruto smiled inwardly. He was relieved that Hinata hadn't forgotten. She pulled away from him somewhat, and scooted towards the other end of the bench, before turning to face him.

"Naruto-kun…there's something I need to talk to you about. I should have t-told you already, but I was waiting for the right time…"

"Is this about that night?" Naruto asked softly, to Hinata's surprise. She gasped.

"You…know…?"

Naruto nodded somberly. "Yeah, Gaara told me. He wasn't sure if it was being kept from me or not, so he was just making sure I knew what happened. Hinata, I-"

He didn't finish his sentence, as Hinata threw her arms around him and buried her face in his jacket.

"Naruto-kun, I'm so sorry!" she sobbed into his chest. "I wanted to tell you, wanted to tell you so bad, but….but I was scared!"

Naruto understood her position, but he still couldn't help but be a little upset. He pushed Hinata away from him, and looked into her eyes, where tears threatened to spill.

"Why didn't you tell me right away, Hinata? I told you that trust is something really hard for me to give out, and I can't help but feel like you betrayed that trust…"

Hinata wiped her eyes against her sleeve, putting her hands around his own. "Please, Naruto-kun…I'm sorry…I didn't want you to be worried…"

"How could I not be? I hurt someone very close to me, Hinata. But not telling me makes it hurt worse than if you had come out with the truth right from the beginning. Isn't that what people in a relationship are supposed to do?"

She nodded sadly. Naruto was right, no matter how much she tried to justify her actions. "Y-you're right, Naruto-kun. I c-can't change that what I did was wrong…but please, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry…"

She dug herself into Naruto's body once again, clinging to him like he might disappear if she let go. Naruto was surprised with her intensity, but felt his own arms wrap around her. It hurt to know that she had kept the truth from him, but he could tell how remorseful she felt.

"It's okay, Hinata…I should be apologizing too…"

Hinata brought her gaze to meet Naruto's again, disbelief in her eyes as Naruto smiled sadly.

"I was the one who hurt you in the first place, Hinata…I lost control…and I hurt you…" He turned away, a feeling in his heart that kept him from looking her in the eye.

"I can't believe I let that happen…!" He muttered angrily. "I'm still too weak to control it…I'm sorry, Hinata…I'm sorry that I-"

"Naruto-kun."

The sound of her voice brought Naruto's eyes back to hers, and he was amazed by how calm she was. She gently cupped one side of his face with her hand, and smiled.

"What happened that night was _not_ you. The Naruto-kun that I know…he was in there, somewhere…I was hurt, yes…but it wasn't you…"

Naruto struggled against her "Yeah, but I-"

"No, no buts…" Hinata interrupted. "The Naruto-kun that I know…he would never hurt me…I don't care about what's inside you…because I know what's on the _outside _will keep me safe…"

She grazed Naruto's other cheek with her free hand, and leaned forward, bringing her lips to his. She didn't care if he was still upset with her, she needed him. She felt Naruto pull back in surprise for an instant, before pushing back with renewed vigor. He pulled her as close as he could into his body, and felt the warmth in her chest. He kissed her harder, smashing his lips against her own as she ran her fingers though his hair.

Naruto was having trouble thinking straight. Her petite hands were gently massaging the back of his skull, and he couldn't stop the muffled groan that escaped through his mouth. It took the both of them by surprise, and they split apart, blushing fiercely.

"Sorry, I…" Hinata started to say, but Naruto cut her off.

"It's okay…Hinata, can I see it?"

She seemed confused. "Naruto-kun? See wh-what?" This was more than a little confusing, and Hinata felt a little uncomfortable.

Naruto looked away in shame. "I…I know what I'm, what _it's_ capable of…did it leave a scar?"

"Naruto-kun…"

"Please, it's something I need to see," Naruto pressed, frowning. I need to know what I did, even if it wasn't me or whatever…" He was pleading with her, and Hinata didn't want to refuse. She owed him this.

"O-okay…" With a deep breath, she reached for her jacket zipper. No…she began to feel strange. She couldn't do this; not outside. What if someone came by and saw them? What would they think?

Naruto could tell Hinata was nervous, and took her hand in his, giving her a smile. "It's okay, Hinata…no one's nearby. I understand if you don't want to though-"

"No…" Hinata interrupted. "It's o-okay…" She bit her lower lip as she slowly brought the zipper halfway down, enough for her to pull her jacket off of one shoulder. Naruto gasped slightly when he saw all the bandages along with the extra padding near the center of where the scar lay. He reached out with his free hand as if to touch it, but drew back.

"Does it…does it hurt?" he asked, keeping his eyes fixated on the spot. "Are you sure it's alright?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes…it's alright, Naruto-kun. It doesn't hurt that much…"

Naruto suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head. Images pounded themselves into his mind, and he even though he couldn't make out the sounds or shapes, he knew where they had come from. These were from that night.

"Naruto-kun? Are you alright?" Hinata asked, pushing against his shoulder. He shook his head.

"Hinata…I'm sorry…" He turned his body away from her, as every time he had tried to look at her, his eyes would just drift back to her bandages, and he would feel ashamed.

"Naruto-kun…please, look at me…" she pleaded. Naruto ignored her, and tried to keep his body away, despite her voice beckoning him back into her arms. He heard her moving, but he tried to push it out of his mind.

"Look at me…please…" Hinata had gotten up and moved to the other side of the bench, sitting in front of Naruto. He tried looking away again, but she caught his cheek with her hand.

"Naruto…you did _not_ hurt me, and you never will. What happened was just as much my fault, as I was the one who tried to reach you in the first place. I don't regret it for a moment. You don't need to let the burden of this fall on your shoulders alone anymore."

"Hinata…" Naruto said breathlessly, mesmerized by the girl in front of him. He had done a horrible thing, had caused physical harm to a girl he was growing increasingly close to, and she wasn't angry. The fact that she had kept this from him at first…that feeling was starting to fade away. He couldn't help but smile.

"What did I ever do to deserve a girl like you, Hinata?" he asked, grinning.

Hinata blushed deeply. "So y-you're not mad anymore?"

"I don't think I was ever mad at you, Hinata…just a little upset, I guess. Just promise me that you'll be honest with me from now on, okay?"

Hinata bit her lip. This was it. Now was her chance; her chance to tell Naruto about everything else that had happened between the two of them, and Sakura's hand in it. Her mind spun with what might happen, but she couldn't put this off any longer.

"O-okay, Naruto-kun… I promise. But I need to-"

Before Hinata could say anything more, she was interrupted by Naruto laughing to himself. He hugged her tightly, grinning from ear to ear.

"You're awesome, Hinata!" He leaned back, and as he looked into her eyes, he couldn't help himself, and dove in for another kiss. This felt different from before. It felt…passionate, and Hinata was quickly losing track of what was going on. She felt Naruto pull her closer against his body, until he could no longer support their combined weight, and they toppled backwards. Hinata turned a deep red as she landed on top of him, but he didn't seem to mind or care. He deepened their kiss, rubbing her upper back with one hand while the other one was busy tangling itself in Hinata's hair. Hinata's eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head. God, it felt so good…Naruto's arm was starting to travel down the small of her back.

_Just promise me that you'll be honest with me from now on, okay?_

She couldn't do this. She couldn't ignore it anymore. She pushed into Naruto's chest, forcing them apart. The look on his face tore at her heart, but it would hurt more if she kept the truth from him any longer.

"I can't do this, Naruto-kun…there's something you need to know…"

Naruto went bug-eyed, and his body tensed up. "Crap, Hinata! I'm sorry if I went too far! I didn't meant to…what I mean is, I-"

"It's not that, Naruto-kun. It's not that at all…" She felt a horrible feeling in her stomach. If only there was some other way to go about this, and right when they were in the middle of…

Naruto only looked more confused, and Hinata couldn't take it.

"Naruto-kun…there's something you need to know…something about the two of us…"

"Hinata…what're you talking about?"

Hinata took a deep breath. If she didn't do this now, she could never look into those blue eyes again.

"What happened between the two of us, over the past couple of months…well, it didn't exactly happen…on its own."

.

.

.

"…wh-what?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I dunno what it is, but I've been feeling really sluggish lately. The next chapter might be a while, but I can't say for sure. I also haven't been doing the Retrospects (for those that care) just because these chapters really haven't had anything worthwhile to talk about. Hopefully that'll change soon.

Until next time.


	29. The Return Home How Should I Feel?

**Author's Note: **No, I'm not dead, despite what some of you may have started to believe. Like I said from the last update, I needed more time to write this next chapter, and that extra time turned into three more days. Not as long as I was expecting, so that's always a good thing.

Truth is, I was in a weird funk. Not like depressed or anything (I'm rarely in a bad mood), but it just left me with little drive to anything all week apart from sleeping and watching David Attenborough documentaries. I think I've gotten over it, because to be honest, all that stuff with Raia and his secret room was starting to bore me to tears, so that may have been a deciding factor in my drive to write. Now that I've moved past it, I think I can get back to the place where I was, which is a good thing for you guys, as that means that we'll be back to new chapters ever 4 days or so.

I do so every chapter, but this time I really want to stress how much I appreciate you guys' reviews. They're the perfect little pick-me-up when I'm stressed out or tired, and I read each and every one of them and take them to heart. I even have all the e-mails alerting me backed up, just so that I remember that I'm making this many people happy with a dinky little story like mine. If it'll be your first time, or if you like to do so after every chapter, I can't tell you how happy they make me, so thank you for that.

**Summary**:

Everyone meets up for dinner to discuss their findings. Kakashi is keeping theirs to himself, which angers the rest of the group, as well as making them curious as to what it is he's hiding. Kakashi and Gaara head back to his office to personally go over the info, and the others wander aimlessly around the village, killing time. After Kiba and Sakura split off, it's just Naruto and Hinata. At a small park, Hinata finally reveals that she had intended to tell Naruto about what had happened that night when he couldn't control his transformation. Naruto is hurt, but at the same time remorseful because he feels that it is still his fault, which Hinata vehemently denies. Naruto, amazed at how forgiving Hinata is, begins to share an intimate moment with her. But she stops him, and after some struggling, starts to reveal to Naruto the truth of their relationship.

**End summary**

I think I've blabbed enough for one chapter. Let's get to it, then.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 11 - The Return Home. How Should I Feel?<strong>

"Is that everything, then?" Gaara asked, eyeing over the supplies he had given to Kakashi and the others for their trip home. Ample water, plenty of food, and copies of the information he and Kakashi had gone over extensively last night. It also contained the Kazekage's opinion of the situation, as well as instructions for Tsunade should anything else happen within his own borders.

"Yes. Thank you for your kindness, Gaara-sama." Kakashi replied, bowing low. "Are you sure you can handle things here with Raiā?"

Gaara nodded. "It does not matter to me how long it takes to divulge what he need from him, nor the manner with which we receive this information. I shall remain in constant contact with Tsunade-sama on our findings, and she should pass this information onto you as well."

"Alright then. I'm glad we could be of service." He bowed again, less so this time, and Gaara gently returned the gesture.

"You guys ready to go?" Kakashi asked, turning to the others. What he noticed behind him was very confusing, and Kakashi felt worried.

Instead of bickering amongst each other like they usually did, Naruto, Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba were all evenly spread out from one another, not saying a word. Kiba and Sakura looked anxious, and worried, but that wasn't what made Kakashi uneasy.

It was Naruto and Hinata.

Hinata looked like she was almost on the verge of tears, so frail that the desert wind might just pick her up and carry her away. From how red her eyes were, Kakashi feared that she had cried all night, and had gotten little to no sleep. Kiba was trying to comfort her, trying to get near her just to show that he was there for her even if he didn't know what had happened, but Hinata did not look like she wanted to be comforted. She stood there motionless, and the softness in her eyes had all but evaporated.

Naruto on the other hand, looked terrifying. Sleep had also seemed to have evaded the Uzumaki, and he stood there with matted hair and rough skin, scowling. He was farther apart from all the others, and if it even seemed like they would try to get close to him, Naruto would move away. That smile that could brighten even the darkest of hearts was nowhere to be found, and his eyes showed hurt, and betrayal.

Kakashi knew what had happened.

The Copy Ninja had been so drawn into his thoughts, that he hadn't noticed Gaara going around bidding the others farewell. He simply nodded to Kiba, Sakura, and Hinata, who barely acknowledged him, but when he got to Naruto, he outstretched his hand again.

"It was nice to see you, Naruto."

Naruto stared at the Kazekage's hand, listened to his words as if they were poison, but slowly brought his hand towards Gaara's, and weakly shook it. Gaara stared at Naruto, and although there were no words spoken between the two of them, something had passed from one to the other. Naruto looked away from Gaara, and began walking away without waiting for the others to join him.

Gaara turned his gaze to Kakashi, and the look in his eyes spoke volumes. Naruto was hurting, and Gaara could take a good guess why. He simply nodded to Kakashi, who took it as a request to watch over the others, to make sure things wouldn't get any worse. But Kakashi shook his head, mentally replying that interfering was the very reason this happened in the first place; they would need to let this work itself on its own. Gaara seemed to struggle with the idea for the moment, before nodding slowly. That would have to do. Kakashi waved goodbye, and he and the others went after Naruto. They were no longer in a hurry, like they were when they were coming from Konoha, so Kakashi hoped that the three-day journey would be enough to settle things between the four of them.

* * *

><p>The first day of travel went as well as expected; they had gone as far as they had needed to, and were currently in the process of setting up the camp. Kakashi had Kiba go on guard for the first shift, and was preparing their meal himself while Naruto went off into the woods for more firewood. Not exactly necessary, but Kakashi wasn't a fool; he knew that Naruto just wanted to be alone.<p>

"Can one of you watch this while I go relieve myself?" he asked, pointing to the pot sitting over the fire.

Sakura made a face. "Sure thing Kakashi-sensei, but you don't have to go into detail next time. Just say you need to be excused for a moment or something…" She plopped herself in front of the pot, idly stirring it with one hand. As Kakashi made to go after Naruto, he could feel Hinata's eyes on him. She wasn't saying anything, but he felt like she knew why he was actually wandering out into the middle of the woods.

Kakashi sighed. It was too peaceful of a night for them to all be like this. He had to find Naruto, and at least see if he was willing to talk about what happened. Kakashi had no intention of getting in the middle of this, but maybe if Naruto talked about it out in the open with someone who wasn't involved, maybe he would understand.

He didn't have to look for long. Naruto's bright blonde hair stuck out like a sore thumb, even in the middle of the night. He was sitting on a fallen tree, fiddling with something on the ground.

"Firewood not interesting enough for you?" Kakashi teased, sneaking up behind the Uzumaki. He could see from over Naruto's shoulder that he was holding a stick in his hand, and was tracing something in the dirt. It looked like someone's name, but before Kakashi could make it out through Naruto's deplorable handwriting, he had kicked more dirt over it, erasing the evidence.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto muttered as he tossed the stick into the woods. "What do you want?"

"I'm worried about you, Naruto. I'm worried about _all_ of you."

Naruto chuckled bitterly. "Why? You should already know why I'm upset. You helped, after all…"

Kakashi didn't flinch. He expected Naruto to be like this, and to tell the truth, he had every right to. His eye crinkled upwards.

"You're right. I do know what's going on, and I'm sorry for what I did. You have every right to be angry at me."

Naruto turned to his teacher, his blue eyes searching Kakashi's features. "What…that's it? No excuses, no telling me why you did what you did, and why I shouldn't be mad at you and pretty much _everyone _else?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, but that's because my involvement was minimal. I understood the risks in what they were doing, but chose to help anyway. I chose to help because of how strongly Sakura believed in it."

( watch?v=OLJyeJPu0M8)

"WHY?" Naruto exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Why…why would you do that? I have trust issues, Kakashi-sensei, you know that! Why would you-"

"Because I cared more about you being happy, than you being angry with me."

Naruto stopped, and stared Kakashi down, trying to see if he was telling the truth. Kakashi remained steadfast, and simply sat there, looking about as honest as he could. Naruto scowled, and let his body slide down the trunk of a nearby tree until he was sitting at its base.

"…I know you better than you think, Naruto," Kakashi continued. "You're just as angry with yourself as you are with the others, because you don't _want_ to be angry with them."

Naruto didn't say anything, and looked down at the ground instead of answering him. He was looking at where he had been scribbling into the dust, and Kakashi decided to take a chance.

"…that was Hinata's name you were writing, wasn't it Naruto?" By the way he seized up, Kakashi was right.

"You care for her, Naruto. Even with how angry and confused you are with her right now, you still care about her a great deal. You were happier when you were with her than I've seen you in years."

"And then she has to go and wreck it!" Naruto yelled, bashing the back of his fist against the tree. "…How could she keep something…something like _that_ from me? Everything that happened, everything she and I did…it was a lie."

Kakashi shook his head. "You're wrong."

Naruto angrily raised his head, but the firm tone in Kakashi's voice kept him from lashing out.

"There are some things you can't plan, Naruto. Things you can't fake. The way you looked at her, and the way she looked at you…I haven't seen anything like that since…" He took a deep breath.

"Well, since your mother and father."

This caught Naruto's attention. His head had been buried in his arms, but he brought his gaze to rest on Kakashi once more, who was smiling again.

"I never knew her, your mother…Minato-sensei was with her all the time when we weren't training, and he looked so at peace with himself, I never wanted to interrupt them. But even at that young of an age…I could tell how they felt about each other…"

He suddenly rose, and started heading back to the camp. Naruto remained where he was, staring off into space.

"I'm not telling you that how you're feeling is wrong…" Kakashi called out before he walked out of earshot. "But maybe you should at least hear them out." With that, he left Naruto alone with his thoughts.

"Hear them out, huh..." Naruto muttered to himself, absent-mindedly picking up another stick. He began scribbling on the ground again, and before he knew it, Hinata's name was scrawled out in front of him. His eyes widened, and he angrily kicked his writing away.

Upset was a light word when describing how the blonde felt at that moment. He felt betrayed by his friends, people he thought he could trust. But at the same time, just like Kakashi had said, he felt angry with himself. Was it really that big of an issue? Naruto felt that it was, even if part of his mind argued with that fact.

He shut his eyes. He was constantly trying to his himself of the memory from that night between him and Hinata. Things had been going so…

* * *

><p>"…<em>wh-what?" Naruto asked, separating himself from Hinata. He heard something in her voice…it scared him. Was that…fear?<em>

_Hinata shifted her gaze to the left, unable to bear the sight of Naruto's confusion. He picked himself up, and grabbed ahold of Hinata's hands._

"_Hinata…what did you say?" he asked, pleading with her. His heart was pounding in his chest. Had she said…?_

"_Wh-what happened between us, N-Naruto-kun…well, it didn't exactly h-happen on its own…" Hinata finally managed to spit out, her stutter nearly as bad as it was when she first became a genin._

"_What're you talking about? What do you mean 'didn't happen on its own?" Naruto asked, releasing his grip on Hinata. Her hands instantly felt cold as Naruto's own returned to his side._

"_Well…it's th-that…we…I mean…"_

"_Spit it out!" Naruto demanded, louder than intended. He was surprised by how…angry he sounded, but this was beginning to scare him, and he needed to know the truth._

_Hinata hung her head in shame. "Sakura-san…set you and I up. She planned to put us into situations where you and I would become close…and I…I knew about it."_

_The thickest of silences hung over the air between the two of them, and Hinata had to fight herself to keep from breaking down right then and there. She kept her eyes to the floor, hoping Naruto wouldn't see the shame in her eyes. But minutes passed, and Naruto still hadn't said anything, so Hinata dared to look into his eyes._

_She regretted it in an instant, and the tears that had threatened to fall began to pour down her cheeks._

_Naruto looked…dead. The brilliant glow in his eyes was beginning to fade, their endless blue saturated with a sickly grey color. Even though he was looking in her direction, he wasn't looking at Hinata. He was looking right through her, like she wasn't even there anymore._

"_None of that…was real…" he finally whispered, almost like a question._

_Hinata shook her head furiously. "Naruto-kun, please I…I just wanted to-"_

"_YOU just wanted to? What about what I want?" Naruto yelled. Something snapped in the back of his mind, and he couldn't stop the words from pouring from his mouth. "What about what I wanted, Hinata? I trusted you to be honest with me! I…I trusted you…"_

_He put his back to her, and Hinata wanted to reach out to him. Her fingers grazed his shoulder, and he roughly pulled it away. She could see the ground beneath his feet begin to dampen, and it tore at her soul. Had she really done this…to Naruto?_

"_Naruto-kun…I…"_

"_How could you, Hinata? Both you and Sakura-chan were in on this? How could you do this to me!?"_

"_It…wasn't just Sakura-san and I, Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered wiping her eyes._

_Naruto froze. "…what did you just say?"_

_And so Hinata told him everything, from beginning to end. She told him of Sakura's plan, of the little 'accidents' that were actually her doing, and of everyone's involvement. Naruto's eyes grew wider and wider at each name, and his eyes looked angrier and angrier._

"…_Kakashi-sensei too?" he asked, even though he didn't want to hear the answer._

_Hinata nodded._

"…_even Bā-chan?" he was begging for Hinata to stop, to draw the line somewhere._

_But again, she nodded._

_He suddenly stood, stomping over to the other side of the garden._

"_I…I can't look at you right now…"_

_His words cut Hinata deeply, and she began to cry anew. It was killing her to see Naruto this distraught by the news, especially since she had kept it from him for so long._

"_All this time…all this time you knew about this, and you didn't say anything?"_

"_I wanted to, Naruto-kun, I really did. Please, I-"_

"_DID you? You were…you were the only person I've ever confided in about the issues I have with trusting people…I told you that you were one of the few people in the entire world I trusted entirely…and you keep something like this from me? You were always there for me, Hinata…always someone I could count on. I was beginning to think that maybe I lo-"_

_He stopped himself. That had come out of nowhere, and Naruto quickly pushed it to the back of his mind._

'_Maybe I was wrong…' he thought to himself, looking up at the sky. Even the moon seemed duller than usual. Like the heavens themselves reflected upon his heart._

"_Naruto-kun…"_

_He spun around to face Hinata. She had been walking towards him, arm outstretched, but she pulled back. He looked angry…and she couldn't stop the fear from showing in her eyes. Naruto could see it, and it only made him feel worse._

"_Naruto-kun…please, I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry…" She was begging at this point, begging for him to find it in his heart to forgive her. "Please…I'm sorry for what I did…can you forgive me?"_

"_That's just it, Hinata…I don't know if you are…and I don't know if I can."_

_Hinata couldn't take it anymore. She flung herself at Naruto, but tripped and fell to her knees. She desperately clung to his sleeve, crying into the back of his hand._

"_Please forgive me, Naruto-kun! Please, don't go…I can't…I can't lose you…please…"_

_For a moment, Naruto stood there. He kept his face hidden from Hinata's, buried under the darkness of the moon. Everything had become quiet; the only thing he could hear was Hinata._

"_Please…Naruto…don't go…I l-…lo-"_

_He pulled his hand away before she could finish, and left._

* * *

><p>Naruto kicked at the dirt in front of him. No matter how hard he tried to put it out of his mind, he could only see the look on Hinata's face, and his anger reflected in her eyes. He had avoided her ever since, and every time he saw her out of the corner of his eye, it killed him. It killed him to see her so cold, so lost…but at the same time, he was angry she felt that way. Why should she be sad? She wasn't the one who had had their trust betrayed. She wasn't the one who had been hurt by someone they claimed to have 'loved'.<p>

He thought of what he did to her as well, that night with Sasuke. First he had injured her, and now he found about this…maybe they weren't supposed to be together.

Naruto clenched his teeth in frustration. No matter how angry he thought he was with Hinata, every time the idea that they weren't meant to be popped into his mind, he pushed it out. It was as if he refused to belief something like that, and that only made him all the more confused. Angry with himself, angry with Sakura, angry with Hinata…it was torture.

But what felt worst of all…was that he missed her.

He frowned, not able to find any reason to deny it. He _still_ missed Hinata, being with her and close to her…it had barely been a day, and he felt like this! It was maddening! Was this what being in a relationship was like?

Maybe…maybe Kakashi was right. He had never given Hinata the full opportunity to explain herself, to apologize for what she had done. But now, with what he had done to her, and how he had acted towards her…Naruto didn't think he could face her anymore. He couldn't look her in the eye, and not see her crying because of him. He couldn't look into her heart, and not see the scars from his own two hands.

No…he had to stay away from her for now. Until he could figure out his feelings, he would have to distance himself from her.

He sighed heavily, before wandering back into the camp. He had been alone with his thoughts for several hours now, and wasn't surprised to find the others fast asleep, including Kiba and Akamaru. A little of their dinner sat uneaten in the pot, and as his stomach gurgled, Naruto decided he could at least help himself to something.

Naruto sat there by the dwindling fire, lazily gnawing away at whatever Kakashi had prepared. His mind was too preoccupied to enjoy it, and he stared at the glowing embers until he had eaten his fill. He got up to take over watch, considering Kiba had gone to sleep, but a soft noise stopped him beforehand.

He turned around to find Hinata laying nearby, huddled up in her sleeping bag facing away from him. He felt his eyes drawn to her, despite his current feelings towards her. Just as much as he wanted to yell at her, he wanted to pull her into his arms, and tell her how sorry he was.

"Why can't I get you out of my head…" he muttered to himself, finally gaining the clarity to head up into the trees to keep watch over the rest of his group.

Hinata lay there, crying silently. She had been awake the entire time.

* * *

><p>"Time to get up, everyone."<p>

Kakashi was poking the fire with some fresh kindling as he spoke, trying to start it up again. He was holding another package of rations, and from what the others could guess, was just about to start making breakfast.

Sakura stretched her arms and legs, letting sleep slowly lose its grip over her body. As she got to her feet, she noticed Hinata getting up as well, and her heart went out to the poor girl. She looked like she had barely slept a wink the entire night. She hadn't eaten much last night, and after a few minutes when Kakashi had finished preparations for their breakfast, she refused more than a few mouthfuls for the second time. Hinata just sat there, picking at the meager amount she had placed on her dish, before setting it down, and excusing herself.

"Maybe you should go talk to her," Kakashi said, taking Hinata's plate and cleaning it off. "You're probably the only other one here that she would be willing to talk to, since-"

"Since it's my fault?" Sakura finished bitterly. She felt horrible for what she had done to the two of them, albeit involuntarily, though not nearly as bad as Hinata herself felt.

Kakashi tilted his head to one side. "Well…I wasn't going to word it like _that_, but…listen, you know Naruto in a way no one else does; Hinata could use that right about now."

"But Kakashi-sensei…wasn't interfering what got us into this mess?" she asked, not convinced.

"Yes, but you have to remember that you're just going to be talking to Hinata…if you don't try and convince her to do anything, just get her to talk about what happened, Hinata will hopefully find out on her own what she needs to do."

Sakura thought it over. It certainly sounded like the right thing to do, but…what would Naruto think?

"If you're worried about him…he's been on watch the entire night. He was supposed to have come and woken me up for the last shift, but he seemed to prefer the solitude. I talked to him last night, so hopefully he was using that time to think things over."

Sakura nodded sadly. Naruto was the other person most affected by this, and in the worst way out of all of them. Sakura had promised herself that this was the right thing to do, that this was going to make Naruto happy in the long run….but seeing him like this broke her heart. She never wanted this for him.

"O-okay, Kakashi-sensei…I'll go see what I can do."

Kakashi nodded, satisfied. "Thank you, Sakura. We have some time to spare before we need to get going, so please, don't rush yourself."

"Believe me, Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura called out as she went after Hinata, "That's not what I'm worried about."

Sakura didn't have to look for very long to find Hinata. She just followed the sound of someone crying. She found Hinata hunched over a fallen tree, her face buried in her arms.

"Wh-why…Sakura-san…" Hinata sobbed, surprising Sakura. "Why did I k-keep this from Na-Naruto-kun…"

Sakura smiled sadly, and sat down next to Hinata. She calmly wrapped one arm around her, and patted her on the shoulder, cooing softly to help calm Hinata down. Eventually, Hinata stopped crying, but kept her face hidden.

"To answer your question…because you were scared."

Hinata's head snapped up, and she stared wide-eyed at Sakura, who didn't seem to mind.

"Hinata, that's why I started this whole thing…because I was scared, too. I was scared Naruto would never be happy. He…he puts himself in these situations…he has all his life. I decided back then that I would rather him hate me than to see him unhappy for one more day."

Sakura sighed. "I know he's mad at everyone right now…and he has every right to be. Everyone _except_ you."

"B-but, Sakura-san…" Hinata tried to protest, but Sakura cut her off.

"No buts, Hinata. Yes, you kept this from him, and he has trust issues, I know that…maybe better than anyone else. " She closed her eyes, the vivid memories of the way Naruto acted towards her when she tried to get him to stop trying to save Sasuke filling her mind.

"But you did what you did because you loved him, and wanted to keep him from something that would hurt him. Even if it was the wrong thing to do, you had the right intentions."

Hinata didn't seem convinced. "Sakura-san…with all due respect, he _should _be angry with me. He confided in me, Sakura-san…told me something about the way trusts people that he's never told anyone else. I…I betrayed that trust. I j-just want to talk to him…to tell him how sorry I am…"

Sakura patted Hinata on the shoulder again. "Don't worry, Hinata. Naruto's not the kind of person to hold a grudge against his friends. I think Sasuke is the perfect example of that…if you give him a few days to settle down, he'll at least want to talk to you again."

Hinata wiped her eyes. "Are…are you sure? Do you really think he will?"

"I know so. In fact, if I had to take a guess, I'd bet that the only reason Naruto is still keeping himself away from us right now is that he's angry with himself."

That confused Hinata quite a bit. Naruto…angry with himself? What could he be mad about?

Sakura noticed Hinata's expression, and tried to clear things up. "I think that no matter how you go about it, Naruto will think that what happened to you that night will be his fault. To tell the truth, I feel bad about telling you to keep it from him, because now I realize that it would have been better to tell him that it _wasn't_ his fault. That it was…well, you know whose fault it was."

Hinata nodded. "Y-yes…that's actually how I described it to him. I agree with you."

Sakura seemed surprised, but only for a moment. As she thought about it, she shouldn't be surprised that Hinata came to that conclusion before she herself did. Hinata was becoming close to Naruto in a way that no one had ever before, and it shouldn't be that far-off to consider that maybe Hinata would eventually know Naruto better than anyone, even better than Sakura.

"That's good!" Sakura exclaimed. "So like I was saying, I think that Naruto might be angry with himself, and that's keeping him from patching things up. He feels bad that he acted the way he did, even if it was the way anyone else would, and he feels bad about what he might have said to you."

Hinata looked down at the ground. Was that why Naruto was avoiding her? Was he just having trouble coming to terms with what happened?

"Hinata…is it alright if I ask what happened between you and Naruto that night? I completely understand if you don't-"

"No…it's okay. I th-think it might be good for me to talk about it." Hinata replied, taking a deep breath. And so she relayed what happened between her and Naruto that night, taking care to avoid going into too much detail out of respect for their privacy (especially what they had been doing _before _Hinata had confessed). As she described it, Hinata began to consider what had happened more closely with Sakura's theory. Now that she looked at it this way, Naruto seemed more confused than anything else. He was upset with her, yes…but that didn't seem to be the biggest reason he was angry anymore. It was like he_ was _mad at himself for trying to figure out what to do, and not having anywhere to turn immediately.

"Do you…do you really think that's what's wrong with Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, a small glimmer of hope shining through.

Sakura held her hands up. "I do…but remember, he's still going to be mad at us. I think we need to find a way to show how much we care about him. But I'm not going to say I'm sorry."

"Sakura-san?" Hinata said, confused.

"Me telling Naruto that I'm sorry for what I did implies that I regret it, Hinata."

"But Sakura-san…don't you?"

Sakura shrugged. "I'm sad that it made Naruto like this for a while, but no…I don't regret it. If I hadn't done this in the first place, Naruto might never have seen you for what you are. He might never have asked you out, and he might never have asked you to be his girlfriend. I'd take him being mad at me for the rest of my life if I knew he could be happy with you, Hinata."

Hinata stared wide-eyed at her friend. Did Sakura…mean that? Naruto was her closest friend, the person she could rely on more than anyone else. But Sakura remained firm, and was even smiling at the idea. And for the first time since that night, Hinata returned that smile.

"Th-thank you, Sakura-san…I think I feel a little bit better now."

"That's good to hear! I'd try and talk to Naruto now, but…well, you know." Sakura said sheepishly.

Hinata looked toward the sky. A storm had been brewing for the past few hours of the early morning, but now the clouds seemed to be parting, and the sun was shining through._ 'Naruto-kun…I don't care what Sakura-san says…I'm truly sorry for what I did, and I'll find a way to show you how much I care. I promise…'_

She suddenly rose to her feet, and offered her hand to Sakura.

"Come on, Sakura-san…we'll probably need to be leaving soon."

Sakura smiled again, and graciously accepted Hinata's hand, letting her pull her up. They headed back into the camp to find Kakashi and Kiba finishing off the last of cleaning up. Kakashi briefly lifted his attention to Sakura, who nodded silently. Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled from beneath his mask.

"Alright, I guess we're ready to head out, then. Naruto, let's get going!" Kakashi called out into the woods, and moments later the aforementioned Uzumaki showed himself. They could all tell he was exhausted, but he tried to look as awake as he could. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata staring at him. In a moment of weakness, he full turned to look at her. She looked…peaceful, and happy. Naruto felt his anger and confusion fade away, if only for a moment, and he almost smiled at her.

But, the memories came rushing back at the last second, and Naruto could only feel guilt. All Hinata had tried to do was apologize for what she had done, and Naruto had treated her like scum. It made him feel sick to his stomach, and this was only worsened by the way she was looking at him. It was like she was still trying to show how much she cared for him, even after what he had done to her.

Naruto sighed as the rest of the group prepped themselves for travel. He couldn't take feeling like this anymore; he would need to talk to some people when they got back.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Naruto's in a pretty shitty place, yes? These conversations weren't here to bash anyone or stuff like that, because the way I see it, no one is completely absolved from blame. Arguments could be made for both sides to be justified in what they did, and I think the grey area it creates is a lot more interesting than the stark black/white 'you're wrong and I'm right' stuff. Maybe that's just me, but whatever.

Apart from my apparent sluggishness, the other reason this chapter took a while is because I wanted to make sure it was written well. If there's something still wrong with it, well...I guess I'll just face-palm myself into oblivion.

But if not, and you enjoyed the chapter, words of encouragement and such is always appreciated.

Until next time.


	30. Tsunade's Fury! Naruto is Indecisive!

**Author's Note**: Bam! New Chapter, bitches. I've got a lot to talk about today, so let's get right to it.

At around 10:00 p.m. EST (I'm using American East Coast because that's where I feel a majority of you live.), October 2, this story hit 100,000 views. FUCK. YES. I cannot tell you how happy this makes me, as well as proud. To know that I'm making this many people happy is just a kick-ass feeling, and I hope to do so for a looonng time to come. For those fearing for the story's length, FEAR NOT, as I'm most likely not even halfway.

Next order of business, I want you to know that I'm glad to hear so many of you guys' opinions about the story, and how and where you think it should go from here. I don't hold myself to some pedestal or something that separates me from you, and if I like the suggestion, I'll sure as hell put it in there. I loved talking with you guys about the last chapter (of which several people have PM'd me about), and as for **MrSykes**'s suggestion about Naruto and Hinata going to see Ino, I think I need to find a place to put that into my story! Maybe another omake?

Either way, if there's something you want to talk about, **don't hesitate to PM me**. Seriously, I like seeing those more than I like seeing Reviews now. **But I still like reviews lol.**

This next part is me going to unabashedly promote a story on here. It's not my own, and I have received permission from the author to do so. **Satire and Prose** is writing a Naru-Hina story called **Whispered Confessions**, and it desperately needs some love. I won't lie, I'm an extremely fickle reader, but I love every second of this fic. Instead of tantalizing readers with constant new reveals and power ups, this story is reliant on wonderfully written characters (who stay in character, btw.) and smart dialogue between the them. The coming relationship between Naruto and Hinata is developed at great pace.

I could go on and on, but there's no point when you could just go see for yourself. I won't say it's perfect, because I truly doubt there is any story here that is just that, but it's a wonderful breath of fresh air, and a great read nonetheless. Just so you fully understand how committed I am to making sure more people read that story, I have toyed with the idea of holding the next chapter of _my_ story off until I see a certain review cap met. (This is most like an empty threat, but STILL!)

Go read it. NOW. Now now now now now now now.

Lastly, I doubt that you guys need a summary for what happened last chapter, as I can imagine it left a pretty decent imprint. So let's just get to it!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 12 - Tsunade's Fury! Naruto is Indecisive.<strong>

"You ever wonder if like, we're just dreaming all the time and when we like, die…we wake up? Maybe enter a second, new reality?"

"…"

"Did you hear me? I asked if you've ever wondered-"

"I heard you, okay! I'm just _choosing_ to ignore you…"

Kotetsu and Izumo on guard duty once again, keeping an ever-vigil eye on the horizon, on the lookout for all manner of scum and villainy. Kotetsu was trying (and failing) to keep himself awake, while Izumo was idly flipping through a magazine.

Okay, so maybe _ever-vigil _isn't the best way to describe their performance that day, but in their defense…it was _really_ boring.

Not a single visitor to the gate, in or out, for at least a few days. Some recent mysterious weather kept most travelers in their homes until they could figure out where the rains were coming from, leaving the two chūnin only to each other's company. And since the only reason they were there in the first place was because Kotetsu accidently sneezed all over Tsunade's paperwork that she had yet to look over, conversation wasn't exactly lively.

"Fine…how about this?" Kotetsu said aloud scribbling onto a scrap of paper. "What if we're all-?"

"Would you just give it a rest already?" Izumo complained, restarting the same article for about the fifth time. "Jeez, you sound like one of those drug addicts that sit alongside the main road at tourist towns, begging for money by sharing your 'knowledge'."

Kotetsu frowned. "Fine then! Maybe I should just keep my philosophical breakthroughs to myself!"

"Good, whatever. I don't care…" Izumo replied, turning the next page.

Silence for the next few minutes. Kotetsu tried to occupy himself with everything he could think of; trying to find shapes in the clouds, listening for animals and naming what they were…he even tried to amuse himself with a game of 'I Spy with my Shinobi Eye', but that ended up nowhere, just like everything else. He sat in his chair, swiveling back and forth while his legs dangled, and sighed repeatedly. He 'swiveled' a little too fast at one point, and in his attempts to keep himself from falling to the floor, sent a small stack of paperwork scattering. Izumo rolled his eyes while Kotetsu started picking the papers up off of the ground, but noticed he was staring at one in particular.

"What's that? The order that gives me a new partner?" he asked, leaning over to take a peek. Kotetsu snatched it away from him, scurrying over to the side of the hut that sat just inside the main gate of the village.

"Oh come on! Lemme see what you were looking at!" Izumo complained. Kotetsu just stuck his tongue out, folding it and putting it in his jacket.

"And why should I? What, _now_ you're interested in what I have to say? Well…too bad! Nyah!"

A vein throbbed in Izumo's head at Kotetsu's childish antics (even though he was acting no more his age than his partner was), and insisted he get to see what Kotetsu was looking at. Another refusal on his part, and soon the two of them were chasing each other around the guardsmen's post, flailing their arms like a pair of unsupervised children.

"Lemme see it!"

"No! Go away!"

"As if! Just let me see what you were looking at, and this'll all be over!"

"Never!"

There was a brief scuffle, and when the dust cleared, Izumo had tackled Kotetsu, and was keeping him pinned to the ground. This didn't deter Kotetsu in the slightest from continuing to try and keep the document away from his partner, but the awkward angle his arm was being stretched in left him little room to maneuver, and soon Izumo had triumphed, waving the paper in victory.

"Let's see here…wait, is this Naruto's name?" Izumo asked, knocking on Kotetsu's head.

"Ow…ow! Yes, it is, okay! It's Naruto's name! We're supposed to send him to Tsunade-sama when he gets back! Ow! WOULD YOU STOP THAT?"

"What about me?"

Kotetsu and Izumo both froze at the same time. Their heads slowly turned in the direction of their voice, and upon seeing Naruto and the others he had brought along had in fact returned, and were currently staring at the two chūnin, nearly fainted from embarrassment. Kakashi was watching him with his visible eye, amusement evident in the look on his face.

Naruto was staring at the piece of paper they had just spent the past five minutes fighting over, trying to make out what was written on it. He squinted and leaned forward, and Izumo finally realized what he was after.

"Oh, sorry! Let me just take a look for you…yeah, it says here that we have direct orders to send you immediately to Tsunade's office upon your return."

Naruto seemed confused. "Well, _yeah_…that's what we're supposed to-"

"No, Naruto…this is different. It says here that she _just_ wants you in her office. No one else right now. They can begin setting up their report, but you need to get going."

The blonde looked off towards the Hokage's office in the distance with a slight feeling of apprehension. "What makes you say I need to hurry?"

Izumo shrugged. "No idea. I just have a feeling that whenever she had this drawn up, Tsunade-sama wasn't in the best of moods."

"Yeah, this thing just screams 'prepare yourself for bodily harm' Tsunade…" Kotetsu added, looking over then handwriting.

Izumo elbowed Kotetsu in the gut, muttering something about 'not making it any better', but Naruto didn't hear either of them. He swallowed the lump that had grown in his throat, all too aware of why Tsunade wanted him and him alone in her office. This was most likely going to hurt.

"I guess I better get going, then…" he said aloud, stalking off towards his apparent doom. Kotetsu heard something in the way Naruto spoke, and watched him go with a bit of concern.

He turned to Kakashi and the others. "Naruto seems a little..._off_. Is everything alright? Did something happen on your surprise mission to the Sand?"

Kakashi sighed, shaking his head. "You have no idea…" That was all he was willing to offer, and once he began to leave, Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba were on their way too. Once again, Kotetsu and Izumo only had each other for company.

"Okay, so…new idea. What if we're all-"

"Would you shut up!?"

* * *

><p>With every step he took closer to the Hokage's office, Naruto felt more and more nervous. There could only be one reason why Tsunade was willing to put off giving a report for such an important mission, and it was a violent one at that. As he made his way through the hallways and staircases, the other people who worked in the building whispered to each other in hushed tones, and he could feel their eyes upon them. They were worried for his safety, which only made him all the more afraid.<p>

But even though he had been walking as slowly as possible, and had purposely taken a wrong turn once or twice, there was nowhere left where he could waste time, and was now standing outside the Hokage's office. A shaky hand rose up to knock on the door, but something stopped him.

"…_Naruto?"_ he thought he heard someone from the other side of the door say.

"Yeah, it's-" Before he could finish his sentence, a hand shot through the thick wooden door, grabbing him by the collar, and yanked him through. He didn't have any time to react before he was thrown against the wall, cracking it in several places. He grunted in pain, but that didn't stop Tsunade from shoving her foot on top of his throat.

"Well well well…look who decided to come back! If you were smart, you would have just abandoned the village, and found some cave to hide in for the rest of your life!" Tsunade looked positively livid, but even Naruto could tell that she was actually holding back.

"Good to see you too…" Naruto muttered, earning him a nice bruise across the back of his head.

"Don't you _dare_ say another word, you little brat!" Tsunade yelled, picking Naruto up and chucking him across the room again. This time he was headed towards the window, but Tsunade was fast enough to stop him in mid-air, grabbing onto his foot and slamming him into the ground. That knocked the wind out of Naruto, and he winced as he felt a few ribs groan under the stress.

"You're going to sit there and listen to what I have to say," Tsunade said quietly, growling. "Otherwise, I'll make sure you stay a genin forever! You got that?"

Naruto nodded once, not having enough room to do anything else.

"Good…" Tsunade took another breath, and then exploded. "Just what the hell were you thinking? Going out in the middle of the desert on a hunch, a _hunch,_ that Sasuke was out there! You could have gotten yourself, and your teammates, killed!"

"But it wasn't a hunch!" Naruto protested, 'Pakkun said he saw Sasuke fighting with some guy!"

Tsunade pressed her foot onto Naruto's neck again, pushing down with much more force than necessary to keep him still. "I don't care if the entire goddamn Land of Wind saw him! How _dare_ you go over my head just to chase after him! You ought to be removed from your shinobi duties right now! For life!"

She slid Naruto across the floor, who only came to a halt when his skull bounced off of the wall. He sat there, rubbing his head while Tsunade continued her tirade.

"I don't know what the hell was going through your mind, but you should feel ashamed of yourself! Forcing Kakashi to go with you because he was worried about your safety is bad enough, but you dragged Hinata and Kiba into this? They're not even involved! What if you had gotten them killed? That would be on _your_ head!"

"You think I didn't realize that!?" Naruto yelled back, forgetting his inhibitions. "But I couldn't let Sasuke get away this time! He was attacking someone in another country, Bā-chan! I can't let him go running around free anymore!"

Tsunade's face turned red. "Y…_YOU _can't let him go? I don't ever remember giving you the sole authority of dealing with this, Naruto! Sasuke is an international criminal now, meaning he's fair game for anyone who wants to deal with him! You can't just go running off after him like it's your personal duty to stop him!"

Naruto angrily looked away. He wanted to argue with Tsunade, protest that it was more of his responsibility to stop Sasuke than it was anyone else's, but he kept his mouth shut.

"And what's worse is what happened to Hinata! Rumors spread, Naruto, and now there's talk of the Leaf Village letting its jinchūriki run wild when he can't control himself! You _do_ remember the Akatsuki are still after you, don't you?"

Now that stung. Naruto hung his head in shame, the memories of Hinata's injury, and their fight, rushing back. He sat there, with gritted teeth, feeling as low as he could go.

From where she was standing, Tsunade stared at Naruto. She had noticed his change in demeanor as soon as she had brought up Hinata, and no matter how angry she could be with the blonde, she couldn't stop herself from being worried as well.

"Yes, Naruto…I heard about that. I _did_ keep in contact with the Kazekage, you know. I know you feel bad about Hinata, but this is what happens when you go looking for trouble."

"You _know_ I feel bad?" Naruto growled back. "What the hell do you know about how I feel? How the _hell_ would ANY of you know what it's like to go through what I went through! Do you know what I said to her? Do you know the way she looked at me?"

He smashed his fist against the wall, his face as red as Tsunade's. "I feel like I used her to get to Sasuke! I didn't even realize it until _after _I hurt her! And then she…we…dammit!" His knuckles were white with how tightly he clenched his hands together, and angry tears began to well up in his eyes.

"What kind of person am I…? What kind of friend _does_ that? What kind of _boyfriend _does that?..."

Tsunade's gaze softened. She didn't know what happened between Naruto and Hinata aside from what Gaara told her, but from the way Naruto was talking about it, something bad had happened.

"I don't deserve her…I don't deserve anyone…not when I can't even control it…"

"Naruto, that's enough!"

Naruto hadn't realized Tsunade had gotten close to him until she was just inches away. She still looked angry, but for different reasons. She kneeled down to look him in the eye.

"What you did…was incredibly stupid, Naruto. It was brash, headstrong, and very, _very_ wrong."

Naruto looked away in shame, but Tsunade brought his eyes back to hers. "But they went with you for a reason. They're _shinobi_ for a reason…they understood the risks the moment you mentioned Sasuke was involved."

"Yeah, but-"

"No. Buts." Tsunade's voice was low, daring Naruto to speak out against her again. He didn't.

"Hinata cares for you more than she could _ever_ be afraid of getting hurt, Naruto. She cares for you so much that it only hurts her when you act like she's some fragile thing that needs to be protected. She knows what she's doing, Naruto."

"Then why did she keep what you and Sakura-chan and everyone else did from me…" Naruto muttered to himself.

"Ahh, so you know about that," Tsunade said simply, wandering over to her desk. "Well, I don't see why you should be upset about it. We were only trying to make you happy."

"By lying to me? By making something fake seem like it was real?" Naruto questioned, feeling his temper rise again.

"Naruto, imagine someone drags you along to something you didn't want to do, like _really_ didn't want to do. But if you end up having fun, does the fact that you didn't know you would make it not real? Does it mean you have to deny that you ended up having fun in the first place?" Tsunade replied cryptically. Naruto just stared at her, completely lost.

"What I _mean_ by that is that even though it may have started in a way you don't like, it doesn't make what happened after fake. Are you really telling me that you were _never _truly happy when you were with Hinata? That now that you know the truth, everything that you felt about her is a lie?"

Naruto stopped to consider Tsunade's words for a moment. Everything he felt when he had been with Hinata, everything they had said and done…they weren't fake, were they? He had been so happy when he was with Hinata…was he really saying that all that didn't meaning anything just because Naruto was angry with how it all started? He didn't know if he could accept that.

"Honestly, Naruto…that's nothing to be upset about. I'm sorry we snuck behind your back about this, but if it made you finally see Hinata for who she is, I'd have done it a thousand times over. Don't let something like this get between the two of you."

And that was the very problem. Over the past few days, Naruto slowly felt his anger overtaken by guilt and shame, and Tsunade's words only affirmed his fears. He hadn't acted the way he should have, and now all of his friends thought he hated them. Hinata had only tried to apologize to him, had only tried to make things right…could he really blame her for that? And Sakura…all she had done, and had been doing for a long time now, was try and make him happy. Naruto felt like scum for the way he had acted, and Tsunade picked up on it.

"…I know you feel bad about this, but kicking yourself isn't the way to solve it. You and Hinata had something too special to let it be ruined by something like this. What's important now, what will always be the most important thing in a relationship, is for you and Hinata to _move on_."

She had crossed the room again, but this time she held her hand out for Naruto to accept, and pulled him to his feet.

"You can't forget that even after what happened, we all still care about you, Naruto. That's not going to change. If you think that we manipulated you, that we put you in a position you wished you had been aware of, you have every right to be upset. But just as much as you do, we have every right to be proud of where that got you."

For the first time in a few days, Naruto smiled. It was small, and maybe it could have been a little more genuine, but it was a smile nonetheless. Tsunade turned around and starting fiddling with some paperwork.

"Now, I can't let this go, as you can well understand. No one will be receiving any pay from this mission, and you are on probation for the next month."

Naruto was about to protest, despite the look in Tsunade's eyes that dared him to argue. He could understand that he would be punished, but did she have to punish the others too?

"I know what you're thinking. Regardless of if it was to keep you safe or not, they went with you on their own free will. I can't let that slide, so _no_ arguments. You're lucky you're getting off with just that."

Naruto rubbed his bruised ribs, wondering if he really _was_ that lucky. When he looked at Tsunade again, she was smiling at him.

"I'm glad you came home safely, Naruto…_all _of you. That's what counts. We'll deal with the paperwork later, so for now, just head home and get some rest, alright?"

"Thanks, Bā-chan," Naruto said softly, heading for the door. He heard Tsunade snort from behind him.

"Yeah yeah…just get out before I feel like beating you senseless again."

Naruto heeded her advice, and scurried out of the office as quickly as possible.

* * *

><p>Making sure he was really gone, Tsunade sighed, slumping down into her seat.<p>

"You can come out now, Kakashi." The Copy ninja emerged from the shadows, a wry smile evident under his mask.

"Seems I'm getting a little rusty, Tsunade-sama," he said simply, hands in his pockets.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Well good for you, then. You'll have plenty of time to catch up since you won't be going anywhere for a while."

Kakashi nodded. "That seems fair enough. I'll just call it an extended vacation or something. It'll do us some good."

Tsunade sighed again. "What do you want, Kakashi? You know I don't like it when you just barge into my office."

"Of course, Tsunade-sama. I was just concerned for Naruto's safety, is all."

The Godaime Hokage snorted. "Please…I'm not some ruthless tyrant. Naruto's going to be a little sore for a few days, but that boy needed to get into his head that what he did was wrong."

Kakashi nodded silently. Of course she was right; Naruto stepped over his boundaries, and while Tsunade chose an unorthodox method of showing him the error of his ways, Kakashi had a feeling that Naruto wouldn't try anything like that ever again.

"Why is he so upset about this, Kakashi?" she asked, throwing her hands up. "To tell the truth, I would have guessed Naruto would have been ecstatic at the idea that we all wanted him to be happy."

"I agree with you, Tsunade-sama, I really do…but you have to consider Naruto's perspective."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at Kakashi's words. "What do you mean by that?"

Kakashi wandered over to the chair sitting on the other side of Tsunade's desk, plopping down into it.

"Well, just think about it. Naruto grew up without anyone around to show him what a relationship is or how to handle your feelings when you care for someone that way. The only thing he knows is friendship, and when he feels that all of his friends have lied to him in some way or the other, he's bound to be hurt about it."

Tsunade sighed through closed teeth. Kakashi had a knack for pointing things like that out _after_ everything was said and done.

"Like I said, I still agree that maybe Naruto overreacted a little, but he has every right to at least be upset with us, just as we have no right to act like we did no wrong. I feel that the best thing we can do, is show him that we're sorry for what we did, but not sorry for what it did _for_ him."

"Do you think he'll ever come around?" Tsunade asked. "He can be a little stubborn sometimes, and Hinata isn't the most confrontational of people."

Kakashi chuckled. "To be honest, Tsunade-sama, I think that Sakura will get to Naruto first. Something tells me that that girl won't be able to take seeing Naruto unhappy for very long. It might take some time, but I feel that everything will work out in the end."

"I certainly hope so, Kakashi…I certainly hope so."

They sat in silence for several minutes, letting each other's words soak in. Tsunade felt bad for having ignored Naruto's viewpoint on the situation, and heart went out to him. It must be hard, not having any family you could go to with questions about love, and she wished he was still here, so that she could tell him that she would be there whenever he needed her, but what was in the past was past. Tsunade was not going to show weakness by offering something like that to Naruto right after she punished him, regardless of how much she wanted to. There would be a time when she could tell Naruto, and she could be patient enough to wait for that time to come.

Kakashi, on the other hand, seemed to be a little bit nervous. He didn't show it in a physical way, but Tsunade could tell something was wrong nonetheless.

"What is it now, Kakashi?" she questioned, hoping Kakashi wasn't struggling with what she thought he was.

"You have to tell him, Tsunade. We can't keep this from him anymore."

Tsunade sighed. Yep, it had been _exactly_ what Tsunade hoped it wouldn't be. "Yes…I know. How on earth are we going to break something like _that_ to him, though?"

"You just threw Naruto around like a ragdoll with the reason that he needed to handle situations more maturely. I think he'll be ready to handle it when the time comes."

"Fine, but not until I've looked over the information extensively. This isn't something I want to have even the slightest doubt over. What all did you find?"

Kakashi reached behind him, pulling out a rather large file. "More than we expected to find, that's for sure. Everything Gaara-sama told you about can be found in those files. All except for one detail, but that's something I can handle on my own."

Tsunade seemed concerned. "You sure about that, Kakashi? I don't want to make any mistakes here."

"You'll have more than enough if you stick to that, Tsunade-sama. What I'll be doing is just a little experiment, that's all."

Tsunade didn't really like the sound of that, but she was already swamped with work to do, and decided to grant her trust to Kakashi to handle this mystery lead himself.

"Very well. But if you run into trouble, you bring it straight here. This information can't get out to anyone but who we say it can, okay?"

Kakashi nodded. "Of course, Tsunade-sama. You have my word."

"Then you're dismissed. Unless you want to help me sort through all of this?" she asked, lifting her eyes.

She was talking to a puff of smoke. Tsunade rolled her eyes, as well as her sleeves. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>Naruto wandered aimlessly down the streets of the village, uncaring of where his legs took him. People called out to him, saying hello and praising his and his friends' safe return, and he replied to them, but only out of courtesy. He was in no mood to accept all of the villager's praise and affection right now.<p>

He reflected on Tsunade's words. While the ruthless beating wasn't exactly the most helpful thing in the world, he felt that it still granted him a few moments of clarity, especially in the case of how he should handle his current predicament, and decided to use it until it faded away.

'_I know you feel bad about this, but kicking yourself isn't the way to solve it. You and Hinata had something too special to let it be ruined by something like this.'_

Was that right? Could they really just let something like this go? If it was really like that, that meant that what happened wasn't a big deal, and that Naruto overreacted, and that only made him feel worse. It made him feel selfish, because he found himself missing Hinata more and more with every passing second. He wanted apologize for the way he had acted, and make everything alright between the two of them, but he felt so ashamed of what happened that he didn't want to face her. He felt that he couldn't.

Naruto picked up an empty can lying in the middle of the street, before chucking it into a nearby alley. He heard the loud crash when it collided with a dumpster, and sighed. This sucked. He wanted to see Hinata at the same time that he didn't want to face her. How the hell are you supposed to get past something like that?

Without even realizing it, he found that his feet had carried him across the village, and led him straight to the one place he could find comfort in; Ichiraku.

"Naruto! Good to see you!" He heard Teuchi say as he popped up into his regular stool. 'What can I get you?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno, old man…why don't you just surprise me this time?"

Teuchi nodded to Ayame who began filing Naruto's order, before turning back to the blonde.

"Something's eating at you. I can tell. Come on, Naruto, I can't have my best customer in a bad mood."

"Old man…do you ever have girl problems?"

Teuchi laughed at the question. "Hahaha, of course I do! I'm married aren't I?" Ayame briefly turned around to slap him in the back of the head at the remark, but he didn't seem too upset about it.

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I should have known…what am I supposed to do? I want to see her, but at the same time I don't think I can face her. You ever have that problem?"

Teuchi was considering it, but to both of the men's surprise, it was Ayame who answered.

"Naruto, that sounds completely ridiculous. Just go see her. If it's who I think it is, she wants to see you just as badly, no matter what you did."

But Naruto shook his head. "That's just it. You don't _know_ what I did…"

Ayame turned around to look Naruto in the eye, putting her hands on her hips.

"You didn't hurt her, did you Naruto?"

From the way he avoided her eyes, Ayame got her answer. She sighed heavily. "Well…sometimes it just can't be avoided. The best thing you can do is apologize to her. I have a feeling she'll be happy to accept."

"You don't know the full story!" Naruto complained. "She hurt me first! Except…I'm starting to think that I may have overreacted."

"Was it something you feel strongly about?" Ayame asked.

Naruto nodded.

"Then you have nothing to worry about. Hinata is a smart girl; she knows that if she hurts someone's feelings, it doesn't matter if they think the reasons are trivial. What's important is that the two of you _move on_."

'_That's the same thing Bā-chan said…'_ Naruto thought to himself, before shaking his head.

"I don't know if it's the 'two' of us, anymore…" Naruto said sadly, resting his head on his hands. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he regretted them. He didn't want to think about that now. He didn't want to think about that at all.

"That doesn't sound good…" Ayame said, worried for her friend. This Naruto wasn't the happy-go-lucky Naruto she knew. This was a Naruto lost on how to handle his feelings, and Ayame was worried she wouldn't be able to snap him out of it.

"Maybe a third opinion would help?" they heard a voice from behind them say. Naruto craned his neck to greet the newcomer, and couldn't help but smile when he saw who it was.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka sat down in the stool next to Naruto silently nodded to Teuchi that he'd have whatever Naruto was having.

"Is something wrong Naruto? By now you'd have a whole stack of bowls next to you."

Naruto lazily let his chopsticks fall into his bowl, and some broth splashed him in the face, not that he cared. He tried to tell Iruka was what wrong, but was finding it extremely hard to find a place to start.

Iruka smiled. "It's okay, Naruto…just start at the beginning."

This time, Naruto found the words he needed, and told Iruka everything. His rushing to stop Sasuke, when he hurt Hinata, the backlash he received from Tsunade just earlier today…he didn't leave out a single detail. He was tired of being unsure of how to handle this thing with Hinata, and if Iruka couldn't help him figure out what to do, no one could. He went on and on, even going back a few times to make sure he didn't forget anything, and it was only until he realized that he had been bragging about Hinata for the past 4 minutes that he finally stopped talking. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, but Iruka didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was laughing.

"It's alright, Naruto…it just sounds to me like you need to see her again. Trust me, what's important for the two of you is that you move on."

"Heh...you're the third person to tell me that, Iruka-sensei. But how do I do that?" Naruto asked. "I feel really bad about what I did, and I'm afraid she'll be mad at me!"

Iruka gave Naruto a funny look. "Naruto…have you even _seen _Hinata angry?"

Now Naruto felt silly. Of course he hadn't; he wasn't even sure if Hinata _could_ get angry. He'd seen her serious before, but actually mad…Naruto couldn't think of anything.

"Trust me, Naruto…Hinata wants to see you just as much as you want to see her. Just go find her, and talk to her. I'm sure everything will work out."

For one of the extremely rare occurrences, Naruto didn't feel like eating ramen anymore. But it wasn't because he felt sad, or angry. It was because he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He threw down some money to pay for his meal, and sprinted off in the direction of the Hyūga estate, hoping that Hinata would be there.

Teuchi whistled. "Iruka…I don't know how you manage to reach the kid like you do."

Iruka just smiled again, taking another mouthful of his own ramen. "Trust me, Teuchi-san…there's no secret to it or anything. I'm sure the advice you gave him was just as good as mine. Naruto just needs to hear it several times before it sets in, that's all."

The three laughed, and gave a silent little prayer that everything between Naruto and Hinata worked out. After all, just like Kakashi had said, they hadn't seen a bond between two people that powerful in a very long time.

* * *

><p>"I see…and this happened two days ago?"<p>

"Yes. She's recovering well for an injury of that magnitude, but there is some scarring."

"…very well. You're dismissed."

The chūnin bowed as he excused himself from the Hyūga compound, leaving Hiashi alone in the dark hallway. He didn't make a sound or move a muscle; instead slowly digested the information he had just been given. Suddenly, he could hear the front door open and shut from where he was standing, and he turned around to find Hinata nearly running into him.

"O-Otō-san!" she squeaked, "I'm sorry! I guess I wasn't looking where I was going."

Hiashi nodded silently, and Hinata had a sneaking suspicion that he hadn't listened to a word she had said. He was staring at her shoulder, and Hinata nervously pulled her jacket tighter around her body.

"Well…I'm going to bed. G-goodnight, Otō-san." Although she had been expecting for her father to yell at her for leaving the village unannounced, he didn't seem to have that on his mind, or maybe wasn't even aware of it. Thanking her luck, Hinata scurried towards her room, and Hiashi once again became the only person standing in the hallway. He had watched her go, and even stared at the spot where he last saw his daughter before she turned the corner. There was something in his eyes…neither curiosity…nor confusion.

It was fear. Fear…and rage.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>That...that does most likely not bode well for our favorite couple. I wonder what will happen next!

Anyway, I think the next chapter is going to be a little bit longer coming, mainly because I want to take a short break and work on **Collateral Luck** for a bit (which, if you haven't seen, feel free to check it out! It's the other story I'm writing, and is more humor oriented). This only means that I want to write just another chapter for it, so I assure you that it won't be long of a wait.

In the meantime, DO AS I SAY, and go read **Whispered Confessions** by **Satire and Prose**. DOOOO EEEET.

Until next time.


	31. Sakura vs Naruto! Anger Rears Its Head!

**Author's Note:** Greetings and Salutations, everyone!_  
><em>

-So I've been thinking: the vast majority of you probably don't give a rat's ass about the Restrospects, and that's okay with me. For those that _do_ care, however, I think I'm gonna restructure the whole idea. Instead of clogging up my profile with all of it, I'll wait until the end of the Book as a whole, and just find somewhere to stick it where people can find it. Maybe it's because I was getting lazy with them anyway, but whatevah.

-I'd also like to get something clear. Many of you suggested or joked that Hiashi was gonna go ape-sh*t on Naruto after he found out what happened to his daughter. Sorry to break it to you, but that isn't going to happen. I'm more of a stickler for being in-character than anything else, and Hiashi has never shown any semblance of a temper. That could be attributed to his lack of appearances, but I still don't think he would react that way. He'd certainly be angry, and he _will_ be doing something about it, but it's not like he could just beat the crap out of Naruto for no reason. Tsunade decides how everything works in the village, and she punished the others for their mishap in the Land of Wind with what she felt was necessary. If Hiashi reacted that way, that would be unnecessary, and he would be punished more severely. Tension will mount between the two, but not in such a clumsy way.

But that doesn't mean I think your opinions are wrong, instead I only think they're different. They've given me an idea for a future plot point, so we'll just have to wait and see if that gets added.

-So a few days ago, I set a new goal for this story. First and foremost is to write a story that lots of people enjoy, but this new goal came about when I noticed that all the top stories when listed by # of Reviews or Favorites are almost _entirely _Pre-Shippuden Naruto-gets-help-from-some-uber-powered-guy. Not saying there's anything wrong with that, but what I DO have a problem with, is that most of them have gone unfinished. I know they have their reasons, but it still makes me sad.

So anyway, this new goal is to show everyone out there that Post-Shippuden stories can be just as epic and awesome as all the Pre ones. I also make a promise that I won't abandon this story no matter how long it takes me to finish.

-Wayyy to much to ramble on about today. I'll shut up and get to the chapter now.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 13 - Sakura vs. Naruto! Anger Rears Its Head!<strong>_  
><em>

_Beep_!

_Beep!_

_Beep!_

The alarm continued to bother its master, before a single hand emerged from the cocoon of sheets and pillows, and just about smashed the clock to pieces in their attempt to get it to shut up. Silence was restored, and the hand withdrew back inside the 'nest'. The sheets began to rustle about, and Naruto Uzumaki fell to the floor, too lazy to have kept himself from falling. He groaned into the floorboards, wishing he could just lie there all day. But there was a reason he had set his alarm, and if he wasn't on time, Tsunade would have his head.

He forced himself to his feet, and like a zombie, shuffled into the kitchen to make something to eat. He didn't have much an appetite though.

He spotted some cereal in the back of his cupboard. It was out of date, had been for almost a month, but Naruto didn't care, and dumped it into a bowl he had fished out of the sink. Some milk to top it off, and Naruto had _something_ akin to a meal. He plopped his body into the nearest chair, and lazily began spooning the food into his mouth.

Naruto hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night. He was starting to fear that he was becoming an insomniac, but deep down, he knew why sleep had evaded him yet again. It had been on his mind non-stop since last night.

* * *

><p><em>Naruto was actually in a semi-good mood. It had to be beaten into his head by three different people, but he finally accepted that he should at least talk to Hinata, and see what came next. He left straight from Ichiraku to the Hyūga compound, hoping to catch Hinata there. One foot after another, and he felt his confidence grow with every step.<em>

_He thought of what to say to her. Should he start with an apology? Maybe, but that depended on if Hinata thought he overreacted or not. Some felt he had, and others felt he was justified, and Naruto was stuck right in the middle of which was the right one, and it was starting to give him a headache. What if he instead just asked her what she thought of all of this? Yeah, that seemed like it would work! He could hear her side of the story, and base his decision off of that! If that didn't work, nothing would._

_The last corner in his trip behind him, and the Hyūga compound came into view. Naruto lost the last trace of fear that he had been harboring on his way there, and strode confidently up the front door, knocking several times. He tapped his foot impatiently for several seconds, before someone opened the door. Unfortunately, it was the last person Naruto wanted it to be.  
><em>

"_Uzumaki-san…is there something I can help you with?" Hiashi asked, keeping his tone level. Naruto squinted at him for a moment, suspicious of something he thought he had seen in Hiashi's eyes. He couldn't pin down what it was, but Naruto felt uncomfortable from the moment Hiashi answered the door, and squirmed in his place on the stoop._

"_Heya, Pops…" he said nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "I was wondering if Hinata was here? I need to talk to her about something important."_

_Hiashi looked the boy up and down, and Naruto got the same feeling he had earlier, though it was stronger this time. Naruto hoped he hadn't said something wrong._

"_Hinata isn't taking any guests right now. You'll have to come back another time."_

_Naruto's face immediately fell. That was unexpected, to say the least. But Naruto was tenacious if anything, and wasn't about to give up just yet._

"_Are you sure? I really need to talk to Hinata about something. If I could just see her for a quick second…" He stood on his tip-toes to try and see over Hiashi, hoping there could be some chance that he would catch Hinata walking through the hallway. But Hiashi almost seemed to purposely get in the way of Naruto's view, grunting to reacquire the blonde's attention._

"_Hinata cannot see anyone right now. She is still recovering from her injury. I hoped you would have realized that by now, Uzumaki-san. I must attend to her, so I must cut this conversation short. Goodbye." Without another word, Hiashi shut the door in Naruto's face, and briskly headed back inside the confines of the Hyūga compound._

_Naruto stared at the door, mouth halfway open. His mind was slowly taking in what had just happened, and as soon as it set in, Naruto was finding it hard to stand on his own. He fell against the door, letting his back slide down the heavy wooden frame until he was sitting outside, staring at the ground._

_Why did even think she wanted to talk to him in the first place. Naruto was no fool; he could tell that Hiashi was avoiding telling Naruto the truth, not telling him that Hinata didn't want to see him. And after the way he had acted, he felt that he couldn't blame her._

_He gritted his teeth in frustration, cursing himself. Why did he have to go and screw everything up with Hinata? He had been so happy with her, so at peace…_

_"__**Let go of love. A monster cannot be loved, and never will be loved.**_

_Naruto didn't know where those words came from, but they burned themselves into his mind, and he could think of nothing else. It was from one of his nightmares, Naruto realized, that these words came from. Some of the Kyūbi's taunting words as he tormented Naruto in his sleep. Why did he remember them now, of all times?_

_Naruto sighed heavily, barely having the strength to pick himself back up. He wandered back to his own home, discouraged and emotionally bruised._

_Maybe the reason the Kyūbi's words came to him now…was because Naruto was starting to think that they were true._

* * *

><p>Naruto couldn't get these thoughts out of his head no matter how hard he tried, and it only pushed him further into a sour mood. Every step he took towards his destination felt like a pain in the ass, but if he neglected this and Tsunade found out, he really <em>would<em> have a pain in his ass. That's assuming there would be anything left _of_ his ass to be in pain.

He scowled. He knew Tsunade had assigned him to hospital duty on purpose as part of his probation. He couldn't go on any missions for quite some time, but just lazing around taking up space was not how the Godaime Hokage envisioned Naruto spending it, and so she decided that it was best to send him to help out at the hospital wherever needed. It didn't take someone with a brain like Shikamaru to figure out that they were going to stick him with Sakura, whether she needed the help or not, just to provoke him.

His attitude towards Sakura was different that his towards Hinata. Hinata had kept something like this from him, sure, but Sakura was the one who came up with the plan in the first place. She had been full aware of what he thought when people lied to him, and the fact that she just casually disregarded it made his temper flare. He hadn't hurt her, hadn't done anything to provoke her, so why should he feel so apologetic towards her like he did towards Hinata? Maybe that he was dating the Hyūga princess had something to do with it, but Naruto didn't want to give Sakura anything to defend herself with. He hadn't gotten his thoughts sorted out regarding her just yet, so he decided to just try and make this go as smoothly as possible.

The door for the hospital swung open, and Naruto meandered inside, up to the front desk.

"Hey. Bā-chan sent me here," he said plainly, picking at his ear. The nurse on the other side of the counter put some papers she had been looking through to the side, giving Naruto her full attention.

"Ahh, yes…she said you'd be coming! She also said we can send you anywhere we need help, so please hurry down to the urgent care. Haruno-san would greatly appreciate having another pair of hands down there."

Naruto snorted. No surprises there, but that little tidbit about the 'urgent care' made him a bit worried. He turned on his heels, and headed in the direction the nurse pointed him in. He didn't really have much of an idea of where he was going, but he could hear frantic shouting echoing down the hallways, and figured he must be heading in the right direction. When he pushed open a pair of double doors, and was nearly knocked off of his feet, he knew why they had sent him here.

Doctors and nurses of every kind were racing back and forth, holding bandages and medicine and all other kinds of medical supplies, barely aware of their surroundings outside of where they needed to go. Naruto could see dozens of people being treated, either lying in a nearby hospital bed, or sitting in one of the chairs that had been brought in from the cafeteria. Naruto squinted to try to make out the extent of their injuries, but another doctor collided with him, and he was sent spinning across the room.

Straight into Sakura.

"What the hell?" she yelped, nearly spilling an entire bottle of rubbing alcohol on her current patient. Naruto jumped to his feet, spouting out an apology for his clumsiness, but Sakura didn't seem too upset, too concerned with what was going on around her to stay mad.

"Yeah yeah, that's nice Naruto, but we don't have time for this! While we deal with the most immediate patients, we need to you bandage or look after anyone with minor injuries and get them out of here to make room."

"Why don't I just make shadow clones?" Naruto asked. "That way, we can get everything done faster. And I can get out of here…" He muttered that last part, not wanting Sakura to overhear him.

But Sakura shook her head, looking at Naruto as if what had just come out of his mouth was nothing but gibberish. "Did you even listen to a word I said? We have enough people in here as it is! Filling the room with your clones would just get in our way, and these people don't have time for that! Just get to work!"

Naruto still wanted to know how all this had happened, but Sakura shoved him in the opposite direction so she could continue her work. Not wanting to make her angry, Naruto hopped to it.

* * *

><p>As he gradually found out from the patients he was looking after, as well as from some of the doctors when they got a spare moment, a fire had broken out overnight in a nearby village, and most people had been unaware of what was going on until they were trapped in their homes, as the fire had spread rather quickly. The people with the worst burns were being treated by Sakura and the other head medics, while those with secondary burns or other unrelated injuries being handled by the nurses. There were also plenty of people who only had minor burns or scrapes, and Naruto was the one handling those, along with a few of the nurses who weren't busy with anything else. Naruto had been nervous that even though the injuries were minor, he would be completely useless trying to help these people. Luckily for him, however, they only needed some bandaging up, which he was currently performing for a girl who couldn't be older than 11.<p>

Naruto was a little clumsy at first, but he got the hang of it as time wore on, and now he could cleanly and tightly wrap some bandages around the villagers' burns, and as he finished, the little girl looked over his handiwork.

"You mean…you're n-not gonna have to cut it off?" the little girl said meekly, referring to her leg.

Naruto chuckled softly. "No, of course not! We just needed to wrap you up for a few days to let your leg heal. After about 3-4 days, you can take the bandages off."

The little girl smiled brightly at the good news, and waved happily to her mother, who was sitting across from her on the opposite side of the room. Naruto turned around to send the little girl that way, and it was then that he noticed that the woman's injuries had been far worse than that of her daughter's, and was heavily covered with bandages. From the way the wrappings had been done, Naruto guessed that Sakura herself helped the woman.

"Momma, look! We're all better now!" the little girl said with a cheer, hopping up into her mother's lap. The woman winced somewhat, but was happier to know that her daughter was alright, and smiled at Naruto.

"Thank you…so much. If something had happened to her I don't know what I'd do."

Naruto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Awwww, it's alright! I only did the easy stuff. Sakura-chan and the other doctors around here are the ones you should be thanking!"

The woman smiled warmly, and just as Naruto suggested, offered her heartfelt thanks for helping both her and her daughter, which Sakura accepted softly. She was still handling another patient, but still had the concentration to hold a small conversation with the woman, something Naruto couldn't help but marvel at. Medical Ninjutsu was a lot cooler than he had initially believed, especially since it had the power to help so many people.

He wandered around the room for the next twenty minutes, helping the other doctors get fresh supplies since he no longer had anyone he himself could patch up. The room had thinned out more and more, and at this point, there were only about 6 or so people in the room, including Naruto. He had become a lot more comfortable with this kind of thing, but he was starting to notice Sakura steal a glance at him every now and then, a strange look in her eye, and Naruto cursed himself for letting himself believe that he would be able to leave without dealing with this. Sakura was the only one who could tell him they didn't need him anymore, and he was damn sure that that wouldn't happen. Not until Sakura got what she wanted out of him.

Naruto sat around for another 10 minutes or so, until the last of the others left the room, and left Naruto and Sakura alone.

"Thanks for your help today…" Sakura said, wiping down her hands. "It was a big help."

"No problem. I was glad to help."

Sakura gave Naruto a look. "Well, technically you were ordered to help, and I have a feeling that you would have preferred anywhere else but here, but still, thank you. Now, can you come over here and help me clean up?"

Naruto sighed, and rose to his feet. There was a large sink on one side of the room, and he and Sakura began to sterilize all the knives and needles that had been used, as well as wipe down some of the other tools that had been used. At first they had been comfortable maintaining a somewhat awkward silence, but it was soon clear that Sakura had no intention of staying quiet for long.

"You ever going to talk to me again?" she teased, elbowing Naruto in the side. Maybe making light of the whole thing was the way to go.

Naruto just grunted.

Maybe not.

"Seriously, Naruto? What am I going to have to do to make you talk to me again? Do I have to pay for your ramen for the rest of your life?" Sakura's nostrils were flaring, and Naruto was beginning to feel his own temper heat up.

"It's not as simple as that, Sakura-chan! But oh sure, you'd think that buying me stuff would make that all go away, wouldn't you?"

Sakura slapped the rag she was holding into the sink, angrily turning towards him. "What is your problem!? I was just trying to be friends with you, Naruto! I'm sorry if that inherently pisses you off!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know friends lied to each other whenever they wanted to!" Naruto countered back. "Oh wait, that's just you!"

Sakura pointed a finger at Naruto, trying very hard to keep herself from yelling. "I never lied to you! I just kept something from you, that's all! Why are you acting like that's such a big deal?"

"Because it _is_ a big deal! You should know better than anyone that I have trust issues! But apparently that doesn't matter whenever you say it doesn't! You went behind my back on something that I thought was real, and to find out that it was all a lie…"

Naruto let himself fall into a nearby chair, groaning loudly. "And now, everything's so messed up…"

Sakura's anger deflated in an instant. She hating seeing Naruto sad, and even if she disagreed with him, she didn't want him to feel like this. "Naruto…what happened?" she asked.

"I don't even know…things between me and Hinata…well, they're different, I think…I don't really know…"

He suddenly turned to Sakura, hurt evident in his eyes. "What kind of person am I, Sakura-chan? What kind of person does that to someone they're dating? Some they…really, _really_ care about?"

Sakura felt her heart go out to Naruto, not just because he felt like this, but the reasons behind it. Naruto was lost on how to be with someone, since he never had anyone in his life to teach that to him. He was like a child, and Sakura was finally beginning to understand why he was upset with her.

"Naruto, you can't think that you're a bad person just when you get into an argument with your girlfriend. These things happen, and the best thing to do is just find a way to work past them!"

But Naruto didn't seem convinced. He stood suddenly, crossing to the other side of the room.

"This is different, Sakura-chan…I hurt Hinata…what kind of person does that to someone they care about?"

"Not everyone has to deal with the same problems as you, Naruto. You can't hold yourself to those standards anymore."

"But Sakura-chan, I-"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP?" Sakura screamed suddenly. Her eyes were wide with anger, and her hands balled into fists.

"Why do you _always_ do this to yourself!? You hold yourself to these impossible standards, and when you fall short, just like anyone else would, you act like you're the scum of the earth! I've had it!"

"But Sakura-chan…"

"SHUT UP!" Sakura yelled, interrupting him. Angry tears were welling up in her eyes. Sakura was telling the truth; she really had had enough.

"Stop doing this to yourself, Naruto! It's like you're _trying_ to keep yourself from being happy! Sasuke becomes a criminal, and you think it's your sole duty to stop him, Hinata does something that makes you upset, and you act like you're the worst person in the entire village for being even a little angry about it! I can't watch you do this anymore!" She crossed the room faster than Naruto was expecting, and grabbed him by the collar, lifting his body into the air.

"I can't watch you be like this anymore! When are you going to start going after things _you_ want? Doing things for yourself? You're not being selfish, Naruto…you're just being human!"

She softened her grip, and suddenly wrapped him up in a hug. Naruto could only stand there, mouth agape, as Sakura cried softly into his jacket. Was that…really how she felt? Had Naruto kept himself from being happy this entire time?

"Sakura-chan…is that…really how you feel?" he asked, still in shock.

"Of course, you idiot…" Sakura muttered back. "That's how I've felt for a long time…"

She wiped her eyes as best she could, lifting her head to face Naruto again. "That's why I planned the whole thing with you and Hinata…I just got fed up with it. Maybe you're right, maybe what I did _was_ wrong. But seeing you so happy with Hinata…I don't regret it for a second, what I did."

Naruto frowned. Tsunade had said the same thing, and although his first reaction was to feel guilty that he had gotten so angry with his friends, he quickly realized that this was exactly the thing Sakura wanted him to stop, and tried to calm down.

"So you know what?" Sakura said, "I don't care if you're mad at me anymore. I don't care if you never want to speak to me again. But please…don't end things with Hinata. I don't think even _you_ could be that stupid."

Naruto smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan…this just got all out of control, didn't it?"

"Didn't I just tell you to stop thinking like that, Naruto?" Sakura teased, smiling a little herself. "Don't make me have to beat it in to you."

"Heh, sorry again…I guess I have to work on that. Can we…just put this behind us? It's been pretty rough for me, too."

Sakura sighed. "I can imagine. Yes…there's nothing I'd like better, but I'd prefer if you patched things up with Hinata first."

Naruto's face fell. "I already tried, but her dad said she didn't want to see anybody."

"I don't know if I believe that," Sakura replied. "Are you sure that Hinata, the girl who has been head over heels for you for almost her entire life, didn't want to see you?"

The blonde shrugged. "I mean, I guess…that's what her dad said, after all. I guess I kind of deserve it, but I don't want to give up trying! If I have to catch her in the middle of the street, I'll do it!"

Sakura supported Naruto's resolve, but something wasn't sitting well in the back of her mind. This was _Hinata_ they were talking about; the girl who loved Naruto more than anything else in the entire world. The idea that she didn't even want to see Naruto, and the fact that it had been Hiashi to tell Naruto this…well, Sakura just found the whole situation more than a little fishy.

"Sakura-chan, did you hear me? I asked if there was anything else you needed me to do."

There really wasn't, but Sakura felt that it would be a wasted opportunity to repair the damage done to their friendship if she let Naruto leave, so she suggested that he come with her own her rounds through the hospital, to which Naruto happily agreed. He had been impressed with Sakura's medical expertise in helping all the victims of that fire, and was eager to see more.

* * *

><p>On their way, Sakura did the best she could to try and convince Naruto that everything would work out in the end, and that he needed to stop worrying about it. Naruto accepted her advice, but Sakura could see doubt in his eyes; he was afraid that Hinata didn't actually want anything to do with him, despite the complete ridiculousness of the idea. Eventually Sakura just gave up trying, but made a mental note to see Hinata herself. If Hiashi turned her away as well, then maybe Naruto was right, though Sakura had a very hard time believing that that could be true.<p>

She was too busy concentrating on her work, but Naruto would stare at her as she provided some comfort for the multiple patients she visited, whether they needed some relief from pain or if an old wound reopened. Sakura handled everything without even breaking a sweat, and Naruto became intensely fascinated with the process of medical ninjutsu. He probably wouldn't understand a single word she was about to say, but his curiosity was too strong.

"Hey, Sakura-chan…how exactly does this stuff work anyway?"

"What? You want me to explain to you how medical ninjutsu works?" Sakura couldn't believe her ears; Naruto was interested in a technique that didn't involve explosions or huge torrents of chakra? She was impressed, and flattered that he was interested in what she did.

"Well uh…okay then! It's kind of like extending your hands and fingers into your chakra, which can permeate throughout the human body. That's something that you can use to aid in surgery or in the detection of poisons…"

That's about as far as Naruto got before it all started to sound like gibberish to him, but he nodded and smiled like it made some sense to him. He was still interested in it, but maybe there was a better way to explain it to him. And by better, he meant simpler, but he wasn't sure if telling Sakura that she wasn't making sense would annoy her or not. He and Sakura were trying to patch things up between them, and that may not be the best way to go about that.

"You didn't understand a single word I said, did you?" Sakura suddenly asked. Unfortunately for Naruto, he was still nodding and grinning like an idiot, which only confirmed Sakura's theory.

"Idiot…why didn't you just tell me that you didn't know what I was saying?"

"I didn't want to make you mad!" Naruto shot back, already on the defensive. But no vicious attack came, no new bruise to add to his collection. When he cracked an eye open, he saw Sakura standing there, arms folded, looking amused.

"Yeah, you're lucky I'm in a good mood, out I might just have decided to hit you. Naruto…it's still nice to know that you're interested in what I do, even if it makes no sense to you. Maybe…maybe sometime you'd like to give it a try yourself? I've always wondered if I'd make a good teacher…" Sakura actually felt a little vulnerable asking Naruto to learn more about medical techniques, even if he didn't get farther than the basics. Teaching someone what Tsunade had taught her had always been something she's wanted to accomplish, and maybe Naruto was the right guy for the job. He wasn't the best at book smarts (hell, he wasn't even remotely decent at it), but if you give him the time to practice, and he had the drive, there wasn't anything he couldn't learn.

So she stood there, anxious to hear his answer. Naruto considered it for a moment, before bursting out into a broad smile. "Sure, Sakura-chan! That sounds awesome! Maybe I could become as good a medic as you someday!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Don't get your hopes up, idiot. It took me years to get even semi-decent at it, and I'm still not even close to the level Tsunade-sama is at."

That didn't seem to deter Naruto in the slightest, and his smile only got bigger. "Challenge accepted," he exclaimed, pointing to his chest with pride. "I bet you I'll have it down in a month!"

Sakura punched him in the arm. Not hard enough to hit him, but enough to make him pay attention. "Fine…you're on."

Naruto laughed, and the two talked for a little while longer as Sakura finished up the last of her rounds. Naruto was mentioning going back over to Hinata's house to try again, but Sakura suddenly got another idea. A familiar, wicked grin split across her face, and she found herself racking her brain for a reason to keep Naruto away from Hinata's house, at least for a few hours. She sighed, finally thinking of something, and mentally offered a little prayer for the beating her wallet was about to take.

"Hey, Naruto…how about I treat you to ramen tonight?"

Naruto's face lit up like the sun. "REALLY? You want to go get some ramen?"

Sakura chuckled, before shaking her head. "I would, but there's something I have to take care of. You just go on without me, and try not to eat too much this time, okay?" She handed Naruto a generous amount of money, desperately hoping he wouldn't spend all of it.

"Are you sure, Sakura-chan? This looks like a lot…"

"Of course I'm sure. Now get out here, before you get any hungrier and eat them out of a business."

Naruto cheered loudly in the hallway of the hospital, garnering some dirty looks from the patients who prefer peace and quiet. He offered one last heart-felt thanks, and raced out the door, whooping the entire way.

Sakura smirked. She was in deviant mode again, and this time…Hinata would be with her right from the beginning. It would be a few days before everything could come to fruition, and she wasn't worried about making Naruto mad. After all…

Who could be mad on their birthday?

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I'm gonna enjoy the next few chapters, that's for sure.

So hey! Guess what! I have a new chapter out for my other story, **Collateral Luck!** Maybe you didn't check it out the first time, but whether you have or haven't, I hope you'll check it out! It's more comedy-focused than this one, but a large amount of romance is starting to take shape without me even being aware of it.

Until next time!


	32. The Plan Unfolds! It's Hinata's Turn!

**Author's Note: **No, you're not seeing things. This is indeed another chapter out for your reading pleasure!

You can thank **InuKag4everbabe **for that. Their review just so happened to be the 500th, and they had asked if I was going to either update next Saturday, or tomorrow. I hadn't been thinking of it at all, but decided why not?

500 reviews. For those terrible at math (Like myself) that's halfway to ONE THOUSAND. I never expected this level of response, and I thank all you for the opportunity to give you something fun to read.

I talked wayyy to much last chapter, so I'll just get right to it this time!

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><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 14 - The Plan Unfolds! It's Hinata's Turn to Scheme!<strong>

Sakura hurried to Hinata's house as fast as her legs could carry her without making it painfully obvious, growing more and more excited with every passing step. It had popped into her brain so suddenly, and she had to act quickly if they were to capitalize on her newest scheme.

Naruto's birthday was only in about a week or so, and Sakura decided that everyone should do something special to celebrate. It was the perfect way to show Naruto that his friends truly did care for him, and she was going to make sure that they all came. Life for a shinobi could be busy and unpredictable at times, but if Sakura had to convince Tsunade herself not to give some of their group a mission over the next few days, she would try.

The Hyūga compound came into view quicker than anticipated, and Sakura had to force herself to slow down, lest anyone in the clan be suspicious of her motives to want to see Hinata. Her brain searched for the right way to approach the door without arousing questions from Hiashi or any of the other nosy members of her clan, and Sakura soon settled on the idea that she was there to perform a quick check-up on Hinata's injury, and if she had to, from Tsunade's direct orders.

She quickly rapped on the door, taking a step back to wait for someone to answer. She could hear footsteps approaching, and just like she expected, when the door swung open it was none other than Hiashi Hyūga standing on the other side, looking cheery as usual.

"May I help you, Sakura-san?" he asked, folding his arms into his sleeves. Sakura, taking every precaution she could, bowed low to the Hyūga clan leader.

"Good evening, Hiashi-sama," she said, in her most dignified tone. "I humble request your permission to meet with your daughter. I'm curious about the state of her well-being, and wanted to utilize my expertise to relieve myself of these worries." Yeesh, all that fancy medical jargon left a sour taste in her mouth. But better to kiss Hiashi's ass than give him any reason to be upset.

Hiashi stared her up and down, like he did to all their guests, and to Sakura's relief, stepped aside with a curt nod.

"Very well, Sakura-san. Please report back to me with what you find on my daughter's condition."

'_Well, that was easy…'_ Sakura grumbled inwardly, slipping past 'Father of the Year' to go find Hinata. So the boy that Naruto was dating Hinata, who only wanted to talk to her, couldn't even see her, while Sakura could just give some bogus medical excuse and she was in? Her opinion of the man was starting to slip. Not that it was very high to begin with.

She ducked and weaved through the maze-like hallways of the Hyūga clan's home, hoping she could avoid running into one of the other family members, so that she would have to tell her story to anyone else in the house, and give them more of an opportunity to question her. Hiding in a spare room here, jumping into a bathroom there…Sakura was in infiltration mode, and naught but a mouse was aware of her presence.

And then she finally came across Hinata's door. Sakura knocked quietly, looking out for anyone else to come by. Once she saw the door open even the slightest crack, she pushed it open and rushed inside, spooking Hinata. She let out an audible 'eep', but once she saw that it was only Sakura, she quickly calmed down, and fear shifted to confusion.

"Sakura-san? Wh-what are you doing here, not that I mind someone visiting, of course…"

Sakura shut the door behind her, locking it with a single motion. "Hinata, I just got the best idea ever, and I needed to get you in on this as soon as possible! Also, did you know you're dad let me in without a fuss?"

Hinata seemed confused. "Of course he did, Sakura-san. Why wouldn't he?"

"I just think it's a little strange that he lets me see you without a problem, but when Naruto comes to visit, you don't want to see anyone and he gets sent off without so much as a 'Hi, how are you'."

Hinata's eyes narrowed, and Sakura could see minute details of her body tensing up. She may be trying to hide it, but Sakura could see that she was pissed off, and knew exactly who she was mad at as well.

"I see…what did Naruto-kun want?" she asked, letting herself calm down. "If you knew he came by here earlier today…does that mean you saw him?"

Sakura nodded. "Yep. Tsunade-sama sent him to the hospital today to help me out with something. Hinata, don't worry…I can tell he misses you. A _lot_."

Hinata sighed heavily, grateful for the news. "Oh, thank you, Sakura-san. I've b-been so worried that maybe Naruto-kun didn't want to talk to me ever again. I'm so glad to hear that he m-misses me as well!"

"Well, you certainly don't have to worry about that. He seemed as ready to put this behind you as you are. And while I hate asking, I want you to hold off seeing him for just a few more days."

That was not something Hinata wanted to do in the slightest, but she was at least willing to hear Sakura out before she politely declined.

"You're probably wondering _why_ I want you to stay away from Naruto for a few days, don't you?" Sakura asked. "Well allow me to explain! Hinata, what's coming up in a week or so."

Since she was talking to Hinata, it didn't take more than two seconds before Hinata answered "Naruto-kun's birthday." A few more seconds ticked by, and Hinata's face glowed with realization.

"Sakura-san…are you planning on doing something for Naruto-kun's birthday? Oh, that's wonderful! Naruto-kun will love that!"

But to her surprise, Sakura shook her head, taking Hinata's hands. "Actually, Hinata…this may have been my idea, but I don't want to plan any of this. I think you should be the one to handle all of that."

"But Sakura-san…you don't have to-"

"Of course I do!" Sakura interrupted. "Hinata, You care for Naruto more than anyone in this entire village. It should be you to bring all of this together. Just imagine the look on his face when he finds out you were the one who planned everything! You might just get a 'present' yourself…" She lightly ribbed Hinata in her side, grinning devilishly at her.

Hinata blushed a brilliant shade of red at Sakura's less-than-modest implication. That would certainly be a perk to planning something for your boyfriend's birthday, wouldn't it?

Sakura laughed. "But seriously, though…is this something you want to do, Hinata? I know Naruto would love it."

Hinata didn't even hesitate. "Yes, Sakura-san…I would love to! I actually had been planning to something for him already, but now that I know others would like to celebrate Naruto-kun's birthday, I need to start planning something wonderful for him!"

"You already had something in mind?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow. "And it was just going to be you and Naruto? Hinata, I didn't know you were ready to take that big of a step in your relationship!"

Hinata blushed again. "Sakura-san! It-it's n-nothing like _that_…" she fiddled with her fingers, pouting as Sakura laughed at her expense.

"I'm only kidding, Hinata! I know you're not that kind of girl. So, if you had already planned to do something with Naruto, does that mean that you had already thought of what you were going to get him as a present?"

Hinata nodded shyly. "Y-yes…I think Naruto-kun will love it. It's something I don't think anyone else in this village could give him."

"Wow, Hinata…I said you weren't that kind of girl, but you're really not making this easy on yourself, are you?"

With the Hyūga princess thoroughly flustered for the third time, Sakura took that as a good time to leave. She stood up, stretching her muscles, before pulling Hinata into a quick hug.

"Thanks for taking this on, Hinata. I'm really excited to see what you come up with!"

"Of course, Sakura-san. I'm glad to help. Are you s-sure you can't stay for longer? We could talk more about what we wanted to do, if you'd like?"

Sakura shook her head. "As much as I'd like that, I can't overstay my welcome. I don't want your dad getting suspicious of what we're doing in here, so I'd better hit the road. Just let me know what you come up with soon, and I can help you coordinate stuff if you'd like!"

Hinata nodded happily, and Sakura smiled back. With one last wave, she turned and left for the front door, leaving Hinata alone in her room once again. She sat there idly, daydreaming of all the wonderful things she could plan for Naruto now that she knew that everyone else was involved, but once several minutes had passed, her smiled, along with her good mood, faded away. She rose to her feet, and headed straight for her father. They needed to talk. Now.

* * *

><p>She found him in a room he used to hold meetings with other clan members, shifting through some papers. Hinata didn't care if he was in the mood to talk or not, and strode up to face him directly.<p>

"Hello, _Otō-san," _she said, barely masking the annoyance in her voice. Hiashi didn't seem to catch onto it himself, being too wrapped up in his work to notice.

"Hello, Hinata. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Sakura-san was just here." Hinata folded her arms, waiting for a reply. That seemed to get his attention, and he set down the paper he had been looking over.

"Yes, she explained to me that you're condition was improving from when you first returned to the village. I am glad to hear this news, daughter."

"Thank you, Otō-san, but why did you-"

"However, I am extremely disappointed in you. Leaving the compound for an unsanctioned mission to chase after that damned Uchiha is no way for Hyūga to behave! You should be ashamed, Hinata. You could have been killed!"

Hinata bit her lip. Her father was changing the subject, but she couldn't deny that he had a valid reason to be angry. She had agreed to go with Naruto on a mission that Tsunade hadn't officially given them, an offence that could be punished quite severely if the Hokage sought to. During hers and Sakura's meeting, she had been informed that Naruto would be on probation for the next month, receiving no new missions, and reduced pay over the set time period. Hinata was expecting something similar, but sadly that wouldn't even be related to what her father would do.

"The only reason I allowed Sakura-san to visit you was because she insisted that she needed to check up on your condition. If I could have my way, you wouldn't be leaving this household for the next several months. But you are a shinobi now, and I cannot force anything upon you. Instead, I have asked Tsunade-sama to extend your own probation to equal Naruto's. Perhaps that will remind you that disobeying your father, let alone the Hokage, is a deplorable thing to do."

"Y-yes, Otō-san…" Now Hinata felt guilty. She had been thinking this entire time that Hiashi had purposely turned Naruto away because felt Naruto was responsible for Hinata's injury. While she didn't completely rule out that possibility, it was most likely just Hiashi being strict with her. The lack of missions, coupled with the expected cut-off from the clan's funds for a few weeks, left Hinata wondering how she would be able to plan something truly special for Naruto's birthday when the time came.

"Do not disappoint me again, Hinata…I don't wish to lose one of my precious daughters to something so foolish." Hiashi rose from his seat, taking his papers with him. But before he left, he couldn't stop himself from one last word.

"Perhaps if Uzumaki-san hadn't been so brash, none of this wouldn't have happened. I had hoped he would have been more careful than that when you were involved." Before Hinata could reply, he left.

Hinata remained where she was, though that was something that took all her strength to manage. Naruto had been a little overzealous to go after Sasuke, yes, but Hinata would have chased after the Uchiha no matter who had come to her window asking. He was the Leaf's responsibility, and while not nearly to the intensity of Naruto himself, Hinata still felt that it was their duty to stop him. But she could hear the anger in Hiashi's voice, and there wasn't a shred of doubt in her mind.

Hiashi _was_ blaming Naruto for what happened. He wasn't saying it outright, but Hinata could tell. The way he looked when he spoke Naruto's name, the way his muscles tensed up…

She took a deep breath. As much as she wanted to drop everything and settle this with her father, there were more important things to worry about. She had all the time in the world to ask Hiashi about Naruto, but Naruto's birthday was coming up soon, and Hinata wanted to make it the best he'd ever have. She hurried back to her room to begin planning everything, trying to push her father out of her mind.

* * *

><p>Naruto sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes. Outside of his window, an owl called out to the night, before flying away in search of its meal.<p>

He had been lying awake like this for several hours now, his mind far too busy to let himself slip away to sleep. It had been on his mind non-stop since he had come home, wondering if it had been the right thing to do.

* * *

><p><em>Naruto let out a humongous roar of satisfaction as he slammed the door shut, having just come home from eating his fill at Ichiraku. Sakura had generously offered to cover for his meal, and he set aside the ample change he had leftover to give back to her the next time they ran into one another. He set down his keys and wallet by the door, and shuffled over to the kitchen table, taking a seat.<em>

_He had a lot on his mind, both good and bad. He was happy that he had made up with Sakura, and was looking forward to her teaching him about medical ninjutsu, but at the same time, he was obviously stressed about himself and Hinata. When he had mentioned that Hiashi had told her that she wasn't in the mood to see anyone, he could have sworn Sakura had gotten a weird look in her eye. He had dismissed it back then, but now he was curious. Maybe that's what she was checking out when she declined his invitation to Ichiraku with him?_

_And then of course there was Hinata. He wanted to check on her, to make sure she was alright, but wasn't sure if she was in the mood or not._

_But then, the image of that night they had shared in Suna came into his mind. Before they had started arguing, everything had been so…well, Naruto couldn't think of a word to truly describe it. The feeling of her body against his had been electrifying, and her lips…it was maddening._

_His doubts flew away with the wind as he opened his door. He had to see her. Now._

_Naruto wasn't about to let anything get in his way, and so since a great deal of the people in this village could recognize him by his clothing alone, he decided something a little more casual would be better to avoid garnering unwanted attention. He slipped on a simple black t-shirt with a flame design in the center, along with some dark grey sweat pants, and was out the door in minutes._

_He took his time as he headed for the Hyūga compound, mulling everything over. What should he say? How should he act? Naruto had never been good at this 'thinking ahead' thing, and with the headache he was getting, why start now? Everything would work out on its own, just like it always did._

_The front door for the compound came into view, but Naruto just kept on walking. There was a low wall on the far side of the compound, and just as he did when he brought Hinata along to Suna, he leapt over the wall, inside the boundaries of the compound. It placed him near an outdoor patio that was used to hold clan meetings when the weather was especially nice, and a short distance in the opposite direction laid the sprawling garden, where the window leading to Hinata's room was. Naruto heard voices, and ducked behind a bush._

_Two members of the main house, a couple of old guys by the looks of it, were discussing something in private. Naruto didn't care to give it much thought, but he could have sworn that he heard Hinata's name. When he craned his neck to hear better, however, the two men headed back inside, seemingly finished with their conversation. Naruto pouted a little, but soon forgot about it and returned to his mission._

_Jumping over another bush, sliding under a low-set tree, Naruto was in the garden again. He could easily tell why Hinata liked it so much out here; it felt so peaceful, no matter the weather or time of day. The bustle of the village streets couldn't be heard out here, and only the most tranquil of nature could be heard. Maybe if things went well with Hinata, Naruto considered, he could bring her out here to sit down and relax for a while._

_Her window was close by, and Naruto felt a little devious. He crouched low to the ground, and slithered towards the window, taking care not to make a sound. When he was directly underneath her window, Naruto concentrated on his hearing, trying to gauge where Hinata was, or if she was even in her room. He heard a soft humming, coming from a beautiful voice, and smiled._

"_Boo," he whispered, revealing himself. Hinata was crouched down over something, and there were pieces of papers everywhere, which Hinata send scattering across the room when she yelped in surprise._

"_Na-Naruto-kun! Wh-wh-what're you doing here?" she asked. Naruto giggled at how much she was stuttering again, oblivious as Hinata gathered up as much of what she was working on as she could, and hiding it behind her back._

"_I came to see you, Hinata! I…really missed you…" Naruto was twiddling his fingers together, much like Hinata did when she was nervous. He was trying to read her reaction, see where he could go from there, but she was hiding her eyes. Now that he noticed it, she looked like she was trying to hide a lot of things._

"_Naruto-kun…now's not the best time…" Hinata said quietly, embarrassed Naruto had snuck up behind her so easily. She was worried that he might see what she was working on, and it would spoil the whole surprise. She needed to get him away before he got too curious._

_Naruto felt slightly hurt by that, but didn't want to give up just yet. He needed to make up with Hinata. "Y-yeah, I guess it kind of is…but I need to say this, Hinata! I'm sorry for what I did, and…and I want to talk about it! I don't want us to be mad at each other anymore!"_

_He made to hop inside her window, but she blocked his way. Her heart was pounding, and she was growing desperate to keep him from seeing what she was working on. Naruto stumbled back outside, grinned, and raced for the door. But Hinata was faster, and snapped the lock milliseconds before Naruto could open the door._

_The look in Naruto's eyes made her whole body squirm. He looked so…betrayed. She hurried back to the window to stop him from leaving, hoping she could explain herself before he got away._

"_Naruto-kun, wait! It's not what you think!" she called, leaning out the window. "P-please! We can talk outside!"_

_But Naruto ignored her, and slowly made his way out of the garden. He didn't need to hang around anymore; he got the message._

"_Sorry for bothering you…"_

_Hinata called out to him again, but he didn't hear her. Maybe more accurately, he didn't want to. Of all the ways he had expected that to go, this was the absolute worst one._

_His legs carried him all the way back to his apartment, and it was only then that he stopped to rest. His breathing was heavy, and he punched the wall in his frustration._

_Now he could see that Hiashi had been right in sending him away. Hinata must have really not wanted to talk to him. He smacked his head against his kitchen counter. Why? Why did he have to get so angry with her back then? All this happened because he couldn't control his temper, and Naruto wasn't going to have it._

_So what if she had pushed him away? So what if she was still upset with him? Sakura's words to stand up and go after what he wanted in life rang out in his ears. She was right! He shouldn't be blamed for wanting to be happy, and Hinata was who made him happy._

"_I'm making a promise, here and now…" he said to himself. "I don't care how long it takes, I'm going to show Hinata how much I care for her!" He practically screamed that last part, banging his fist on the table. Yes! He could do it! He and Hinata had never officially broken up or anything, a thought that made Naruto sick to his stomach, so technically they were still dating!_

_His resolve replenished, Naruto raced into his bedroom to begin planning something of his own. What is that, visitors might ask. Why, only the best, most romantic day ever, for the best, most awesome girl ever!_

* * *

><p>And so Naruto sat there, going over every detail on his carefully laid out day. Would this work out? Would that go the way he planned? Naruto didn't know, but if it was to make Hinata happy, he would try his hardest to make sure it did.<p>

He gathered up all of his work, setting it down on his dresser. With a great yawn, he finally felt ready to sleep, and was out on the bed in seconds. A lopsided grin stretched across his whiskered face as he slept, blissfully unaware that he had planned a day for Hinata when she had just finished planning a day for Naruto.

She admired her handiwork. If everything worked out the way it was supposed to, it would be a day Naruto would never forget. All that was left was to tell the others about it, and she would handle that the next morning.

'_I hope you sleep well tonight, Naruto-kun…'_ she thought to herself, crawling into bed.

* * *

><p>As much as she was proud of all the work she had put into Naruto's birthday, Hinata didn't feel like getting out of bed. She had been having the most wonderful dream about her and Naruto, and from how red her face was when she finally forced herself out of bed, one could only imagine what it was about. She rushed through her usual morning routine, wanting to get out of the house before her father got to her and dragged everything down. She could hold off on breakfast for a while if it meant avoiding his nagging.<p>

Hinata was slipping on her jacket as she snuck through the corridors of the Hyūga household. She already found Neji coming out of one of the bathrooms, and told him to meet her at Chōshoku, a restaurant known for their breakfast. He was a little suspicious at first, but Hinata looked so excited that he readily agreed, and promised to cover for Hinata while she was out picking up everyone else. After a hasty thank-you, Hinata was out the door.

"So what's this about, anyway?" Kiba asked, the last one to take his seat. Around him at one of the larger tables sat the rest of their group. Chōji and his two teammates had already been there, enjoying a free meal from all the special deals Chōji had saved up, while the others had been invited one by one by Hinata, who was sitting at the head of the table.

"Like, I'm just beginning to notice that we're all meeting up a lot more often than usual," Kiba said. "Don't get me wrong, I like it, but I gotta wonder what you got us out of bed early for _this_ time."

From the way everyone else turned to stare at Hinata, waiting for an answer, they agreed with her.

"Umm, g-good morning, everyone…" she said quietly, offering them a wave of greeting. The others murmured a reply.

"So…like Kiba-kun just said, you're p-probably wondering why I gathered all of us here...does anyone know what day it is at the end of the week?"

Everyone shifted in their seats. They guessed they were supposed to know something special about that day, but none of them could think of what it was.

"Seriously guys? It's Naruto's birthday!" Sakura exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. "I can name all of yours right now, and you forgot about Naruto's?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I know it looks bad at first, Sakura, but I don't think Naruto's ever _told _us his birthday. I mean, how did you know when it was?"

Sakura had never really considered it before, but now that it had finally been brought to her attention, she realized that it was one of the few things that Naruto never talked about. The only reason Sakura knew was a few years ago when she had overheard Tsunade talking about it with Shizune.

"Why wouldn't Naruto want to tell us when his birthday was?" Ino asked. "You get so much free stuff on your birthday!"

"Think about it, Ino. For most of his life, it probably wasn't something Naruto wanted to celebrate." Shikamaru sighed, and there was a melancholy look in his eyes. "He probably thought that his birth was nothing to be happy about."

"And that's why I brought everyone here!" Hinata said, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible. "I want to make this the best birthday for Naruto-kun ever!"

Everyone seemed to be immediately on board with the idea, so Hinata launched into what she wanted everyone to do in terms of preparations. Naturally, Chōji was put in charge of food, with his teammates helping him out. Lee, Tenten, and Neji were asked to handle getting the decorations together, and Sakura and Sai were tasked with making sure they could get the day off from Tsunade. Hinata herself was going to take Shino and Kiba along to go out and invite everyone Hinata had written down on a lengthy list.

"What about presents?" Ino piped in. "Are we all gonna pitch in for something?"

Hinata shook her head. "Actually, I was hoping we could each get something special for Naruto-kun, to make up for all the years that have gone by without celebrating his birthday. It doesn't have to be expensive or anything; just something that's from the heart will be perfect." It made sense. Every year, Naruto always wished them a happy birthday, and while most of the time his present was a free meal at Ichiraku, it was the thought that counts, and the others were only too happy to finally return the favor.

"If I can find the time, I'll pick up what everyone wants to get for Naruto-kun." Hinata said.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that!" Sakura exclaimed. "I have a day off in a few days, so I'd be glad to go get everything! We can stash them at my place until the time comes."

"I'll go with her." Kiba added, much to everyone's surprise. Sakura glanced at Kiba to try and see what he was thinking. Wasn't he still mad at her? But Kiba wasn't looking at her, conveniently turning his attention to scratch Akamaru's belly.

"Oh, umm…thank you, Kiba-kun…" Hinata murmured, not sure where that had come from. A thick tension was forming around the pair, and Chōji had to order a round of pancakes for everyone to get things back to normal. Because as we all know, pancakes solve everything.

They ate and chatted happily with one another, discussing what they might plan to get Naruto, or when they were going to do what Hinata had assigned them. Meanwhile, Hinata sat there silently, positively ecstatic that everyone was so excited to do this for Naruto. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sakura smiling at her, proud.

'_I think you have yourself a keeper here, Naruto…'_ Sakura mused, before digging back into her food.

* * *

><p>And elsewhere, scratching at his butt while he washed dishes, Naruto sneezed.<p>

"Huh, someone must be talking about me…" he said to himself, looking out the window of his apartment. He smiled; today was looking to be a beautiful day, perfect for a walk or a swim. Maybe he could even invite Hinata!

But then there was a knock on his door, and Naruto could just tell that that wasn't going to happen. He just had a feeling. When he opened the door, there was a messenger waiting for him.

"Good morning, Naruto-san." He bowed, which Naruto offered back.

"What can I do for you? Does Bā-chan need me or something?"

The chūnin seemed surprised. "Actually, Naruto-san…that's exactly why I'm here. Tsunade-sama requests your presence in her office to discuss something of the upmost importance."

Naruto frowned. That certainly didn't sound good. "Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes…"

The man nodded, and leapt back down to the street to give the Hokage Naruto's message. Naruto watched him leave, before dragging his feet back inside. Tsunade just _loved_ to bother him when he was relaxing, didn't she?

'_Mangy old crone…'_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I hope you enjoyed reading your surprise chapter!

Also, I recently updated my other story, which I write a little every now and then, **Collateral Luck**. It's an AU, and if humor is more your cup of tea, I hope you'll check it out!

Until next time.


	33. Truth! Familial Ties Revealed!

**Author's Note:** Sup guys. I got dat update for you. Aww yeah.

-So I found something pretty interesting a few days ago. Maybe a great deal of you already know what I'm talking about, but for those that don't, it's a fun little NaruHina thing. In the video game **Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2**, you can form teams with two characters to switch in between during battles. Depending on which characters you use, they'll receive special titles. For example, picking Tsunade and Jiraiya will give you a "Sannin" title.

Well, when you pick Naruto and Hinata, it gives you the title "Secret Lovers".

Interesting, no? Perhaps the developers know something we don't, or perhaps they're just fans like we are. Either way, I think it's a pretty neat find.

-As **Spartan Ninja** asked, it has indeed been a while since we've seen any progress with Suna or their interrogation. This current arc that I'm working on has gotten a lot more meat on it's bones since its conception, but once we move through it, we'll get back to the adventure and action stuff. Far a ways off in the later half of Book Two, some crazy stuff is gonna happen, but we'll work our way there nice and easy.

-Thank you all for your awesome reviews. Writing has gradually taken a very large portion of my free time because you guys have inspired me so much to enjoy doing it. Give yourself a pat on the back, dammit! I also want to start responding to more of them personally, as building a sense of community with you guys is one of my top goals.

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 15 - Naruto Learns the Truth! Familial Ties Revealed!<strong>

"Come in, Naruto."

It was Tsunade's voice that was beckoning him inside her office, and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He had been standing outside for more than 10 minutes now, waiting to be invited in. Normally, Naruto would have come bursting in, demanding to know why he had been forced to wait, but the circumstances were different this time. Tsunade had brought him here for what the messenger considered to be 'of the utmost importance', and Naruto could only quietly open the door, and step inside.

Kakashi was there too, standing to the right of the Hokage. He looked up at Naruto, and the blonde could see a serious, and maybe sympathetic look in his eye. A lump formed in Naruto's throat.

"So…what's this about?" he asked, unable to mask the nervousness evident in his voice. Tsunade didn't say anything, merely motioned for him to sit down.

"I'm not in trouble am I?" Naruto chuckled awkwardly, trying to diffuse the tension, but Tsunade and Kakashi didn't seem amused.

"Okay, you guys are starting to scare me. Seriously, what did I do?"

"It's nothing you did, Naruto…this is just…well, we're just having trouble deciding where to-"

"Would you like to try this, Naruto?" Tsunade suddenly said, pulling out something from underneath her desk. It was just a simple bowl of rice, but Naruto noticed this weird spice had been sprinkled on it.

Tsunade gave Naruto a small smile. "I guess it's just not my thing, but maybe you'd enjoy it."

Naruto looked at Tsunade suspiciously, but his stomach _was_ growling a little, so Naruto shrugged and reached for the bowl. A couple of mouthfuls later, Naruto was significantly less worried, and started wolfing down the rest of it.

"Wow, where'd you find this stuff, Bā-chan? It's really good!" He was finishing off the last of it as he spoke, and needed to breathe through his nose so that he wouldn't spray food everywhere. It was then that he finally caught the spice's incredibly powerful odor, a strong mix of what smelled like old fish and seaweed.

His brow suddenly furrowed as he took another whiff. Wasn't the smell of fish and seaweed what Kiba described to be that stuff they found in Raiā's home? The same description that was found in the village records? He looked at Tsunade, and then at Kakashi, and then back at Tsunade.

"Uh…is there a reason you guys fed me this? Because the more I think about it, the more it seems like this is the stuff that Kiba was talking about."

And to his shock, Kakashi nodded. "It is. Tsunade-sama and I wanted to test something. It was a bit of a longshot, but…"

"Naruto, we tried giving some of that to everyone in the administration building," Tsunade added. "You're the _only_ one who's been able to stomach it. I even tried it earlier today after a _generous _helping of sake, and nearly vomited all over the floor."

Naruto laughed again. "So? What, does this mean I'm like that Raiā guy? That I'm his long-lost great grandson or whatever?" This had to be a joke or something, so Naruto sat there, smiling, waiting for Tsunade to burst out laughing and tease him some more.

She didn't.

"Bā-chan…are you actually trying to tell me that just because I ate that stuff, I'm like-"

"It's not just that, Naruto," Kakashi pointed out. "We also found this among the files I had collected from Raiā's home." He slid a paper across the desk for Naruto to see. The only problem was, Naruto couldn't read anything on it. It just all looked like gibberish to him

"That document probably looks like a whole lot of nonsense to you, doesn't it Naruto?" Kakashi asked. Naruto nodded, and the jōnin continued his explanation. "Well, it's the same for us. We've had everyone from the intelligence division look it over, and no one's been able to get a single word from it. At first we thought it was just another language, devised to keep prying eyes away, but now…"

"Now _what_?" Naruto asked, unconsciously leaning forward in his seat.

Tsunade sighed deeply, pulling the paper back. "But now…we realize that the document was placed under a sealing technique, and a rare one at that. Shizune and I were up all night digging through the village's oldest records, and even then, we only found a passing mention of it."

"I hear what you're saying, okay!?" Naruto said, his voice gaining volume. "Please, stop beating around the bush and tell me what this is all about!"

"Naruto…there was only one clan this knowledgeable on Fūinjutsu. I'll say right now that nothing is conclusive, but we have reason to believe…that Raiā is a member of the Uzumaki clan. _Your_ clan, Naruto."

Tsunade was conflicted. It felt like a great burden had been removed from her shoulders as she finally told Naruto what they had been suspecting for so long now, but at the same time…the way he was looking off into nowhere, trying to digest that information, it made Tsunade wish none of it were true.

"That can't be true." Naruto suddenly said, firmly shaking his head. "No, you guys must have messed something up. There's no way I could actually be _related_ to-"

"Please, just look at the signs, Naruto." Kakashi interrupted, trying to be gentle with the situation before Naruto went ballistic. "Raiā possessed red hair, a very rare trait outside of the Uzumaki clan, and he used formidable sealing techniques in and out of battle. Even those spices you tried originated from an area close to where the Uzumaki clan once lived."

"That's bullshit!" Naruto said suddenly, jumping to his feet. "Kakashi-sensei, you told me what that guy was like! There's no way I could be related to scum like him! I'm telling you, you guys missed something!"

"That's not everything, Naruto." Tsunade explained, shutting the blonde up. "We told you that none of this is conclusive, but you're an adult now, so act like one and sit down."

Naruto's nostrils were flaring, and he stared at Tsunade wide-eyed. She returned his gaze evenly, keeping her own temper in check. Naruto took a deep breath, and sat down.

"This goes back farther than you think, Naruto. Do you remember your mission to the Land of Rivers? Rōjin?"

"You…you don't think that-"

"Unfortunately, I do. The man whose murder you were asked to investigate…signs point to him being a member of the Uzumaki clan as well." Tsunade sighed. She couldn't possibly imagine what Naruto was thinking right now.

"Bā-chan…what does this mean? Do I even _have_ a clan? I thought all my family was dead!"

"That's what we thought as well," Tsunade replied, standing from her seat. She absent-mindedly wandered over to the window, looking out onto the village. "But the Sandaime gave you your mother's name for a reason, Naruto. He probably understood that no one would recognize the name, and your father's enemies would not be aware you even existed."

Naruto was holding his head in his hands. There had been a long list of things he had been expecting Tsunade to want to talk to him about, but this…he never could have expected this. He didn't know whether to feel happy or angry. Maybe he still had family out there, but what if they were all like Raiā? What happened to him to make him such a cruel person? Was Rōjin the same way? Question after question formed in Naruto's mind, each screaming to be answered.

"I think I'm going to need some context here, Bā-chan," he said finally, rubbing his forehead. "Do we even know who my mom was?"

"I never knew her personally. But Jiraiya told me a thing or two about her. You'd be better off asking Kakashi."

It made sense. Naruto's father had been Kakashi's sensei during his time as a genin and onwards, and Naruto turned expectantly towards his own teacher, hoping for some answers.

"The time I had with Tō-chan…I never really got to ask him about mom. Kakashi-sensei…what was she like?"

Kakashi smiled, quite broadly, and Naruto felt his heart skip a beat.

"She was a wonderful woman, Naruto. She was kind, caring, and a deep love of life, something you've inherited. She did have a bit of a tempter sometimes, though…"

Naruto grinned. He was sad to never have met her, but happy at the same time to see Kakashi remembering her so fondly. "She sounds really cool!"

"Oh, she was and then some. I've never seen your father care for anyone the way he cared for Kushina."

"So that's her name…Kushina Uzumaki…" Naruto turned toward the window, where he could faintly make out his own reflection. Minato appeared behind his son's reflection, hands on his son's shoulders. Another figure appeared beside him, and while Naruto knew it was his mother, he couldn't make out what she looked like. He wished he could.

"I wish I could have met her…" he said sadly, the image of his family fading away. He hadn't noticed Kakashi was now beside him, and he placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder, maintaining a relaxed, yet firm grip.

"According to what little the Sandaime left behind in the village's records, your mother left her home when she was just a child." Tsunade explained. "Perhaps she fled for a reason. Perhaps her clan was experiencing a schism that threatened to turn to violence. I can't really say for sure…no one can."

"This is why you were brought along in the original mission, Naruto," Kakashi explained. "We didn't have enough information to feel justified bringing this to your attention until now, but we still felt it was your right to be there. I'm sorry that everything's turned out the way it has.

"You'll be informed of any progress the Sand makes on interrogating Raiā. Hopefully they'll discover his own reasons for leaving, but for now, we're in the dark."

"Does this mean that I could have more family out there?" Naruto asked, a hopeful look in his eye. "Maybe…maybe they're more like Kā-chan!"

Tsunade smiled. "For your sake, Naruto…I certainly hope so. I've sent a message to the other villages, asking for them to be on the lookout for people with a background similar to Raiā's. Quiet, keep to themselves, red hair…anything that might be considered suspicious. I'm worried someone else is looking for them, and not for the same reasons as we are."

Naruto frowned, folding his arms. "Is that why Sasuke was out there in the Land of Wind? Because he was sent to look for that Raiā guy?"

"If he was, that means that Madara is most likely involved, something that I'd really prefer not to be true. For now, we have to assume that Sasuke was there for his own reasons until we can gather more information. Though by the looks of things, we'll most likely have to accept the fact that Madara Uchiha is involved." Tsunade sighed again, reaching underneath the table. "I need a drink…"

Kakashi had been watching Naruto react to the news, trying to see what he was feeling and thinking.

"You seem to be handling this pretty well, Naruto. Is there something wrong?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't really know, Kakashi-sensei. To be honest, I don't really know _what_ to feel. This is the first time I've ever heard anything about my mom, and I'm really happy to know that I might have more family alive, but at the same time…"

He paused, looking for the right words to say. "Something had to have happened to make everyone run away from the village, right? What if it was bad? What if everyone else we find is the same way as Raiā. I'm worried that any remaining family I have will be…well, they'll be bad guys or something."

"I'd be amazed to find out your mother came from a family like that, Naruto," Kakashi reassured him, "If I had to take a guess, I'd say that something may have split the clan down the middle, with one half on one side of the issue, and others on the other half. If there are other Uzumaki out there, I'm sure they'll be like her!"

Naruto was smiling, but it was more of a mask than anything. His mind was everywhere at once, trying to decide what he thought about all of this. It would be nice if he could talk to Hinata about this…she would know what to say.

Tsunade grinned to herself. Naruto had a look on his face that said one thing and one thing only; he wanted to talk to a certain Hyūga. Tsunade praised the timing, as she herself needed to speak with the girl as well.

"So, Naruto…I have a mission for you!" she exclaimed, rubbing her hands together.

"A mission!? Really?" Naruto said excitedly, nearly jumping up and down in place. "What is it, what is it?"

"This is mission just for you…"

"Yeah…"

"I need you…"

"Yeah?"

"To go get Hinata for me!"

Naruto squinted his eyes shut, cocking his head to one side. "Wait…that's it?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yep, that's it. There's something I need to discuss with her, and since you're already here, why don't you just go get her for me?"

To her surprise, Naruto actually didn't seem too fond of the idea. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me you don't want to see Hinata?"

"No, no it's not like that or anything…I'm just not sure if she wants to see _me._"

Tsunade dismissed Naruto's fears with a wave of her hand. "Oh, I'm sure that's just a load of nonsense. Besides, this is an official mission I've given you, so you don't have a choice either way. Get going, my time is precious!"

Naruto stuck his tongue at her, and before she could react (violently, most likely), he leaped out the door, and was on his way.

"You think there's anything wrong between them?" Kakashi asked, referring to the blonde and his shy companion.

Tsunade snorted. "I don't care if there is. This'll fix it one way or another." She took another sip of her sake, and Kakashi just rolled his eyes. She had unorthodox methods, but this time, Kakashi couldn't help but agree with her. If there was something going on between the two, this would fix it.

* * *

><p><em>Knock Knock!<em>

Hinata jumped in her skin. She had been so concentrated in her book, that she didn't notice someone had walked up to her bedroom door, gently rapping on it from outside in the garden. Without checking through the window to see who it was, Hinata opened the door, and found Naruto Uzumaki on the other side, looking very uncomfortable.

"Uh…hey, Hinata…" he said quietly, giving her a little wave. Hinata instantly knew something was off, just from the way he was holding himself. She was about to ask why, when he suddenly burst into talking.

"Hinata, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now, and I'm really sorry for what happened last night. I should have left you alone, and I should be leaving you alone right now, but Bā-chan wanted me to come get you, and I didn't want everything to be awkward and…dammit!" He turned around, stepping back into the garden with one hand running through his hair. He was stressed out, and Hinata had no idea why.

"Naruto-kun…you're…sorry? For what?" she asked.

"For everything!" Naruto exclaimed, louder than he had intended. "For what I did after Sasuke…for what I said to you in Suna…when I bothered you last night! You probably don't even want to see me anymore, but I wanted to see you so badly that I wasn't thinking straight! Listen Hinata, I-"

But Hinata wouldn't hear of it. She stepped outside in the garden to join Naruto, strode right in front of him as he continued to rant, and promptly shut him up by kissing him. It was just a short little peck, but it worked like a charm, and Naruto just stood there, dumbfounded.

"You didn't bother me last night, Naruto-kun. I was just a little busy, and you surprised me. That's all, I swear."

She held her hands close to her chest, taking a step towards him. "I'm tired, Naruto-kun…tired of me being sorry, of hearing you be sorry…of us thinking the other one was mad at each other. I…I don't _care_ anymore, Naruto-kun. Can we just be sorry together, and put all of this behind us?" She clung to Naruto like he might disappear any second, not relaxing her grip for even a second.

"B-but, Hinata…I-"

"No buts," Hinata interrupted. "None of it ever happened, okay?"

Naruto stared at her. Was she for real? Could they just drop something like this, and go back to the way they were? Naruto didn't know. Weren't they supposed to work out their problems instead of burying them?

But then he thought about it more carefully. If last night had only been a misunderstanding, then maybe Hinata had forgiven him for the other stuff that had happened to. If that was the case, and everything had been worked out without Naruto even being aware of it, then maybe they _were_okay!

And as he finally hugged her back, he realized he didn't care to think about it anymore. He wanted to forget that they had ever been upset with one another, that they had ever had an argument or a fight or _whatever_ they should call that. He could smell the scent of her hair again, and he buried his face in her, overwhelmed that he could finally be with her again.

"I missed you," his muffled voice could be heard saying. Hinata giggled.

'I missed you too." She gave him one last squeeze, before finally letting go of him.

"And just for the record…" Hinata said, in a sing-song voice as she took ahold of Naruto's hand. "It's not that I didn't want to see you last night, Naruto-kun. I was just really busy with something, and was surprised to see you, that's all."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously. "Yeah, you told me already! But now I feel stupid for thinking you were still mad!"

But Hinata felt unusually playful, and wagged a finger in front of him. "Naruto-kun, what did I just say? Let's just drop it, okay? From now on, nothing even happened between us."

Naruto grinned. "Deal. Is it alright if I come with you when you leave for the Hokage's office? There's some stuff I want to talk to you about."

Hinata giggled again. "Why do you think I'm holding your hand?"

Naruto just then realized that she had been holding his hand, and had been pulling him along through the garden. "Oh. Great!"

* * *

><p>"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Hinata asked after they had started on the main road towards the Hokage's office.<p>

Naruto took a minute to think about it. How did he want to say it? He wanted Hinata's honest opinion…well, since they just got past a huge issue of trust, Naruto doubted she would want to lie again, even if it was just a little white fib.

"You know that Raiā guy? The one we caught in the Land of Wind?"

"Mhm-hmm." Hinata affirmed, nodding curtly. She hadn't even been around that man when he was conscious, and had felt nothing but uncomfortable around him. Underneath that wrinkled exterior, she could see something horrible underneath.

"Well, there's a chance I might actually be related to him."

Hinata nearly tripped, stepping over her own foot. She stopped walking, and slowly turned to face Naruto, disbelief written all over her delicate features. Naruto had to be joking, right? Naruto was kind, and a wonderful person to be around…but that man…he was just _foul_.

She searched his eyes and face, looking for _any_ sign that he was joking or was mistaken. But he didn't move, and Hinata slowly came to terms with the fact that he was telling the truth.

"Naruto-kun…you're serious…"

Naruto gave her a half-smile. "Believe me, Hinata, I wish I wasn't…I was just as surprised as you are now. Bā-chan and Kakashi-sensei told me, just before I came to get you."

"H-how do they know?" Hinata asked. "Did those files Kakashi-sensei had tell you?"

"They told me they couldn't be sure of anything right now, but just that they had a strong idea that he was part of the Uzumaki clan. That guy who we looked into at the Land of Rivers…they think he's an Uzumaki too."

Hinata gripped Naruto's arm tightly, and the look in her eyes brought him comfort. "Oh, Naruto-kun…that's horrible! Does this m-mean someone's after you?"

"I don't know…from what Bā-chan talked to me about, they think there may be others out there, in hiding. Maybe…maybe they're not all like that Raiā guy! Maybe they're people I'd want to meet!"

"There has to be, Naruto-kun, there has to be!" Hinata hugged him again, smiling into his jacket. "If there's an Uzumaki like you in the world, there has to be another. There just has to."

Naruto smiled warmly, hugging her back. "Thanks, Hinata. I hope there is too. Kakashi-sensei told me a little about my mom today, so that gives me some hope that there might be others out there like her!"

"Your mother?" Hinata said, confused. "Kakashi-sensei told you about your mother?"

"Yeah, he said Kā-chan was really nice and gentle with people!" Leaving out the part about her occasional temper, Naruto added "She reminds me a lot of you, Hinata."

Hinata blushed, and thanked Naruto for the compliment. She was happy to see that Naruto had taken something like this so well, but at the same she couldn't help but feel a little sad as well. Naruto didn't have any family to care for him and love him like the others in the village did, and when he finds out he may actually have living family, they turn out to be someone like Raiā. Hinata subconsciously brought herself closer to him, wanting to show that she could, and always would be there for him if needed.

* * *

><p>In an unusual role reversal, it was Naruto who thought that he should drop off Hinata outside the building, instead of accompanying her inside like she insisted. They had gotten through their first hurdle as a couple, and Hinata was feeling particularly affectionate. As a result, she refused to release her grip on his arm no matter how many times he tried to wriggle out. Eventually she got him under control by staring at him with wide, innocent eyes, something that Naruto ended up dubbing 'The Look'.<p>

Hinata made a mental note. Use 'The Look' whenever she wanted some Naruto attention.

They knocked on the door, and Tsunade summoned them inside. Kakashi, seeing them walk in with Hinata practically dragging Naruto inside, grumbled something incoherent, and tried to discreetly hand her some money.

"What're you doing, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, pointing at his hand. "What was that you gave Bā-chan just now?"

"Don't worry about it, Naruto. I'm glad you're here, as there was something I needed to discuss with you before you talked to anyone. You didn't tell anyone about what we talked about, did you?"

The look on both Naruto's and Hinata's faces gave them away, and this time it was Tsunade handing over some money, much to Kakashi's delight.

"Told you." The jōnin began to count his winnings, while Tsunade stared the couple down.

"It's really my fault for neglecting to mention this to you, Naruto, but still…what we discussed cannot leave this room, with the exception for Hinata. That goes the same for you, young lady. We can't let this information leak to _anyone_ until I give the say so. I don't care who gets curious, and what they threaten to do if you don't tell them, you keep this to yourself. Am I understood?"

Both Hinata and Naruto nodded rapidly, well aware that Tsunade's wrath was the most fearsome of all. The Godaime seemed satisfied with their fear, and smirked.

"Good…that's what I like to see! Now, Hinata wanted to speak to me in private, so Naruto, you and Kakashi need to scram."

Naruto was curious about what Hinata wanted to talk to the Hokage alone about, but since this was the _Hokage _they were talking about, it was most likely something that wasn't any of his business. He squeezed Hinata's hand gently, before walking out the door, Kakashi following after him. They shut the door behind them, giving the two women some privacy.

Tsunade beckoned her over to the other side of her desk, where she had a piece of paper waiting.  
>"Here you are. I sent out what you asked, and these are the people that responded. I doubt you'll have much luck, but I suppose there's no reason not to try, right?"<p>

Hinata nodded happily. "Y-Yes…thank you, Tsunade-sama! I really appreciate this."

"No need to thank me! After all, you're the one who's going to be doing all the work. I wish I could help you, but I don't have the eyes you do. Well, that and I'm a little tipsy right now."

She laughed at her own joke, tipping over the now empty bottle of sake. She saw Hinata looking over the piece of paper she had given her thoroughly, and smiled.

"It's really great that you're doing this for Naruto, Hinata. I'm sure he'll love it, no matter how many pieces you manage to find."

"I hope he does, Tsunade-sama. He always took great care of it. Are you sure you don't mind? After all it was-"

Tsunade snorted, clapping Hinata on the back. "I already told you not to worry about it! I let go a long time ago, and Naruto deserves it more than me anyways. You just need to worry about getting as many pieces of it as you can before the big day sneaks up on you, alright?"

Hinata nodded again. "Yes, Tsunade-sama! I'll do my best!"

"Good girl. Now…care for a drink?" Tsunade had no intention of sharing her prized alcohol with the Hyūga princess (who probably wouldn't want any anyways), but it was her way of casually dismissing Hinata from her office.

"No thank you, Tsunade-sama. I need to go ahead and get started, so I better leave." She paused for a second, laughing to herself about something.

"What's so funny?" Tsunade asked, after taking her first sip.

"It's just that…well, I never would have had enough time to do this if my father hadn't asked you to punish me with the same probation as Naruto-kun received."

The Godaime certainly found that amusing, and laughed long and loud. The alcohol may have been a factor, but it was funny nonetheless.

"Everything's alright between you two, right?" Tsunade asked, referring to Hinata's relationship with her father. "When I first heard about that, I just got a weird vibe."

"I…don't really know, Tsunade-sama. I'm afraid of what he's thinking, but he hasn't done anything yet, s I don't have any reason to be angry with him."

"Well, just remember this: You do what makes _you_ happy. You're an adult now, and he can't control who you are any longer."

Hinata smiled softly. "Th-thank you, Tsunade-sama. I'll remember that." She bowed, excused herself from the room, and left Konoha's biggest alcoholic to herself, with only a mountain of paperwork and a sake bottle to keep herself company. One could only imagine which one she preferred.

Hinata shut the door, and almost skipped down the stairs. The list Tsunade had given her wasn't much, but it was a lot more than Hinata first expected she was going to get. The more people were written down, the better chance Hinata had of making her present for Naruto. It would be special, heart-felt, and hopefully Naruto would love it.

* * *

><p>She stopped once she was outside of the building, and took a look at the first name written down. She wasn't exactly sure who it was, but she at least recognized the address as somewhere near the southern part of the village. With this information in tow, Hinata headed down the road to begin her search.<p>

After about 15 minutes, she finally came across the correct address, a small home surrounded by much larger ones. She shyly rapped on the door, hoping someone was home. At first, she didn't hear anything or anyone on the other side, and was about to leave, when she finally heard the door creak open. Hinata turned around to find one of the oldest women she'd ever seen standing there, smiling broadly.

"May I help you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Um…yes. I'm looking for something, and I was hoping you could be of help!" Hinata replied, folding up her list and putting it in her pocket.

The woman smiled, and turned back inside the house. "Of course, dear…I'd love to. Come inside, and we can talk about it over some tea. You _would_ like some tea, correct?"

Hinata nodded and smiled back. "That sounds lovely. Thank you!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Just want to say this: for those that might be curious why Naruto didn't get mad at Tsunade not telling him about all of this earlier, it's because she didn't want to jump to any conclusions until she had more info. Naruto is smart enough to figure that out.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Don't hesitate to bring something up if it catches your attention. All feedback is greatly appreciated.

Until next time.


	34. Omake 2: Team AsumaTeam Guy Team-Up!

**Author's Note:** A lot of you are probably wondering why this chapter is coming so late compared to the time of day when I usually release them. Well, I figured there was a bunch of people who never saw the story because they lived in a different timezone, so I thought I'd give them a chance to check it out.

Now there's something I'd like to talk about. Earlier last week another reader (who will remain anonymous for their own privacy) released his/her own story out for people to check out. They were absolutely destroyed by bad reviews, and I'm worried their self-confidence took a major blow.

This is not because they've talked to me or anything. I'm saying something only because what I saw was completely appalling.

I'm pretty sure a lot of us come here because we can be ourselves, and not have to worry about others judging us for our interests. So why in the ABSOLUTE FUCK would you decide it's okay to put other people down as _soon_ as you're behind a computer screen? No one who's subscribed to _this_ story is any of the people I'm talking about, but if you _do_ dabble in this, I hope a cactus gets rammed up your asshole. (I haven't seen something like this yet, and I sorely hope I never do.)

If you don't like a story, **just stop reading and move on without another word**. There is no need to make the author feel like shit. Criticism is completely fine, but if you're just going to insult them and complain, then you're no better than any other jerkoff.

This is a community of people who all love the same thing. Just because someone doesn't hold to your standards doesn't mean they deserve to be turned away from that community. I am a patient person most of the time, but if you don't show people, no matter how distasteful, a little goddamn common courtesy, you are a jackass. Or an asshat. Whichever you prefer.

Okayyyy, enough ranting out of me! That was to none of you in particular, as like I said I haven't seen any of you guys do something like that yet, but I just felt something needed to be said. On with the chapter!

**(Dec. 3rd update: I finally remembered to rename this chapter as the second omake. It's not necessarily lacking in content, but as StormyRebel pointed out, it really isn't required for the story. So if you want to keep on rolling with the main plot, feel free to skip on ahead!)**

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 16 - Bringing Everything Together! Team Asuma and Team Guy Work Hard!<strong>

It was a beautiful day in the village. Actually, to say it was beautiful might even be an understatement. The frosty weather that was slowly approaching with coming October month had cooled the air surrounding the village, and while the sun refused to yield entirely, a crisp breeze wound its way through the streets and through the trees, sending a chill up the spine of anyone who thought they could dress more scantily. Gentle clouds rolled over the tops of the buildings, so low to the ground you could swear to be able to reach out and touch them.

It was all Shikamaru wanted to do. But unfortunately for him, he was out with Ino and Chōji, getting together all the snacks and food that would be present at the massive surprise party that Hinata was planning for Naruto.

"Did we _really_ have to choose today to leave the village looking for _food_?" he complained, snorting loudly. "I mean, look at the weather. It would have been much nicer, and much less troublesome by the way, if we had picked another day."

Chōji seemed horrified by the very idea. "You can't wait until the last minute when it comes to food, Shikamaru! What if something were to go wrong with the catering? We have to have a backup! Not to mention we need to make sure the food fits the theme of the decorations that Lee and the others got, make sure a balance of healthy food and snacks are available, oh and we also-"

"We get it Chōji…jeez!" Ino piped in. "You're giving me a headache with all this food talk!"

"Don't tell me you don't like it anymore?" Chōji asked, giving his teammate a sly grin. Ino, despite her personality, blushed. She cursed herself for still letting Chōji have that effect on her.

Shikamaru yawned. The fact that the two were now dating should have come as a complete surprise to Shikamaru, but he never really cared all that much. Sure, he was happy for the two of them, that's for sure, he just thought it was troublesome that they did all this 'couple' stuff right in front of him.

"It's not that I don't like it!" Ino protested, covering herself with her arms. "I'm just embarrassed, is all. I've been gaining a little weight, you know…"

That _was_ something that Shikamaru had picked up on. Not that he was stupid enough to mention it himself, but Ino had in fact been putting on a few extra pounds in the recent weeks. Dating an Akimichi will do that to you, but Shikamaru didn't see what the cause for all the fuss was; Ino still looked fine to him.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you're beautiful no matter big or small you get?"

Ino gave him a cheeky grin. "Well….maybe just _one _more time."

Chōji rolled his eyes, even though inwardly he loved it when she did that. "Trust me, Ino…I don't even believe you when you say you've gained weight. You look perfect!"

"You're so sweet!" Ino squealed, much to Shikamaru's chagrin.

"Alright, enough already with the lovey-dovey stuff, okay! First you give Ino a headache, and now I'm getting one!"

"Do I need to compliment your body too then, Shikamaru?" Chōji asked, snickering to himself. Ino wasn't as reserved, and openly laughed her ass off as Shikamaru blushed a fiery red.

"Man, this is so troublesome…I should have stayed home today."

"Where exactly are we going, Chōji?" Ino asked. "I mean, I'll defer to your culinary expertise, but I'd at least like to know what we're after."

Chōji's mouth began to water just thinking about it. "Where are we going, you ask? Only to the most fantastic barbeque place in the entire shinobi world! Imagine it; pulled pork so tender and juicy it falls apart in your mouth and just dissolves away…"

"That does sound pretty good," Ino commented, rubbing her stomach as it growled. It was one of the downsides to dating Chōji; she was starting to get hungry _all _the time. Not that it mattered, since she was the only one Chōji was actually willing to pay for besides himself.

"Oh, it's better than 'pretty good'," Chōji replied. "It's one of the only few restaurants I'm willing to actually leave the village for. The food is _that_ good."

"I'm guessing this is what you're getting Naruto, then?" Shikamaru said. "Food this good can't be cheap. It will probably cost a fortune to bring enough for all the people Hinata invited to this. Man, I should have suggested just a few of us, so we wouldn't have to deal with all this troublesome stuff."

It was a clever thought on Shikamaru's part. As Chōji explained, the food was indeed very much expensive, and often required a reservation months in advance in order to even eat inside. But Chōji didn't seem the slightest bit worried.

"You see, the owner is an old friend of my dad's. When he was just starting out, this other guy who owned a restaurant across the road starting extorting money from him, and because he didn't have the customer base needed to hold up to that yet, he could barely afford it month after month. But then one day my dad comes along, and it's the best meal he's ever had! When he comes back later in the week after his mission, he walks in on the guy from the other restaurant getting his money. Well, dad doesn't like that one bit, so he beats the crap out of him!"

"Way to go, Chōji's dad!" Ino said happily. Shikamaru merely smiled, glad the jerk got what was coming to him.

"You bet! And he beat him up so badly, the guy just packed up and left, didn't even bother closing down his restaurant! The man is so grateful, thanking him over and over, but Dad didn't want any reward like he was offering; he was just happy that the man was making good food, and was an honest man. To help even more, when my dad got back to the village, he took the entire clan and plenty of his friends out to eat there, spreading the reputation to like, the entire village overnight! The guy has so much business now he doesn't know what to do with the revenue, but he always remembered what my dad did for him, and has never forgotten that it was good food and good service that got him that stroke of luck. I bet he'll be happy to help us with getting enough food for Naruto's party!"

Shikamaru nodded. It was a sound plan. "That sounds like a really cool story, Chōji…I'm glad your family was able to help him like that. And while I hate to play the Devil's advocate, I wonder what we'll do if the guy refuses, or maybe if he's retired?"

Chōji just laughed. "I appreciate the concern, Shikamaru, but you don't have to worry about a thing! I've been to this place every year for my birthday since I could walk, so he's definitely still here. We're almost as close as he and my dad are, so I doubt he'll be unwilling to at least give us a discount."

"That'll still be a lot of money if he's not willing to help out for free…" Ino added. It's not that she was greedy or anything, she was just worried that they might not have enough in their combined savings to pay for it all. She wanted to make this day special for Naruto just as much as everyone else did, and if it cost her a little money, so what?

"Sometimes I wish I could take this on like Naruto does…" Shikamaru grumbled. "That guy never worries, and things just seem to work out for him all the time."

The other two laughed at the truth in that statement, and their worries were eased, just as if the Uzumaki had been there in the first place.

* * *

><p>According to what Chōji had told them, the restaurant was a little more than an hour's walk outside Konoha, situated on the border of a much smaller village. However, it didn't take nearly that long before they started to realize that they were getting close. The road got busier ever so slightly over the hour, and by the time the restaurant actually came into view, people literally covered the streets, all hoping there wouldn't be a line outside. Their hopes were in vain, as the line easily stretched outside of the restaurant, and even several dozen meters down the road.<p>

"How are we supposed to get through _this_?" Ino asked, gesturing to the behemoth in front of them. It was a valid question. Even if the line was made up of naked women and Jiraiya himself was visiting, he would have a hard time scaring them off. Chōji once again didn't seem the slightest bit worried, and strode to the front of the line.

Several people immediately started complaining, going on about waiting all day and night for their spot in line. Chōji turned around to assure them that he only wanted to talk to the owner, and he heard a voice come from behind him.

"Sir, you can't just expect to jump to the front of the line with this many people. Do you even have a reservation?"

Chōji smiled to himself, turning around to find a young man, not 5 years older than he was, thumbing through a book.

"I don't have a reservation…but I think Tabemono will see me."

The boy's brow furrowed. "How do you know…" he looked up, and nearly had to pick his jaw up off from the floor.

"Chōji?" he said, trying to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. When the Akimichi nodded, the man nearly jumped out of his clothes, rushing over to crush Chōji in a bear hug.

"It's so good to see you! What brings you all the way out here? Is your father with you? Haha, my father will be so happy to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Keishoku. It's actually just me and a couple friends. Do you think Tabemono has a few minutes for us to talk to him?"

Keishoku nodded eagerly. "I would like to think so! Come in, come in! Oh, those are your friends! Welcome, welcome! You must be so proud to have an Akimichi as your comrade!"

Shikamaru couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Oh yeah…it's like hanging out with royalty. After you, Chōji-sama."

Chōji mentioned something about a 'smartass' as Keishoku led them inside, assuring the crowd of people outside that they wouldn't be waiting much longer. Once inside, Shikamaru and Ino really understood just how far this restaurant's reputation must have spread because of Chōza Akimichi's words of praise. From what they could tell, people as far as Kumo had traveled here to sample its fine meats, and from the drool pooling on their plates and the sides of their mouths, it was worth the travel time and money.

"Hey….hey, Shikamaru…" Ino whispered, tugging at his sleeve.

"What?" he grunted, taking his eyes off a steaming rack of ribs.

"We're eating lunch here, right? It's weird…I don't even feel hungry right now, but I think I could like, eat this _entire_ restaurant if they couldn't stop me."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, for once I think I know what you mean. I'm starting to understand what it feels like to be Chōji, and I haven't even spent 5 minutes in this place."

Thankfully, before they ate the restaurant out of house and home, they arrived back at the kitchen. The smells were much different back here, but no less appetizing. They were only about halfway through the sprawling kitchen before Chōji realized that he needed to stand behind his two teammates to keep an eye on them, unless he wanted them to start stealing food.

And all the way in the back, was an elderly man. He looked no younger than 90, and yet he was faster on his feet and quicker with his hands than anyone else in the kitchen. Food just seemed to fly out of his station, and Shikamaru didn't have to take a second guess.

This must be Tabemono.

He didn't even notice the new arrivals at first, far too concentrated on preparing his latest order to socialize with anyone past telling them to get out of the way. It wasn't until his son slapped him on the shoulder did he realize someone was trying to speak to him.

"…Chōji? Is that you?" he asked, squinting his eyes. He blindly reached for a pair of glasses, and when he put them on, Ino had to stifle a giggle. They made his eyes humongous behind the thick glass, giving him the appearance of a fish as he let his mouth hang open.

"It is you!" he suddenly yelped, throwing Chōji into yet another bear hug. "And who are these two? Friends of yours?" he asked, noticing Shikamaru and Ino standing further back. He didn't even wait for Chōji to confirm that they were supposed to be back there, before waddling over and hugging them as well. "Welcome, all of you! Please, come back to my office where we can talk in private!"

He led them through the kitchen, towards a thick wooden door. When he closed it behind them, Shikamaru and Ino noticed that all the sound from out in the kitchen had disappeared.

"I know what you're thinking," Tabemono chuckled. "I'm getting a little on in years, so every now and again I need to take a break, and get away from all the hustle and bustle of this business. In just a few years, my son will take over, and I'll be able to retire and live the rest of my years in peace."

Keishoku smirked. "Tō-san…if you were going to retire, you would have done that a long time ago. You've been saying you'll retire for what, five years now?"

His father snorted, turning his attention to Chōji. "It's so wonderful to see you again. Is there something I can help you with?"

Chōji nodded. "You bet! I know it may sound like a lot, but me and my friends are willing to pay if necessary."

"Of course!" Tabemono exclaimed. "I'd be happy to help the son of one of my oldest friends! Just tell me what it is, and I'll be happy to oblige."

"That's great! Thanks a lot, Tabemono-san!" Chōji said happily, shaking the elderly man's hand. "Anyway…it's a friend of ours' birthday, and he deserves nothing less than the best food in the entire Land of Fire!"

Tabemono smiled warmly. "What wonderful friends he has, willing to plan such a thing for him. May I ask what the young man's name is? If you want me to personally address the catering, I'll need his name."

"Sure thing! It's Naruto Uzumaki!"

Tabemono dropped the pen he was holding, and his eyes bulged out. He hadn't misheard, had he? Did Chōji just say Naruto Uzumaki?

"I'm…I'm sorry. I can't do this…" he said quietly, much to the other's surprise.

"Tabemono-san? What're you talking about?" Chōji asked. Surely this man didn't have anything against Naruto when he had never met him?

"I…I can't take money for something like this…" Tabemono replied, his voice choking up. "I owe more to that child than you can possibly imagine!"

He was tearing up, and his son reached over and rubbed his father's hand, comforting him. He turned to the others, smiling broadly.

"You see, everyone…my mother was in the village when it was attacked by the one they called Pain. If Naruto-san hadn't been there…"

"This is my chance!" Tabemono suddenly yelped, leaping to his feet. "At last, I have the opportunity to thank that blessed child for saving my wife! I could never take money from you for this, Chōji! I insist I handle everything free of charge! No buts about it, I won't accept anything else!"

Chōji laughed out loud, reaching out with his hand again. "Sounds like a deal, Tabemono-san! We all really appreciate this!"

"It's my pleasure! Now, just tell me when you need everything, and I'll personally head up the delivery!"

* * *

><p>Tabemono and Chōji went over the details of everything he knew about the party; in other words, the who, where, and when. Tabemono seemed to take Naruto's preference of ramen as a challenge of his skill, and started getting fired up to cook the best meat he had in years, days before he even needed to. In the meantime, Keishoku gave Ino and Shikamaru a tour of the restaurant, talking about the planned expansion of the restaurant to seat more people, as well as some of the more famous patrons that had visited over the years. He also prepared for them a small lunch to enjoy once Chōji and his father finished up with everything, as he was able to hear their stomachs growling over the roar of the kitchen.<p>

Finally, Chōji emerged from the office, giving his friends a thumbs-up. They licked their lips greedily, ready to dig into the veritable feast that Keishoku had prepared for them. However, the next words Chōji said to them nearly made them lose their appetite.

"Hold on, guys! The food will have to wait until later! We still have stuff to do, so we can just save it for later!"

Shikamaru was not a person who showed what he was thinking. But after that outburst, even he wasn't capable of hiding his surprise.

"You're…you're kidding, right? _You_ want to wait on food until later?"

Chōji looked at him as if it were obvious. "Well, yeah! First off, I want to make sure I'm _really _hungry before we chow down. Second, we still have to make sure dessert is covered!"

Shikamaru and Ino actually groaned as Chōji dragged them out the door, their stomachs begging to be satisfied. But for now, they would have to wait.

* * *

><p>"Hurry, dear friends! We mustn't be late!"<p>

"Tell me again why we let Lee take the lead for this one," Tenten whispered angrily to Neji, who looked as frustrated as she did. "Like, did we draw straws or…?"

"Lee seems to be the only one who actually knows what he wants to do," Neji replied. "I don't have to tell you twice when I say that we would be of no help when deciding what to get for Lady Hinata's party for Naruto."

Tenten almost seemed offended. "What do you mean by that? What, you don't think I'm capable of deciding what colors look good together just because I'm not all girly-girl?"

Neji rubbed his palm down the front of his face, sighing. "You know that's not what I meant by that. I was not saying that you have no skill at such a thing, only that you and I wouldn't know where to start and-"

"Is something wrong, Neji? Tenten?" They looked up to find Lee staring at them, looking concerned. "Do you need a moment of 'private time' like we discussed?"

Neji's cheeks heated up as he shoved Lee's face out of their personal space. "NO, Lee. This is nothing like _that_ at all. Tenten and I were simply having a discussion, that's all."

Lee smiled broadly. "Very well, Neji! If you insist! Onward, we have much to do today!"

Tenten grinned to herself. Watching Neji put up with Lee never ceased to put her in a good mood, no matter what happened beforehand. He was still getting used to accepting the fact that there were just going to be some times that Tenten wanted some affection, no matter how many people happened to be in the area. At first she was just as embarrassed as he was when she saw everyone staring at them, but as time wore on, and she realized how much it stressed Neji out, she made a game out of it, a game that Lee usually made all the more fun without even trying.

"Lee, this friend of yours better be of help," Neji lectured, having ceased trying to shake off Tenten from his arm. "There's not much time left to spare running around on wild goose chases."

"Have no fear, Neji! Our problems will all be solved in mere minutes!" Lee called back. He had, just like Guy would have, turned their journey into a training exercise, running ahead and seeing how many push-ups he could do before Neji and Tenten caught up to him.

What Lee was referring to, was a friend he supposedly had that could help them with choosing the decoration for Naruto's party. None of them had a creative bone in their body, and were willing enough to see who Lee had in mind. They seemed to be growing close, as Lee was getting more and more excited with every step.

They stopped in front of an apartment complex, and Lee silently gave them a thumbs-up as he raced over to the intercom to be invited up. He pushed the button, and screamed into the speaker.

"GUY-SENSEI! WE HAVE ARRIVED!"

Neji lost all the color in his face, and Tenten choked on her next breath.

"YOUR '_FRIEND_' IS JUST GUY?" They both yelled in unison, in a state of shock. But really, why should they be surprised? Lee worshiped the very air that man occupied, and Neji winced when Guy's enthusiastic voice howled back through the intercom.

"WELCOME FRIENDS! I HAVE OPENED THE DOOR, SO PLEASE COME RIGHT ON UP AND WE SHALL GET STARTED ON OUR YOUTHFUL TASK!"

The intercom wasn't even necessary; Guy's voice was so loud they could hear him from the actual building, and Neji took a few steps back.

"This is our one chance to run for it," he advised, motioning for Tenten to follow him. She started walking over to him, trying to sneak past Lee, but he turned around at the last second and grabbed ahold of both of their arms.

"You're going the wrong way, friends! Guy's home is this way!" They tried to wriggle out from underneath his grip, but Lee wasn't letting up, and Neji and Tenten relented to the fact that they were actually going inside Guy's house. The land of no return.

But with every flight of stairs they climbed towards the top of the building, their confusion grew. The apartments seemed to get nicer and nicer the further they went up. Surely Guy didn't live this close to the penthouse, did he?

And as it turned out, they were right. Guy lived _in_ the penthouse, taking up the entire top floor with his apartment. They could tell he lived there as soon as they noticed the welcome mat screaming 'WELCOME DEAR FRIENDS' at them.

Lee didn't even knock on the door before Guy opened it, having apparently been waiting on the other side. They tearfully embraced each other, crying out each other's names. It was disturbing, to say the least.

"Don't think I forgot about the two of you!" Guy exclaimed, reaching for the rest of his former genin squad. "It's been too long!"

Neji took a step back. "It's been two days, Guy-sensei. Please, control yourself!"

"Of course, of course! I must have gotten a little overenthusiastic! How unlike me! Come in, my former students, come in!"

Ignoring the claim that being overenthusiastic was 'unlike' Guy, his former students stepped inside, not wanting to be rude. Neji took a double-take; Tenten did the same.

Guy's house was…._nice?_

Everything was well kept, and surprisingly tasteful. No gaudy posters of youth or leopard-print rugs like they were expecting. It looked like any number of classy people could have taken residence, a far cry from who _really_ lived there. It was just so un-Guy, Neji and Tenten were having trouble believing that he actually lived here.

Lee could tell what they were thinking, and raced to the middle of the room, spreading his arms. "Isn't Guy-sensei's home just the most amazing thing you've ever seen!? I could barely believe my eyes when I first visited!"

Guy laughed at his star pupil's praise. "Of course, Lee! What else would you expect from Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey!" He laughed again, putting his hands on his hips.

"I am impressed…" Neji said aloud, touching the wall nearest to him. "But for entirely different reasons…"

Their sensei beckoned for them to follow him into the kitchen, which was of a similar style to the entryway. It looked like he washed his dishes when he was done with them instead of letting them pile up in the sink, and enjoyed a variety of foods as opposed to the entirely health-supplement diet Neji and Tenten were expecting. In the middle of the table sat a bowl of fresh fruit, and Guy insisted they help themselves while he poured them some tea.

"So…Lee informed me that you need my help, but time was too short to inform me of any details. What is it I can help you with?"

Lee was too busy stuffing his face with a banana, so Neji decided to take the lead. "Well, Guy-sensei…Lee told us that you'd be able to help us with deciding what to get for decorations. Apparently he greatly respects your…um, your sense of _style_." It took more effort to spit out those words than Neji had expected, and he hoped Guy wouldn't notice. But his sensei just laughed, winking.

"Of course Lee does, and why shouldn't he? My sense of style is adored by the entire village, rivaled by no one!"

"Except maybe Naruto, of course…" Tenten whispered, sending her into a fit of giggles. Neji was much more reserved, but still struggled to keep his face straight.

"What was that about Naruto?"

"Uhh…that's what we need you for!" Tenten hastened to say, thinking on her feet. "You see, it's his birthday-"

"I ACCEPT!" Guy roared, leaping to his feet. His legs bumped into the table, nearly sending the drinks he had just finished pouring for his students all over them. Neji sighed. That was more like it.

"I would be honored to help you in deciding what looks best for Naruto's date of birth! Ahhh, just think of it, Lee! Is there not a more youthful day than the day we celebrate your very existence?"

Lee was fighting off tears again. "Of course, Guy-sensei! It is the very essence of youth!"

"Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"LEE!"

"GUY-SENSEI!"

"Would you two behave even somewhat close to your age!?" Neji snapped, rubbing his temples. "Honestly, you're going to give me a headache…"

"They already gave _me_ one…" Tenten complained, glaring at Guy and his younger doppelganger.

Guy coughed, trying to regain his composure. "Of course, Neji! How could I forget that calm and collected is just another beautiful aspect of youth?"

He wandered over to one of the kitchen drawers, pulling out several markers and a blank piece of paper.

"Let's get started, shall we!" he exclaimed, slapping his supplies onto the table with more vigor than necessary. "The key to succeeding in our mission is to not forget that Naruto is the one we must keep in mind, as it is his youthful day we are celebrating!"

"Of course, Guy-sensei! Your wisdom amazes me!" Lee fired back, stars in his eyes.

Guy laughed, before pushing the markers towards the other side of the table, towards his students. "Now…what do we know about Naruto? What comes to mind when you think about him? Look at the colors and tell us what you see."

Lee was the first to speak, pushing the orange and black markers forward. "Guy-sensei, should we use the colors orange and black? They are the colors of the tracksuit that Naruto holds so dear!"

"Ohh, Lee…you still have so much to learn," Guy said, shaking his head. "If we were to use these two colors, people would think that we were planning a Halloween party, not a birthday party!"

"Yes, Guy-sensei! I was foolish!"

Guy smiled. "What about you two? What do you see?"

Tenten leaned forward, picking at the yellow one. "What about this? His hair is blonde, and all…does that have anything to do with this?"

"You're on the right trail, Tenten! Neji, what about you?"

Neji had as much of a mind for art as a gorilla did, and no matter how hard he stared at the colors in front of him, nothing would come to mind. He blushed red, and shrugged.

"I'll help; let's take out the black, and leave the yellow and orange. What do those two colors remind you of?"

"Tropical fruits?" The Hyūga answered, feeling even more foolish. Guy laughed out loud, slapping the table with his hand.

"Not quite!" he leaned forward, smirking. "You look a little _red_, Neji! Perhaps you need a minute to calm down!" It would be obvious to anyone that Guy was offering Neji a hint, but he just didn't seem to catch on. Poor man.

Tenten suddenly pushed the red marker forward. "What if we use red too, since his birthday is in October? Get a whole autumn thing going?"

"SO CLOSE TO VICTORY, TENTEN. QUICKLY, WHAT ELSE DO THESE COLORS REMIND YOU OF?" Guy was getting excited. Maybe Tenten should just give him the wrong answer to avoid his heart bursting.

Nah…she liked watching Neji squirm too much.

"Fire?" she said calmly, ready for the fireworks. Right on cue, Guy started thrashing his arms up and down, knocking into the table with more than enough force to send the bowl of fruit flying into the air. Time slowed down as Neji looked up at the incoming missiles, and he silently closed his eyes, and awaited his fate.

The fruit exploded onto Neji's head with a surprising amount of punch, splattering his entire upper half with pulp and juice. Guy hardly seemed to notice, too busy congratulating Tenten.

"GREAT WORK, TENTEN! YOU'RE MIND IS AT ITS MOST YOUTHFUL, I SEE!" He sat back down at the table, banging his fists with a wide grin. "Yes, Fire! The Will of Fire, to be exact! Naruto is just the kind of youthful presence this village needs to represent our beloved way of life, as he is fiery and passionate, and refuses to be extinguished!" For what was probably the third or fourth time that day, tears started spilling from Guy's eyes, which meant that Lee wouldn't be that far behind.

"OF COURSE, GUY-SENSEI! WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT BEFORE!?"

"LEE!"

"GUY-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GUY-SENS-"

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!?" Tenten suddenly roared, her reserves of patience completely spent. She rose from the table, hands on her hips like she was scolding some overzealous children.

Oh wait…she was.

"Honestly, there are other people living here, you know! Have you ever considered that maybe they want some peace and quiet?" She plopped back into her chair, fuming.

Neji leaned over to her ear. "I love it when you do that…" Tenten certainly hadn't expected that, and blushed a bright red as Guy and Lee finally started calming down.

"Of course, Tenten-san…I guess I may have overreacted a little!"

"I as well. Can you forgive us?"

The two of them were getting a little close for comfort, so Tenten hastily offered that everything was alright, to which returned the dynamic duo back to their old selves.

"Right! Let's get back to work team! There's still so much to do! So much to plan!"

Neji sighed. This was going to be a _long _day.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong> I can completely understand if this chapter was nothing but 'meh' to most of you, seeing as how we didn't get a hide nor hair of either Naruto or Hinata. Still, I hope the humor made up for some of that, and I promise some pretty _interesting_ stuff will happen come with the next chapter, which might be farther off than usual. I doubt longer than a week at maximum, but you never know. My computer could spontaneously combust or something.

Sorry about the rant, and I hope I'll see you at the next chapter!

Until next time.


	35. Kiba Snaps! It's About Time!

**Author's Note:** Man, the updates are just rolling out the door, aren't they?

So hey, I wanted to thank you guys for the concern you showed about my little rant last chapter. It's nice to know that all of you are the reason this site is awesome!

Going with a suggestion **StormyRebel** gave me, I have decided that it was best to change the previous chapter into the second omake. It's certainly relevant to the universe I'm making, but story-wise, it can be skipped over should people want to get back to the main storyline. I'll just rename them since that's all that's needed, but I'll wait after a few more chapters to do so.

That being said, this chapter doesn't have Naruto or Hinata in it either, but it's got some important interaction between two characters later on, so I encourage you to check it out.

On with the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 17 - Kiba Snaps! It's About Time Someone Said This!<strong>

It was now the day before Naruto's birthday. All the other preparations had been made, except for convincing Tsunade to let everyone off that day, as well as getting Naruto's presents together, and both of those tasks fell to Sakura. This was her day off, and even though it had pained her to reject a day of relaxing and lazing about the house, this was far more important.

Sai was accompanying her to help with convincing Tsunade, but he probably wouldn't be of too much help. Social matters were still mostly a mystery to him, and if he was to do anything today, Sakura could take a wild guess that it would be making things worse.

He had a knack for that.

"I understand that more than one person is often helpful in trying to persuade someone…" he started. "But I really feel that I'll be of no help here. Are you sure you want me to come along?"

Normally, Sakura would have taken that chance to ditch him and handle this on her own, but Sai could be useful in ways he didn't realize. For example, what they were asking of Tsunade was quite steep; Hinata had invited a large number of people to the event she was planning, and asking the Hokage if they could keep from getting missions was going to be tricky. Several of those in their age group were scheduled to go on missions either earlier today or tomorrow, and a last minute cancellation might put her in a…well, let's just say it might put her in a _foul_ mood. And that's where Sai could be useful. Sakura needed a meat shield to protect herself from Tsunade's wrath.

"Of course I do!" she finally replied, realizing that she had been monologue-ing internally. "Besides, if you don't learn how to do this sometime, you'll never get around to it!"

Sai did not seem comforted in the slightest. "I can see what you mean, but….maybe I shouldn't be involved when it's someone who has such…violent tendencies."

"You worry too much! Come on, we're almost there."

They stepped inside the administration building, and felt a chill run up their spine. Everyone they passed by seemed to be a little skittish, and it was putting Sakura and Sai off immensely.

"Hehe…so, what're you thinking of getting Naruto?" Sakura asked, trying to break the tension with small talk. "I don't think you ever told me, right?"

Sai shook his head. "No, I did not. I was under the impression that if you tell someone, it won't come true. Is that not right?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "No, Sai…that's something completely different. That's when the person whose birthday you're celebrating blows out the candles for the cake. They make a wish, and if you tell someone, it won't come true."

"But if it is something that their friends can help, shouldn't they be told?" Sai asked.

"That's just not how it works. Have you never celebrated your birthday before?" Sakura was actually kind of concerned. They had been doing all this planning for Naruto's birthday, and Sai had been present during a great deal of this. Might he be upset that no one knew of his own birthday?

Sai shook his head. "I…don't think I know when my birthday actually is. I've been able to pick up a few things here and there on what they are from accompanying you and the others over the past few days, but I have no way of knowing when the date of my own birth actually is."

"Sai…that's terrible!"

"Is it? If I could not have known, is it really terrible that no one else did?"

Sakura struggled with that. It _did _make sense, despite how much she didn't want it to. "Okay, fine….but we're gonna find out your birthday one way or another! Even if we can't find anything when we visit Tsunade-sama, how about we just pick a day out of the year?"

Sai smiled. "That sounds pleasant. Can it be today?"

Aaand they were back to square one. Sakura rubbed her temples, almost glad they were just outside Tsunade's office. Almost, until they heard what sounded like someone being murdered on the other side. Sakura felt another shiver shoot up and down her spine, and she was really starting to like the idea of just leaving right there before any bodily harm befell the two of them.

Suddenly, someone burst from the door, spilling several papers onto the floor. Now that the portal to Tsunade's office was open, Sakura and Sai could see what was happening.

Tsunade stood in the middle of her office, looking like she might tear down the entire building brick by brick if even one more person pushed her the wrong way. Her nostrils were flaring, and her hands balled into fists. She was staring at the man who had just been kicked out of her office, and Sakura and Sai backed out of the doorway to avoid her gaze.

"Don't bring that shit to me!" Tsunade howled, stomping towards the man. "If I get even a whiff that you're bothering any of my staff with something like this again, I'll put you in the hospital, nurse you back to health, and then put you right back in intensive care with my own two hands! Am I understood?"

The man nodded so many times his neck might have snapped off. He quickly got to his feet, and scurried down the hallway out of sight. Tsunade cracked her head in the two others' direction, but her temper seemed to fade away in an instant.

"So sorry you had to hear that!" she exclaimed, pushing the two of them in her office before they could protest. "Come in, come in…let's see if I can't help you with anything!"

She sat down in her chair, staring at the two of them with an uncharacteristic smile. Sai and Sakura shared an awkward glance.

"Uhh, Tsunade-sama…are you alright?" Sakura asked, shifting in her seat.

Tsunade cocked her head to one side. "Of course, Sakura…why wouldn't I be?" She noticed Sakura staring at the door, and laughed it off. "Oh, that! You don't need to worry about that at all! Everything's taken care of regarding _that_ man, so just put it out of your mind!"

That was about the last thing Sakura could do, worried what they were about to bring up with her might bring that foul mood back, but she tried to push it to the back of her thoughts anyway.

"Okay, so we were hoping you could help us with something," Sakura said. She was fiddling with her fingers, much like Hinata did.

"Well, you have to tell me what it is so I can see if I can help you or not!" Tsunade replied, that creepy grin still twitching on her cheeks.

"We want the day off tomorrow," Sai said simply, smiling back at her.

Sakura wanted to just crawl in a hole and die. They had been right in the first place; bringing Sai along was a bad idea, and she could just feel Tsunade's piercing bronze eyes boring holes through them.

"…excuse me?" she said quietly, trying her best to maintain that 'smile' of hers.

And Sai, ever the perceptive one, spoke again. "Maybe your age has worsened your hearing? We asked if we could have the day off. You see, it is Na-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, as he was too busy trying to dodge the chair thrown at his head. He failed, and as it grazed the top of his head, he was thrown off balance and tumbled back to the floor in his own chair.

Sakura felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead, and she turned back to see Tsunade still with that creepy smile on her face, as if nothing had happened.

"Absolutely not! I can't just let you have the day off scot-free."

"But, Tsunade-sama…it isn't just us two we're asking for…"

Tsunade's eyes connected with hers, and Sakura nearly peed all over herself. She fumbled with the list in her pocket, but before she could show it the Godaime, she found herself avoiding _another_ chair. Where the hell was Tsunade getting all these chair-shaped projectiles?

"What's gotten into the two of you!?" Tsunade suddenly exclaimed, finally showing how she really felt. "Sakura, just a passing glance and I could see how many people were written down there! What on earth would possess you to think that I would let _all_ of you get the day off? We can't just take a break whenever we want to! This village needs_ money_ to survive and prosper, and having this many people off of work is a pretty good way to make sure we never do just that."

"But it's Naruto's birthday!" Sakura protested, forcing the list onto the table. "We just wanted to make up for all the years we just kind of let it pass by!"

Tsunade actually stopped and considered that for a moment. She had always given her people the day off when it was their own birthday (and the whole week off when it was hers), and she could remember Naruto would only ever just go to his house and sleep all day. The only reason he would want to do that was because he didn't have any other plans.

"Something always came up or got in the way…" Sakura continued. "But he always remembered our birthdays and would get us a little something, even if it was just some ramen. We want to do this to give him a day he deserves."

Tsunade sighed, snatching the list out from underneath Sakura' fingertips. Her eyebrows slowly rose higher and higher with each name, until they threatened to crawl into her hair.

"You can't be serious. All these names are-"

"I know it seems like a lot, but they don't even have to be available all day. If you could just give them a few hours off to stop by and visit, Hinata would really appreciate it."

Tsunade frowned. "Hinata? What does she have to do with this?"

"Well, she's planning everything, Tsunade-sama. She made the list, and is coordinating everyone else to help her with like the decorations and stuff. She's really getting into it."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair. That explains why Hinata was so eager to get started on her 'secret project'. So she was planning a surprise party for him too, eh? She cupped her chin in one hand, tapping her fingers against the desk with the other.

Meanwhile, Sai had dusted himself off, and pieced together the chair as best he could so that he could sit down again. Both he and Sakura leaned forward in their seats, waiting for Tsunade to give them her final word.

She held up a finger. "One condition. They can take that day off with the understanding that they have to make up those hours another day. I don't care if they have to stay up all night, or work on another day they have off, but that's my only offer. You have no idea how generous I'm being right now."

Sakura was about to thank her, but Tsunade shut her up by pointing her raised finger directly at her. "Also, even if they have the option, some of these people may choose to leave their schedule the way it is, for their own reasons. You have to be ready to accept that."

It didn't even faze her; Sakura was in too good of a mood. She was just about to jump up and hug Tsunade for her generosity, but the look in her eyes told her that it might not be the best idea.

"This goes the same for you, Sakura. Either you can work twice the shift at the hospital, or you can use the next day you have off. I'll leave that decision up to you, but don't think you can try and go over my head."

Truth be told, it had already crossed Sakura's mind, but that was just her more devious, psychopathic side. In reality she would never have the guts to over Tsunade's head, especially after she saw the bruises Naruto had from when they got home. It made her wince every time she thought about it.

"Of course not, Tsunade-sama. I would never dream of it!"

"Good." Tsunade suddenly smiled, and this one wasn't creepy. "We'll just consider this my present to Naruto. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing, right?"

Sakura nodded happily. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll love it when the time comes. Maybe you can even stop by for a little while? It would mean a lot to him."

Tsunade chuckled. "We'll see. Parties means alcohol and that might be bad for you. If there isn't any alcohol, and I show up…well, it'll still be bad for you."

The Fifth Hokage and alcohol…yeah, Sakura definitely didn't want to think about that. She bade Tsunade a quick farewell, and dragged Sai out of the room before he could say anything else offensive.

As soon as the door shit, Tsunade chuckled to herself. That had been a close one. If Sakura and Sai had overheard what she was speaking to that _imbecile_ about, everything would have been spoiled! She wasn't asking for much, and that man had done nothing but complain during the entire process.

Tsunade smiled. It was a pain in the ass, a bigger one than she's had to deal with in a long time, but the look on Naruto's face when it was finally finished…it would make it all worth it. She popped open a fresh bottle of sake, pouring herself a generous helping, before deciding to just drink from the bottle.

"Happy Birthday…Naruto," she said, swinging the bottle up in the air before taking another swig.

* * *

><p>"That went well!" Sai said, not fully aware of the pain he had somehow avoided. "I was expecting much more resistance from Tsunade-sama!"<p>

"I was too…maybe she just knew how important this was to all of us?"

"I guess so. Sakura-san, what are you going to do now?" Sai asked. "You have the rest of the day off, right?"

Sakura shook her head. "I wish, but I'm picking up everyone's presents for Naruto today, and taking them over to my house until tomorrow. Do you wanna come with and pick out what you want to get him?"

"No, I will prepare something for him myself," Sai answered, gesturing towards his sketchbook that he usually carried with him. "Do you think Naruto will enjoy something I have drawn?"

Sakura smiled broadly. "I do! He's always been a 'thought that counts' kind of guy, so I think he'll love whatever you drawfor him!"

Sai smiled back, happy to hear she approved. He bowed with a brief farewell, and left Sakura to continue her day by herself.

Well, actually she wouldn't be by herself for much longer.

When Hinata had been asking for everyone to take on various tasks for planning, for some odd and unknown reason, Kiba had volunteered himself to go with Sakura to pick up all the things for Naruto, despite the fact that he already had been given a job. Neither of them had spoken much to each other since their confrontation in Suna, and Sakura was feeling a little anxious about it. Did he want to talk about it, or was this about something else?

He had offered to meet her next to Sakura's first stop, and as she drew closer, she started toing with the idea of just skipping that stop altogether to avoid the confrontation. But her legs continued to carry her there, and when she turned the last corner, she could see Kiba waiting for her, leaning against the wall with Akamaru panting happily beside him.

Sakura put on a happy face, and waved. "Hey Kiba!" A little more enthusiasm would have been nice, but this just felt really weird to her.

"Hey," was all Kiba replied with. Apparently, even though this had been his suggestion, it was awkward for him too. Akamaru seemed to be happy to see Sakura though, and trotted over to nuzzle underneath her hand, which rewarded him with a good scratch behind the ears.

"So do you like…want to go get yours first?" Sakura asked. "I've got all day to take care of this."

Kiba shrugged. "Nah, I've already taken care of everything. I want to keep it a surprise, but trust me, you're going to love him-err…it." He was stumbling over his words, but he looked excited, and it was enough to make Sakura curious.

"What did you get him? A lifetime supply of ramen?" she joked.

"As if. That idiot would need at least two lifetimes, maybe more!"

It was enough to break the tension, and Sakura couldn't even begin to fathom how happy that made her. She was afraid this was going to be the most awkward encounter she had had in months, but they had done a pretty damn good job of putting that tiff they had behind them. Personally, she didn't mind if it stayed that way.

* * *

><p>They started right from the top of the list, picking up what everyone planned to get for Naruto. To Sakura's dismay, mainly because she was really nosy when it came to things like this, when they arrived to pick them up, most of them were already wrapped up via the store owner, who had apparently received instructions to do so. She had been hoping that she could get a peek at everyone's present, but that looked like that wasn't going to happen. From the way Kiba was sniffing at the boxes, he was a little more than curious as well.<p>

"Man, what the hell do they pack these things in?" he asked, frustrated. Even his keen sense of smell was unable to penetrate past the boxes they were held in. They could only guess in a very general sense of what was inside, going by what kind of store they had walked into.

"I guess we'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see what everyone else got him," Sakura said out loud, repositioning the large set of boxes in her own arms. "Unless Naruto wouldn't mind a little…_peeking_."

Kiba seemed to like the idea, but a whine from Akamaru forced him back to reality. "Nah, the others would be able to tell, and I'd rather not piss _everyone_ off, let alone just Naruto." He reached over and took another box off of Akamaru's back, noticing that he was struggling with balancing all of them.

They had quite a large number of them now, the boxes. Even though Sai and Kiba were taking care of their own, picking up things from Neji, Tenten, Lee, Chōji, Ino, Shikamaru, and Shino, as well as several other people, left them with little room to maneuver.

Suddenly, a squirrel came darting out of the alley next to them, and in true canine fashion, Akamaru shot off like a rocket after the small creature, intent on capturing it even if he had no idea what he would do with it.

Kiba groaned. "Awww, shit. This is the absolute last thing I need!" He was taking care not to spill anything out of his arms as he hobbled after his companion, and Sakura stood there, mouth agape.

Somehow, she just knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Kiba…wait!" she called out to him, hoping to stop him before he tripped or ran into someone. But Kiba was stubborn if anything, and disappeared around a corner as he chased after his dog. Sakura blew some stray hair out of her eyes, before chasing after them herself. Maybe she couldn't catch up to them, but for their sake, she hoped she couldn't.

Wouldn't you know it that the streets just _had _to be at their busiest right when this kind of thing happens. Sakura scowled to herself, having lost sight of them a while back and only able to continue her pursuit through hearing the chaos they left behind. Trash was strewn about in the street, and several people were dusting themselves off, an expression of pure bewilderment on their faces. When Sakura encountered two people picking up broken glass, she grew a little more worried. What if someone got seriously hurt?

She dug her heels into the ground, and picked up the pace. She was about to turn another corner when she heard someone call out to her.

"Hey, Sakura…you don't have to worry! I got Akamaru to ca-"

It was Kiba, and he and Sakura were headed straight for a collision course despite how much they were trying to stop themselves. Their efforts were in vain, and Sakura, being the physically stronger of the two, smashed into him with more force than was necessary to send the two of them crashing to the ground below.

"Oh, my aching…" Sakura moaned out loud, rubbing the back of her head. The boxes that she had tried so hard to hold onto were thrown about the street every which way, a massive headache was spiking in the back of her skull, and just to put the icing on the cake…

Kiba's hand was sitting on her ass. Most likely this wasn't something he did on purpose, but she felt the need to reiterate it mentally.

Kiba's hand. Her ass. Not cool.

"What the hell happened…" Kiba himself groaned, unaware of his predicament. He tried to push himself into a sitting position, but failed. Namely, because his face smashed into Sakura's…well, we'll call them her 'attributes'.

He was most likely muttering an apology, but by that point, Sakura was in no mood to hear him say anything. One finger after another quickly formed a fist, and she buried her knuckles into his nose, kicking up a huge cloud of dust in the process. Poor Kiba didn't stand a chance.

A growing crowd was starting to form around the chaos unfolding in the middle of the street. Sakura shrunk into her shirt, wishing she could bury her head in the dirt and make everyone go away. Akamaru, with his keen instincts, chose then to rush back up to her happily, and drool all over her face. Maybe it was payback for what she had just done to his best friend, but Sakura wasn't thinking that far into it. She just wanted to get off the street, and fast.

She scooped up as many boxes as she could carry, praying that none of them were broken, before dumping some of them onto Akamaru's pack, while she picked up the ones Kiba had left lying around. With more speed than what was human, she raced off of the main road, heading straight for her house where she could let all this die down.

* * *

><p>Kiba's eyes opened one at a time, and nothing but fuzzy images greeting him as he slowly roused himself from unconsciousness. He tried to breathe in, but howled out in pain when his nose, as he put it, 'hurt like a bitch'. As his eyes drew back into focus, he could see that several layers of bandages covered his nose, and the sharp pain was keeping him from smelling anything.<p>

It's not like he needed to or anything. He could tell that he was in Sakura's house. Mainly because Sakura was standing right there, looking not-so-happy.

"You're lucky it's just your nose!" she complained, bending over to look him in the eye. "After that stunt you pulled, I _should_ have beaten you to death!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kiba growled, swatting her away. "I have no idea what you're…"

Suddenly, a lecherous grin sprouted from his cheeks, and there was a dirty look in his eyes.

"Ohhh…_now_ I remember!" He started giggling to himself.

Bad move.

Sakura slapped him right across the face, sending him splatting to the floor, and directly on his still very-much-broken nose. He cried out in pain again, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Crazy lady! It was an accident, you know!"

"I don't care if it was or wasn't! This wouldn't have happened had your stupid dog not taken off after a squirrel!"

Both Akamaru and Kiba took offense to this, growling at her. "You didn't have to go after us, you know. I had it completely under control! It's not my fault your massive forehead keeps you from thinking straight!"

Kiba _really_ wasn't aware of what was coming out of his mouth, and how much bodily harm would befall him. But despite the surety of that bodily harm, it never came. Instead, Sakura could only stare at him, amazed by the sheer audacity he was displaying.

"What the…what the _fuck _is wrong with you? Do you want me to beat you into next week!?"

And to her surprise, Kiba leapt to his feet. "No, what the fuck is wrong with _you_!? What makes you think you can just beat the shit out of someone for no reason? I already told you that it was an _accident_, and you still knock me out! That shit might fly with Naruto, but I'm not gonna take you just being a bitch anymore!"

Because he could only breathe through his mouth, his voice had taken on a sort of nasally quality to it, but that didn't make it any less hard to hear. And he wasn't even close to stopping. He leapt to his feet, ignoring the waves of pain.

"I'm sick of the way you treat people! If they do even the slightest thing to piss you off, you act like they just ran over your fucking dog or something! You know what? Now I _know_ why Naruto started liking Hinata more than you, why he left you in the fucking dirt! At least she's nice to the people she calls her 'friends'!"

He grabbed Akamaru by the neck, and made to get out of the house as quickly as possible. But his faithful companion wasn't having any of it, and stayed rooted to the spot.

"C'mon Akamaru…we're getting out of here," he said, tugging even harder. Akamaru refused to move, and actually started growling at his best friend. Now that had Kiba's attention, and he finally turned around.

Sakura had collapsed in the middle of her floor, catatonic. She was staring at the carpet, but at the same time, looking right through it. Unchecked tears were flowing from her eyes, dampening her knees.

Kiba rubbed the back of his head, sighing. "Aww shit…" He walked over to Sakura's side, getting down on one knee himself.

"Listen, Sakura…I didn't mean that. I was just mad, and let my temper get the best of me. You really aren't-"

"What kind of person am I?"

Kiba's body stiffened. She didn't sound mad, her voice full of rage. Instead, she sounded…scared? Was that fear?

"What kind of person am _I_?" She repeated her question, and her hands clenched into even tighter fists. "I never…never realized that…but…you were right…you were right all along."

"Hey now, don't think like that!" Kiba protested, biting his lower lip. "Naruto hangs out with you for a reason, doesn't he? We all do! You're a nice person, and a-"

"Don't go back on what you said!" Sakura yelled, interrupting him. "Don't try and say something you don't mean!"

'_Sakura…'_

Kiba was in total shock. Instead of the temperamental inferno that was usually Sakura Haruno, there was a frail, scared woman in front of him, suffering a complete mental breakdown.

"I…guess I never thought about it before. What kind of person am I? Who treats their friends the way I do? Naruto should have left me behind a long time ago, just like Sasuke-kun did…"

"Okay, you know what? Shut up!"

Sakura was scared by the intensity in Kiba's voice, and refused to look him in the eye, that is, until he grabbed her by her shoulders and forced her to.

"Enough of this crying bullshit. You're not that kind of person, to let themselves be beaten by something like this! The Sakura _I_ know is wayyyy too stubborn to throw herself into some kind of depression just because she gets a little hissy sometimes!"

He stood back up, and offered a hand out. "You know, I used to think the same way. That if there was something about me that other people didn't like, I just needed to hide it, or try not to worry about it. But there were a few people who gladly told me about the right path to take, that if there was something I didn't like about myself, I could just change it!... And you know what? I decided to fucking listen! I decided to stop trying to be someone I'm not, and instead be the best fucking person I _can_ be!"

He shrugged. "Maybe you don't want to change yourself for the better, maybe you have some blind pride in this 'who you are' bullshit. But if you're making yourself better…what's the problem?"

"Kiba…" It was all Sakura could say.

"You know what? I admit it!" Kiba suddenly yelled, pointing at his chest with his thumb. "I used to be the kind of guy who always tried to beat the best, and for a while now, the best was that idiot Naruto. I always thought I came up short, and that if I couldn't be better than him, I was a failure. But you know what? I don't care anymore! Naruto…and Hinata have taught me that I shouldn't try and just deal with who I am, some guy who's always going to be unsatisfied with his place in life. They showed me that I should fight for who I _want_ to be, and that the person I should fight for is _me_! Not Naruto…not anyone else. I let go of all that shit, and it feels awesome!"

He was smiling now. It just…it just felt so good to get this all off his chest. It just became something else he decided he wanted to change about himself, and so if he felt like being a little girl and spilling his heart out to someone, he would do it! But manly, of course!

"You have a really shitty way of cheering people up, you know that?"

To his surprise, Sakura had grabbed onto his hand, and forced herself up to her feet. What was even more surprising, however, was that she was smiling.

But then, another fist collided with Kiba's jaw, sending him into the wall nearby. It still hurt like a bitch, but he could tell that she was holding back.

"Let's just call that a last hurrah, alright?" Sakura said, picking him off the floor. "Don't think that means you can 'accidently' grab my ass and be able to get away with it anymore. I've got my eye on you."

Kiba wiped a little blood away from his mouth, and smirked. "Aww, you know you liked it!"

Sakura's face turned bright red, and she looked ready to punch him again. But she looked down at her hand, and let it relax. Maybe…maybe it _was_ time for a change. "You're an ass, Kiba."

He didn't seem to mind that in the slightest, and started laughing. "Don't' worry, you'll get used to it! C'mon, how about we go and make sure that nothing's broken? It may look like we peeked, but I'd rather have that than have Naruto get broken shit for his birthday."

Sakura sighed, and dusted herself off. "Fine…but if anything _is_ broken, you're paying for it."

She turned and headed into the kitchen to check on everything, even though she had twenty other things on her mind. What had just happened between her and Kiba was completely unexpected, and to tell the truth, Sakura didn't know how to react to it. Even if his words cheered her up, she was worried about the future. He had still told her the truth, and the reality of that was sinking in. In fact, she was amazed everyone had put up with her, especially Naruto, after all the times she had lost her temper. It was incredibly confusing, mulling over what Kiba had offered to her as advice, so she thought it best to push it out of her mind for now, and concentrate on the task at hand. Maybe when all this had settled down, she could give what he had said a try.

Kiba followed after her into the kitchen, and unusual grin on his face. Maybe he was satisfied he had gotten to chew out Sakura, or maybe he was happy he had finally talked about what had been eating at him since Suna. Whatever the case may be, he was in a much better mood than he was earlier that day. Meanwhile, Akamaru sat there on the floor, head cocked to one side. If a dog could shrug, he certainly looked like he did so before happily trotting after the two of them, tail wagging.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I bet a lot of you didn't see that one coming, did you?

Call it subtle bashing, but I think someone needed to say that to Sakura, and who better than Kiba, perhaps the most stubborn character in the story so far? Maybe they 'got over' it a little too fast, but I think that's how they would naturally react. Both of them have trouble talking about what's really eating at them, even if they've had some people try and fix that. This issue will definitely come up again, but not for a while. They have enough thinking about it to do.

So hey, I have a favor to ask. I just wrote a one-shot, and it would be nice if you guys could give it a look. It came as a burst of inspiration yesterday, and I'm quite proud of it. I'll be putting it up as soon as I'm done with this, so it won't be hard to find.

Until next time!


	36. It's the Big Day! Final Preparations!

**Author's Note:** It's that time again, time for another update. Now, you'll notice that it is _much_ longer than what they have been, in fact the length the chapters use to be, and there is a good reason for that, several actually.

First, but _not_ the most important reason, is because I feel the Naruto's Birthday storyline, however important for the character development, is going on a little long. Therefore, I have combined 36 and what would have been 37 to make it one larger chapter.

However, the second reason is a little bid sadder, I must admit. I haven't given much away in the area of personal information, but I feel that I should tell you this just so you know why the next update won't be coming for a while. I won't say too much, but I will at least tell you that I am not yet halfway through University, which means that whenever I talked about my workload, I meant my schoolwork. It has been piling up on me for several days now, what with midterms and other projects/tests coming around at the same time, and like I have always said, work comes first.

So, as a parting gift before I leave you for a while, I decided to give you an extra long chapter for your enjoyment, as well as a new chapter in my other story, **Collateral Luck, **which I would love it for you to check out and tell me what you think. I also have written a one-shot, and I highly recommend the few stories I have listed as my favorites, as they are all fantastic reads. I tell you this to hopefully give you something to tide you over, though I'm sure there are plenty of stories out there you can find enjoyment in.

I don't know when I'll be able to update again, but the minimum will at least be a week and a half later, meaning next weekend. It could be longer than that, but hopefully not. I just wanted to let you know that I cannot begin to describe the pleasure it's been writing for all of you, and I hope you look forward to the next chapter as much as I do. Thank you so much for your kind reviews and PM's; they mean a great deal to me.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 18 - It's the Big Day! Final Preparations Are Made.<strong>

Of all the shinobi of the Leaf Village, there was a good deal of them who hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Not because they were plagued with nightmares or the worries of their daily lives, but because they simply couldn't calm the excitement in their hearts. Naruto Uzumaki was considered a great hero of the village, and they felt like this celebration on the day of his birth was a great way to show how important he had become to everyone.

But because Naruto Uzumaki actually no idea of their plans, he was sound asleep, snoring peacefully underneath the nest of pillows and covers he had made during his usually temperamental sleep cycle. Somehow in the midst of the night his shirt had come flying off, and now sat across the room piled along with the rest of his dirty clothes. Even stranger, his pants had somehow become removed from only one leg, and this leg than forced its way through the hole already occupied, giving his legs very little…well, very little leg room.

Once in a blue moon, Naruto decided to actually set his alarm clock. He usually hated the noise, and because this lead to him smashing them to pieces, he went through them faster than he did most of the other things in his little apartment. Well, because of how important this day way, Naruto had set the alarm to wake him up in just a few seconds.

_Riiiiiiiiiii-_

Naruto's arm emerged from his cocoon, smashing the little clock to pieces. One of them embedded itself into his hair, and another arm snaked its way out to try and pick out the offending piece of debris. He flicked it against the wall, and yawned.

He swung his lower half to the edge of the bed, hoping to make his way into the kitchen to make some breakfast. However, his pants had other plans for him, and the moment he tried to step onto the floor, the bindings he had somehow forced himself into prevented his feet from balancing his position on the floor, and he tumbled forwards with a cry of surprise. Several empty ramen cups flew up into the air from the impact, and Naruto lay there for a few seconds, glad there was no one around to see something that embarrassing.

Finally, Naruto appeared in the kitchen, scowling. He hadn't found a way to remove his legs from his own pants without ripping or tearing into them, so eventually he just grabbed a kunai that was sitting on his nightstand, and cut himself free, before quietly mourning the loss of his dear pants.

He was standing in the middle of the room, took a deep breath, and smiled. Not because he was aware of what day it was, but more so because he knew who he could spend it with.

Yes, today was the day he had planned for he and Hinata to become 'reacquainted' with another, and Naruto was surely looking forward to it. He had no knowledge of her grand plan to celebrate his birthday; in fact, the fact that it was his own birthday hadn't even crossed his mind.

He noticed an unopened letter sitting on his floor by the door. Someone must have dropped that off while he was still asleep. Bending over to pick it up, Naruto frowned when he saw what it was.

Whenever it was someone's birthday in the village, they were allowed to have the day off, no missions or chores or anything. If they were currently on a mission when this occurred, they were allowed to pick the day they could take off. It was just a form letter the administration sent out to remind the particular person that it was their birthday, and that they could spend it however they wanted.

And Naruto Uzumaki did not like his birthday. To him, it was just another day to get through.

He tossed the letter in the trash, rubbing his nose as he made his way over to the cabinet to start putting some measly breakfast together. He wanted to save enough room for all the stuff he had planned for him and Hinata today.

Breakfast was over with, so next up was to change out of his ratty pajamas. Instead of his usual attire, Naruto went with a long-sleeved white shirt with a single bold orange stripe across the middle, as well as some light brown shorts. Most surprising, however, was the hat he grabbed, shoving it down onto his head. His bright blonde hair only stuck out the back, while the rest of it became hidden from sight.

He took a quick look at himself in the mirror, admiring himself, before he grabbed some things he needed for today, and headed out the door.

The moment he was outside, Naruto pulled his hat down over his eyes, enough to hide them should he want to, but not so much to make it seem suspicious. Naruto simply wanted to blend in today, and looking too plain could be just as obvious as the normally outrageous thing he wore.

Taking care to find a route to Hinata's house that took him through the least bit of foot traffic, Naruto was off, ducking into an alleyway. Its smell could be described as the most unholy of odors, but if he could avoid more people this way, Naruto would be happy to deal with it.

* * *

><p>Naruto had slept like a baby last night. This was not the case for Hinata. Over the past few days, planning every single detail of Naruto's birthday party had left her mentally and physically exhausted, but in a good kind of way. That just meant that she was making sure everything would be perfect, and this was checked over once, twice, and three times over.<p>

Anyway, she had been taking little micro-naps all night long, unable to get any decent rest. Normally this would leave her sluggish, but Hinata was far too excited to let something like that get in the way. After finally deciding 6:00 in the morning was late enough to stay inactive, Hinata began to get ready. It look her a little longer than usual to make herself look presentable, but a nice hot shower solved most of her insomnia-related problems, and she felt fully refreshed as she stepped back out into her bathroom.

As she brushed out the split ends and knots in her hair, Hinata considered her final dilemma for making sure everything went smoothly: she needed to find a way to get Naruto away from everything for a while. He was perhaps one of the nosiest people in the village when it came to secrets, and if he saw any of his friends setting everything up, he would surely want to know what was going on, and Hinata's cover would be blown. That couldn't happen, so she was hoping to visit him today, and bring him away from the village, so that everyone else could prepare.

So imagine her surprise when she came into the kitchen and found none other than Naruto Uzumaki talking with her father. But that wasn't just it. Naruto was _arguing_ with her father.

"C'mon Pops! Is Hinata really that busy that she can't go out for even just a little while?" Naruto asked.

Hiashi was having none of it, and shook his head repeatedly. "No, Uzumaki-san, I'm afraid that simply isn't possible. My daughter has too many things to do today for her to accompany you. I'm sorry but you will have to leave."

"Actually…" Hinata said, catching both of their attention. "I just finished everything up. I would love to go with you, Naruto-kun."

The glare that she gave her father as she passed in front of him was downright scary, something more akin to a woman like Sakura or Tsunade. There were no words passed between them, but the message had been received.

Hinata knew what was going on. And she had a few words for her father.

"Naruto-kun…could you wait outside for me? I just have to take care of some things, but I promise they won't take long." She was feeling a little defiant that morning, and just because she now knew that it would anger her father, she leaned over and pecked Naruto on the lips right in front of him.

Naruto kicked at the ground, bashful at the sudden show of affection. "D'awww…sure, Hinata! I'll just wait outside!"

He tried to act like nothing had bothered him, and while he couldn't put his finger on it, he knew something just felt weird with the atmosphere of the room, so much so that Naruto was glad Hinata had asked him to wait for her elsewhere.

Not seconds after Naruto had left the room had Hinata wheeled back around to face her father. Her face was red, but this was because of anger, not because of embarrassment.

"Otō-san…is there a reason why you're _actively_ trying to keep me and Naruto-kun apart?" she asked, breath hissing through her teeth. The way she was acting…it scared her. But this had gone on long enough, and Hinata wanted answers.

Hiashi stiffened. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Hinata," he replied evenly. "But there are several things I wish for you to do today, and was simply informing Uzumaki-san about them."

"You've known what I've been planning for Naruto-kun all week, Otō-san. You've known about it all week, and now you want to say that I'm going to be busy all day?" Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only was this just deplorable on her father's part, it wasn't even well thought out.

"What's really going on here?"

Hiashi didn't say anything. He just stared at his daughter with an unreadable expression, his body as stiff as a board.

"I'm only looking out for the well-being of my daughter…" he said finally. "If something similar to what happened in the Land of Wind were to happen again…"

"If you're referring to what happened between Naruto-kun and I," Hinata interrupted, "you can stop there. You do not know the entire situation, and to blame Naruto-kun is a horrible thing to do."

She turned her back on her father, surprised by how cold her voice was.

"I'm spending the day with Naruto-kun, whether you like it or not. I don't want you treating me like a child anymore. We will discuss this more after today, I promise you that."

Without another word, she left the kitchen, leaving Hiashi to his thoughts. He kept his gaze level, but he stared at Hinata's back as she walked away, and if one were to look really hard, through all the etiquette and rigidness of the head of the Hyūga clan, you could see the pain in his eyes. But this pain was not because he was relenting to what Hinata had to say…

This was because he finally understood what he needed to do to protect his daughter.

"…As you wish, Hinata."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Hinata! If you don't mind me asking, what was that all about with your old man?"<p>

Hinata smiled at Naruto, doing her best to put what had just happened in the back of her mind. "Oh, I just n-needed to settle some things with my father, Naruto-kun. It's nothing to worry about!"

Naruto grinned back at her. "That's good to hear! So hey, I was wondering…do you wanna like, spend the day together? I know it's been a while, but I've planned a few things for us to do, and it would be really awesome if you would say yes."

Hinata couldn't believe her luck. This was just what she needed to get Naruto away from the others so that they could set everything up. It was like he was doing all the work for her!

She nodded happily, running into his arms for a quick hug. "Oh, that sounds wonderful, Naruto-kun! I would love to!"

You could have lit a room with Naruto's smile. "Really? Great!"

He offered his arm out to Hinata, who happily accepted it. Inwardly, Naruto was relieved. Hinata had agreed to go with him, so the first part of his plan had gone off without a hitch. Now, if the rest of the day were to be the same, he could get through this day as quickly as possible.

"So what did you have in mind first, Naruto-kun?"

"Well, I have some clones taking care of right now, but there's one last stop I want to make before we head out there. Is that alright with you?"

Hinata nodded. "Sure. Where are we going?"

"I had some flowers ordered, and I need to go pick them up at Ino's shop on the village. Don't worry, it won't take long!"

What little color Hinata had in her face drained away. This was bad. Ino's flower shop was precisely where everyone was meeting up with each other before they started getting everything ready.

"Something wrong, Hinata? You look a little pale…er."

* * *

><p>"Would that lazy-ass Shikamaru hurry up and get his ass down here!?" Ino hissed, checking the clock on the wall for what seemed like the 50th time. He was, of course, the last person to show up before they could get started, and while everyone was beginning to get impatient, Ino was being the most vocal about it.<p>

"I swear, Shikamaru could possibly be the sole person on this earth that could even be late to their own funeral!" she went on, pacing a line in the floor.

Lee was the only one who didn't seem annoyed, and was instead passing the time trying to invent a way to do push-ups from against the wall. "Do not worry, Ino-san! I am sure he has a good reason to be tardy!"

"I highly doubt that," Neji butted in, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I say that if he does not show up soon, he will have to be excluded from this. Not that it would bother him of course. He would most likely be happy to be rid of such a 'troublesome' task."

"Yeah yeah yeah…put a sock in it, will ya?"

Everyone turned to the back door, where Shikamaru was leaning against the frame, looking none-too-happy to be the center of attention.

"Blame my nagging mother, blame my whipped father, but just leave me out of this…" He lazily took a place in the corner, sagging into a chair that had been conveniently left open for him. "Besides, I'm here now, so let's just get this started."

Sakura rubbed her hands together, and stepped in the middle of the group. "Okay, we don't really know how much time we have since Naruto is about as predictable as…well, you know. Hinata may not be able to hold him off all day, so let's get right into it."

She turned to Lee, Neji, and Tenten. "Now, you three had worked out the decorations with Gai apparently, and you ordered them from the shop, right?"

Tenten nodded. "Yeah, they should be ready for pick-up by now."

"Good. And Chōji, you made sure all the food was taken care of?"

"Yep!" The Akimichi replied. "The cake is the only thing we need to pick up, which I can do later today; the rest of it will be delivered right where we need it."

Sakura turned to Kiba and Shino. "And how many people should we expect?"

Shino wordlessly got up from where he was sitting, and produced a piece of paper, which he handed to Sakura. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the figure he had written down, but other than that did not say anything about it. She simply tucked it away into her back pocket and moved on.

"Great work everyone! I'm sure Hinata would be happy with all of us. Now, anyone who isn't busy, I want them to follow me to the spot Hinata had picked to help set everything up. Like the tables and chairs and whatever. When the time comes for you to pick up your stuff, like the decorations or the food, just let me know and you can head out. Other than that, I don't think there's anything else to discuss."

"Do you have all of our presents?" Ino asked. "I mean, I could easily get ahold of mine again if I needed to, but I don't know about the others.

"There are a few people whose present I didn't need to worry about. But don't worry; they're all safely tucked away in my closet until I can go pick them up."

She nodded to herself, happy everything had gone smoothly so far. It was still pretty early in the day, but she didn't have anything to worry about, right?

"If that's everything then, we can head out and get started!"

Everyone stood up, and headed out into the main floor of the shop towards the front door. Sakura, who was in front, was just about to reach for the handle when she heard a voice.

"Hey! Ino! You in there!"

She froze. Was that…Naruto?

"Shit! That _is_ Naruto! He's coming!" Ino hissed, hopping up in down.

"What're we supposed to do now?" Kiba demanded. "He's bound to see us all leaving through the back!"

Sakura's mind raced. She turned around suddenly and began barking orders. "Ino, you man the front desk like everything is normal. Everyone else: HIDE!"

And not a moment too soon. The instant they had found a place to hide, Naruto walked into the shop, with Hinata in tow. She was incredibly red in face, and for those that could see her, they could tell she had realized everyone else would still be here, and was desperately hoping Naruto wouldn't notice.

But that was what was strange. Despite Sakura's ordering everyone to 'hide', and despite everyone putting their best effort into it, 'hiding' was not the right way to describe what had just happened.

There had been little other option than to just jump into a random plant and hope that Naruto wouldn't see them, but there were only a few plants that were big enough to hide them. The rest of them were forced to take on…unorthodox measures.

Kiba had been one of the unlucky ones. Trying to fit through the door the same time as Akamaru had left him with no time to find a decent hiding place, and so he was forced to think on his feet. He grabbed a couple of shrubberies and threw them over his face, before climbing up on Akamaru's shoulders, who was standing on his hind legs in an empty planter. He had also taken a blank piece of paper, and scrawled the words 'Dogwood Tree' on it before slapping it on the front of the planter.

But he would be considered lucky compared to where Neji was forced to take refuge. He had no mind for this sort of thing, and could only jump into the corner, and bury himself underneath a pile of bags. Sadly, these bags happened to be a special kind of fertilizer, mainly because it utilized manure as its main ingredient. The stench was unbearable, and Neji had to fight back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

Shino, already having come up with a solution, simply pulled his hood and collar down again, as well as taking his sunglasses off. He stood over by the door, pretending to be another customer perusing through the store just as Naruto walked inside.

To any sane man or woman, the disguises employed by the Konoha 11 would have been called pathetic at best, but Naruto wasn't like most sane men or women, and the only thing he had noticed was that Ino wasn't behind the front desk.

"Hey Ino! You in here?" he called out, taking a look around. There was only one other person in the store, but he didn't seem particularly interesting, so he headed to the front desk instead. A small bell sat on the counter, and Naruto grinned like a child as rang it over and over again.

"I'm coming, alright!" he heard Ino shout from the back. The only reason she had made it back there was because Chōji had outright shoved her towards the back, where she had tripped on a few stacks of empty planters. Her hair was a mess, and it was painfully obvious that she had just been on the floor, but Naruto didn't seem to notice.

"There you are! Good morning!" Naruto said happily, only taking his hand away from the bell after Hinata pulled it away from him.

"Good morning to you too, Naruto!" Ino replied through gritted teeth. This guy had the _worst_ timing, but Ino tried to keep her temper in check and help Naruto as quickly as possible so that he would leave and everyone else could stop hiding.

"What can I help you with?" Ino asked as Naruto began to browse. He tugged at Hinata's hand, leading her behind him. Whenever he wasn't looking, Hinata would shoot Ino an apologetic look, promising to try and help speed up the process.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm just looking really. I wanted to get Hinata a flower for today."

Ino smiled. "Oh? Is there something special about today?"

Naruto tensed up. He didn't exactly broadcast it that today was his birthday, but it still stung a little that Ino didn't remember. Of course, she was only pretending, but for the sake of the surprise, it was something Naruto would have to deal with for now.

"Not really," he replied. "I'm just trying to find something that looks nice." He leaned down to smell a nearby flower, but pulled back in disgust.

"Yuck! Why does this flower smell like balls?"

It was a horribly mean thing to say, but Hinata and Ino (along with everyone hiding) had to stifle their laughter as what Naruto smelled was actually Tenten, who had jumped in between the bushes to hide. When he turned around to leave, a foot suddenly appeared and delivered justice in the form of a swift kick to his ass.

Naruto yelped in surprise, but when he turned around, there was nothing there, and he scratched his head in bewilderment, which only made it harder for Hinata and Ino to stop giggling.

"That was weird…" he muttered to himself, rubbing the sore spot. He was ready to start looking elsewhere, but Ino had run out of patience.

"How about I make a suggestion?" she asked, hurrying over to him before he examined the vine that was actually Lee too closely. "I think I have the perfect fit!"

She raced into the back, shooting Hinata an 'if-he-moves-do-_anything _-to-stop-him' look. It was buried towards the back, but Ino soon found what she was looking for.

"On slow days in the shop, I like to try and come up with new cross-breeds," she explained offering the flower to Naruto. It was pure white, but at both the center and the edges, a beautiful deep violet gave it a little pop.

"What do you think?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Naruto grinned broadly. "I think it's beautiful!" He strode over to Hinata, and very gently placed the flower in her hair, just above her left ear. Hinata blushed a deep crimson, and Ino couldn't stop the squeal that erupted from her mouth.

Suddenly, the 'Dogwood' tree snickered, and Ino couldn't stop herself. Her elbow instantly jutted into Kiba's stomach, and the force of the blow forced Akamaru off balance. They teetered to one side, and then to the other, before tumbling to the floor.

"What was that?" Naruto asked aloud, and began to turn around. Ino was panicking, as well as Kiba, and they both froze, with nowhere to hide.

But Hinata thought of something. "I love it, Naruto-kun!" she suddenly cried out, before smashing her face into his. It would have been enough to keep his attention had she just pecked him on the lips, but Hinata went a little…overboard, in her fear of being discovered.

Both Kiba and Ino sat there in shock, turning a bright red as Hinata practically sucked on Naruto's mouth. Naruto was just as surprised as they were, but after a second to get his bearings, he started to push back, and it was getting a little to intimate for Ino and Kiba's liking. They quickly reset their hiding spot, just as Hinata needed some air.

As they split, Naruto fought the urge to pass out, nearly as embarrassed as Hinata used to be. Hinata, on the other hand, was way _more_ embarrassed than she used to be, and needed to lean on Naruto for support.

Of course, just because they were embarrassed didn't mean they hadn't enjoyed it.

"Woah," was all Naruto said. It was all he _could_ say. There was a lump forming in his throat, but he didn't even notice, he was too busy staring at Hinata, who was staring right back at him.

"I take it Hinata likes the flower!" Ino said jokingly, anything to ease the tension in the room. She was nearly as red as Naruto and Hinata were, not ever having seen the Hyūga princess act so…well, _bold_.

Naruto took the chance, and turned to Ino. "Yeah, I guess she does! What do I owe you?"

Ino waved the offer off. "It's one flower, Naruto. We've been having a lot of business lately, so you don't need to worry about it!"

"Really? Thanks!" He smiled at Hinata, who in thanks for Ino's generosity.

"Thank you, Ino-san. It's beautiful."

"Yeah yeah, just get out of here you two. Something tells me you have quite an interesting day ahead."

She was talking about the surprise they had waiting in store, but Naruto and even Hinata thought she was talking about what had just occurred between the two of them, and turned away in embarrassment. It was the right thing to say, as Naruto grabbed ahold of Hinata's hand, and led her out of the store to avoid the flirty look Ino was giving them.

Not a moment after they had left, Ino picked up a spade that was sitting on the corner, and chucked it in the direction of the 'Dogwood' tree.

"You jackass! Were you _trying_ to get us found out?" she hissed, stomping over to kick him in the gut. Kiba didn't seem to mind, and he started snickering to himself.

"Says the girl who made the sexual tension in this room skyrocket. Neji, you might want to keep a close eye on Hinata if you don't want her getting all umph-umph with the village idiot!"

Slowly, Neji lifted himself from his most unfortunate hiding spot, glaring at Kiba with violent intent. "What Lady Hinata does with her personal life is none of my business, but make another remark like that and I assure you that you will _never_ have children."

Kiba let out a subconscious whimper, quickly covering his prized possessions reflexively. Sakura rolled her eyes, and slugged him in the shoulder when he wasn't looking.

"Ino's right; you _are_ a jackass."

He was about to protest to this wholly unfair abuse, but Sai spoke first.

"Shouldn't we get going?" he asked, pointing towards the door. "Is it not the longer we wait, the less time we have to get ready?"

"Sai's right. We need to get started, so let's get going!"

Everyone cheered in agreement, and headed for the door. Sakura was just about to step outside…

When she noticed that Naruto was standing right there, talking with Hinata about something. He was fiddling in his pocket like he was looking for something, and Hinata was trying to lead him away, having noticed Sakura and the others trying to leave.

Sakura backed inside, blowing out air through her nose in frustration. "That idiot is standing outside for some reason! We can't get past!"

But then, she got an idea. It was a longshot, but she just had a feeling that Naruto could be the sole person to fall for it. She hurried over the front desk, and grabbed a blank piece of paper.

"What're you doing?" Chōji asked, peeking over her shoulder to get a better look. Sakura was scribbling something down, but she had finished before anyone could see what it was.

Sakura creeped back towards the door, and pulled a kunai out from her pouch. She attached the paper to the kunai, opened the door, and slung it outside, straight towards the wall of the building across from them. It landed perfectly flat against the plaster, and it was loud enough to attract Naruto's attention, who scurried over to inspect it.

His eyes suddenly lit up, and he spun around to face Hinata. "They're having a sale on ramen, Hinata! 90% off!"

From inside, everyone's jaw dropped. Of all the half-assed, childish things to fall for…

Hinata tried to sputter out a response, but too found herself speechless. Apparently when it came to his most precious food, Naruto would believe anything. _Anything_.

He suddenly grabbed onto her sleeve, and yanked her down the street whooping loudly, completely forgetting that he wanted to keep a low profile. Hinata understood that it was to get him away so that Sakura and the others could escape, but there was a burning question she just couldn't understand.

Why the _hell_ didn't they just use the backdoor?

* * *

><p>Not 5 minutes later, Naruto's wails of disappointment could be heard.<p>

"I'm just saying, Naruto-kun…if there was only one flyer for it, it was bound to be untrue…"

Naruto moaned again. "But that still doesn't make it any less painful! What kind of cruel person puts up a poster for 90% off ramen just for laughs! I could have had a heart attack!"

"Don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit?"

The very idea seemed to offend Naruto. He drew back in mock horror. "What? Hinata, ramen is serious business! Whoever did that was after me specifically, I just know it!"

He was right, but that didn't make this whole thing any less silly. When Teuchi had informed him that they were not in fact having a special where all ramen was 90% off, Naruto had actually run all the way to where he had found the poster, and brought it back trying to use it as proof. 'That looks like a child drew it!' Teuchi had said, but Naruto refused to listen until Ayame stepped in and gently broke it to him that they couldn't afford to hand out ramen that cheap.

Dejected, Naruto shuffled away, and Hinata had spent the last few minutes trying to cheer him up. That didn't seem to be working, so she switched to trying to change the subject.

"Naruto-kun…what was that you were searching through your pockets for?" she asked. "It looked like you though it was pretty important."

"Oh, that? It was uh, nothing. No need to worry about it!" Naruto started laughing, but his nervous tick of rubbing the back of his head told Hinata that he wasn't telling the truth.

"Is something wrong, Naruto-kun? What was it you lost?"

Naruto waved his hands in front of him. "I didn't lose it or anything, just forgot it back at my apartment, that's all! Really, it's not a big deal."

But Hinata wasn't hearing of it. "I'm sure it's alright if we just go back and get it, Naruto-kun. You seemed very upset that you had forgotten it. Is there some reason you d-don't want to go back?"

He didn't answer right away, which told Hinata just as much as if he had answered at all. Why didn't he want to go back? Hinata wanted to find out, and decided the best way to do that was to see for herself. She didn't get more than three steps away before Narutos arm shot out and latched onto her wrist. When she turned around, he was looking down at the ground.

"Please…it's something I don't want you to see…"

For a moment, Hinata felt bad for being curious. But even more than feeling bad, she felt like she wanted to help him through whatever it was he was scared about. She could tell from the look on his face that even more than he didn't want anyone to find out about whatever this was, he _did_ want someone to know. Like if he had just one person he could talk to, that he could move on. Hinata decided she would _be_ that person, no matter what was waiting for her there.

Instead of how they usually looked, Hinata was the one who was walking confidently forward, while Naruto was the one who trailed after. The closer they got to Naruto's apartment, the more nervous he seemed to get, and when they finally arrived at Naruto's front door, Hinata could tell why.

A cursory glance wouldn't give anything away, but Hinata noticed the faintest scratches on the outside of the lock, from where someone had fumbled with picking the lock before giving up. Now Hinata was worried, but Naruto finally seemed to accept what was happening, and pushed the door open himself to reveal what was inside.

Hinata's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped in shock. Naruto, however, didn't seem the least bit surprised, and strode into the middle of the room, spreading his arms.

His apartment had been completely trashed, with broken glass and dinnerware everywhere. A chair had been kicked over, scuffing the wall.

Hinata didn't want to step inside, didn't want to see if there was anything else in there, but Naruto grabbed onto her arm. "You wanted to see what I didn't want you to, so here you go. There's no backing out now."

He led her into the bedroom, where it was even worse. Someone had ripped into his bed sheets with something sharp, throwing the tatters everywhere. His TV had been knocked over, and was more than likely broken. The door leading to the small balcony was smashed open, evidence that this became the point of entry when fiddling with the lock became too much trouble. But that wasn't the worst of it; that wasn't what brought Hinata to tears.

Written across the walls in bright red paint were words like 'Freak' and 'Monster', or various other phrases. Several empty bottles lay nearby this graffiti, and Hinata understood what had happened.

Naruto sighed, plopping down onto the bed. "This has happened sporadically my entire life. The first time, they didn't even wait for me to be gone because I was too little to do anything about it. I tried telling the old man about it, but I couldn't find anything that would point towards who did it."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Sometimes I hate living here. That feeling of not knowing what's going to be there when you come home. Sometimes it would be like this, plenty of times it wouldn't, but it was that not knowing that got to me. Eventually I just learned to be gone the entire day, and pick up whatever was left when they were finished. Sometimes so many things would need replacing that I wouldn't have any money for anything _but_ ramen. Guess that explains my addiction, huh?"

"Who would want to do something like this?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno, plenty of people. There are always going to be people who blamed me for what happened, Hinata, no matter what I say or do. To them, I'm a yearly reminder of all the people who died that night, and when they get all liquored up, they decide they want to do something about it."

Despite everything he was surrounded by, Naruto was smiling. Hinata could even begin to understand why. "Why haven't you told anyone about this? Sakura-san o-or Tsunade-sama?"

"What's the point? I wouldn't want to bother Bā-chan with something like a couple of drunks, and besides…what if it's someone I know? I'd rather not find out, if you ask me…"

Hinata shook her head angrily. "That's not how you should think, Naruto-kun! You shouldn't handle this on your own! Not when you have friends who can be there for you now!"

Naruto laughed, but there wasn't any joy in it. "And why shouldn't I? I've dealt with it by myself my _entire_ life. Always have, always will. It's not the kind of thing I need to-"

Hinata had heard enough. She didn't know what came over her, and years later still wouldn't be able to say, but before Naruto could finish his sentence she had promptly crossed the room, and slapped him across the face.

He held his cheek in complete surprise, staring at Hinata with his blue eyes wide open. Hinata was standing there, lips quivering, as tears poured down her face.

"How…how _dare _you think like that!" she hissed, balling her hands into fists. "I can't just stand here and listen to that!" She was just as surprised by her actions as Naruto was, but for different reasons. Her time with him was beginning to have a profound effect on her personality. She was feeling bolder, and more confident. But most of all, she was more willing to speak her mind, and that's exactly what was happening.

"Hinata…"

"No! You will listen to me!" Hinata interrupted. "For my entire life, I had to watch you struggle every day, trying to put on a happy face when the world wished you would just leave it alone. And every day, I hated myself for not doing anything about it! I could have been there for you when you needed someone the most, and now you're telling me you don't' _want _me to!"

She stepped up to him, and lightly shook his shoulders. "Please Naruto-kun, I can't live with myself if you try to keep this hidden any longer! Maybe I'm being selfish, but I don't care! I can't…no, I _won't_ let you deal with this on your own anymore!"

And then she was on him. She kissed his forehead over and over again, what was left of her crying smearing onto Naruto's face. She told him that it was going to be alright, moving down to kiss his cheeks before she finally stopped and wrapped him up as tight a hug as her arms could muster.

"Please, Naruto-kun. Please, let me in."

He didn't say anything. There wasn't really anything he _could_ say. He sat on his bed, motionless, while Hinata sobbed into his neck, dampening his flesh. It was the only sound he could hear, and Hinata was the only thing he could see. The hate written on the walls of his home and heart began to fade from his vision, if only by a little. They were still there, he knew they were, but he couldn't _feel_ them anymore. They were replaced by something else. Something warm, and comforting.

Naruto couldn't say what it was. But he didn't want it to end.

"Hinata…" he said softly, drawing her attention. She rose to meet her eyes with his. He was looking at her curiously, like he was trying to figure something out about her. It was a piercing look, and Hinata shifted a little on her feet.

"Hinata, I don't know what to say. I-I don't know what to-"

"How about 'yes'?" Hinata smiled. It was a sad smile, but hopeful. "I want to hear you say 'yes', Naruto-kun. Tell me you'll let me in."

Tenderly she stepped up onto his bed, letting one knee settle down at his side before she did the same with the other. "Let me be there for you," she whispered into his ear, her warm breath tickling him. She let her forehead rest on his, and stared at him, waiting for his answer.

And Naruto smiled. Not his usual, goofy, happy-go-lucky smile. NO, this was a smile that spoke vast volumes of emotion, pouring from the deepest depths of his body and soul. He smiled out of unbridled, unmatched joy.

He leaned forward, letting his lips dance above hers as he laughed softly to himself.

"Yes."

What little space remained between the two of them disappeared, and in a continuance of her aggressive streak, Hinata lowered her body to straddle Naruto, and pushed him with enough force to lay him on his back, with her on top. Maybe she was subconsciously picking up where they had left off in the Land of Wind, but Hinata didn't have near enough mental capacity to consider the idea. Right now, she was only focused on one thing, and one thing alone.

Naruto's arms slid casually along the tops of her shoulders, making small little circles as he teasingly threatened to trace down her spine. When he felt her fingernails dig into his cheeks ever so slightly, teasing became out of the question.

He had his hands behind her back before she could even notice, and with one strong pull, brought her off of her knees. There was no longer any barrier in between their bodies, and Hinata could feel her cheeks heat up as she felt his chest rub against her own.

Even through Hinata's mouth, Naruto was smirking. This was feeling unimaginably good. While his right arm kept her body pinned to his own, his left took a softer approach, drawing random patterns into her body. Every now and then he was rewarded with a shudder, more than enough evidence that she enjoyed the contact.

In fact, maybe she was enjoying it a little _too_ much. After he grazed across a particularly sensitive spot in the small of her back, his touch so light it felt like the brush of a butterfly's wing, Hinata's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she moaned into Naruto's mouth.

They separated near instantaneously, and Hinata's hand flew to her mouth in embarrassment.

She sat her upper body up, still sitting in Naruto's lap, while Naruto himself propped himself on his elbows. They stared at each other silently, breathing hard.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered, having calmed down enough to speak. "I-I don't know what c-came over me."

Naruto cocked his head to one side. "I guess that's kind of my fault, huh? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's okay!" Hinata suddenly interrupted, her face burning red. "I mean, what I'm saying is, it-it's not that I didn't _like_ it, but I just, well-"

Naruto laughed again, letting his head hit the mattress. "You just think that neither of us was ready for that kind of step yet?"

Hinata nodded.

"Then we aren't ready," Naruto said decidedly, with the ghost of a pout fading away. But then he leaned back up, inches away from Hinata. "But don't think that means I didn't enjoy it too. I think I might need to remember that spot if you're gonna make a noise like that _every_ time."

It had been quite a while since Hinata had outright fainted, but she sure as hell felt like she was about to when Naruto said that. She tumbled to the side, and joined Naruto in lying down, with one leg hanging limply over his thigh.

"What was it we came in here for again?" she asked, her mind drawing a blank. At the edge of her field of vision, she could see Naruto scoot to the edge of his bed, letting his feet sit on the floor.

"It was a voucher I had bought from this really fancy take-out place," he replied, grinning nervously. "I had gotten a lunch the two of us could have, and was going to pick it up and find us a nice spot to go to eat it."

Hinata quickly sat up on the bed, holding her hands to her heart. "That's sounds wonderful, Naruto-kun. I would love to!"

"Great! Now, I just need to see if I can remember where I put it…" He stood, and began giving the room a cursory look-over. He snapped his fingers together and walked towards his nightstand. He didn't even seem to mind the chaos that surrounded them anymore.

Hinata watched him pick up the frame holding his Team 7 picture, before he turned it on its back in his hand. There was a little flap that held the picture inside, and when he opened the flap, Hinata could see a scrap of paper hiding inside.

"Whenever there's something I absolutely don't want to lose, I put it in here," Naruto explained, thumbing a smudge on the glass of the frame. "I've put a piece of Iruka-sensei's headband in here, my registration paper when I became a shinobi…"

He turned around and grinned at Hinata. "And now I put this in here. Good thing I didn't lose it, huh?"

It was genuinely flattering to hear Naruto was taking such care of something like that, and Hinata felt proud sitting there, with her messy hair and ruffled clothing.

"You ready to get going, then?" he asked. He turned around to look at her, and realized that he probably looked as messy as she did. Coupled with the two of them walking out of his apartment at the same time, they would be getting some very strange looks, so Naruto headed into the bathroom to smooth everything down, with Hinata shyly trailing behind him.

Unlike the rest of his apartment, the bathroom was kept relatively clean. There was some dried toothpaste in the sink, and the trashcan was close to overflowing with what looked like bathroom breaks where Naruto decided to finish his lunchtime ramen, but neither bothered Hinata very much.

Of course, that didn't mean that she wouldn't help Naruto clean it up. Maybe a few subtle suggestions later, and Naruto would be willing to keep his place spotless just like Hinata did her own.

He scooted towards the side of the sink, giving Hinata some space in front of the mirror. While he began fiddling with his jacket to get some of the wrinkles out, Hinata was nosing through his drawers to find a hairbrush.

"Naruto-kun, do you have a hairbrush or a comb? My hair got a little tangled when we were…well, you know."

Naruto smiled cheekily at her reflection. "Maybe I should just hide it from you? I think I like having a reminder of what we were up to earlier today!"

"Na-Naruto-kun!"

He laughed. "I'm only kidding! I think I have on around here somewhere, just hold on." He wandered back into the bedroom in his search, flipping over the clothes and papers thrown over the room. Nothing, so he switched to checking under the bed, reaching his arm as far back as he could.

"Aha!" Hinata could hear from the bathroom. Naruto came back seconds later, holding up what _appeared_ to have once been a comb. It was so covered in dirt and dust and hair, however, that it looked like a dead rabbit more than anything else.

Hinata was staring at that thing like it was contagious, prompting Naruto to give it another look-over. "You know, the more I look at it, the more I get the idea that you probably don't want this anywhere near your head. Am I right?"

Hinata couldn't have nodded faster.

Shrugging, Naruto tossed it back into the hallway. "Well then, looks like I need to take this into my own hands!" Hinata was about to ask what he meant by that before she heard him cracking his knuckles. What was he planning on-

He suddenly dove his palms into Hinata's scalp, and began to run his fingers through her silky indigo hair. She was surprised at first, but quickly learned to enjoy the process, and leaned back into his chest.

Naruto chuckled, and pushed her back forward. "Sorry, but I need to a little farther away if I'm gonna be any kind of useful back here." He laughed again when he saw Hinata pouting into the mirror.

"Man, your hair is _really_ soft," he complimented, marveling at how his fingers just glided through with only the slightest bit of effort. There were small tangles here and there, but Naruto easily cleared them away, and smoothed down everything else to give it the uniform look Hinata usually had.

"There we go! Good as new, if you ask me." Naruto took a quick whiff of her shampoo, letting it fill his nostrils. Hinata leaned back into him now that he was done, and they watched each other in the mirror for a few minutes, enjoying one another's silence.

"That's enough of that," Naruto declared, walking towards the door. "You ready to head out?"

Hinata smiled, and followed after him. They walked back into the kitchen, and while Naruto opened the front door, Hinata took one last look at the chaos around them.

"Naruto-kun, would you like me to help you clean this up?" she asked, pangs of sadness still hitting her every now and then. She didn't want to think of what it would be like coming back to this all alone.

But to her surprise, Naruto shook his head. "Nah, me and some clones can handle that." He bent forward, and grasped Hinata's hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. "I think I can handle it now that I have someone I can rely on, right?"

Hinata smiled again, and gave his hand a little squeeze before they left. Naruto flicked the lights off, and all the scorn and hate written on the walls simply disappeared from sight.

* * *

><p>"Hey, will you watch where you're going!?"<p>

Kiba spun around to face Shikamaru, his nostrils flaring. "Me? You're the one who's stepping on everyone's toes!"

"First off, that's actually been Lee who's stepping on your feet, so take that up with him. Second, can you please stop slobbering all over me? Akamaru has better manners than you."

Akamaru barked in agreement, and Kiba glared at his companion. "Hey, you're supposed to be on my side here!"

This had been going on for a good twenty minutes. It seems like they while they were perfectly capable of working flawlessly as a team when their lives were on the line, keeping the peace when they were working on setting everything up for Naruto's party was impossible. Kiba believed that his way was the only right way, Shikamaru kept sneaking off to take naps, Lee was apparently stepping on everyone's feet, and it wasn't even 2 in the afternoon yet.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to drown out the noise coming from the guys. "I swear, we could have gotten this done hours ago if these clowns weren't here," she sighed.

Tenten nodded. "I think so too. These guys wouldn't know how to tie their own shoes if it weren't for us."

"And what're you going on about!?" Kiba howled, pointing an accusing finger at them. "You've just been sitting around all day telling _us_ what to do!"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Well _duh! _If we weren't here to tell you how to do everything, this place would be a complete disaster!"

That sparked an all-out war between the boys and the girls, shooting their mouths off at one another. Well, actually it was more like Kiba yelling at all of the girls, while Lee, Chōji, Neji, and Shikamaru sat on the sidelines. Even Akamaru took to watching Kiba dig a hole for himself, wagging his tail as the girls drew closer and closer to inflicting bodily harm upon him.

"Okay, okay. That's enough out of all of you." Neji strode forward, putting himself in between Ino and Kiba, just before the former what was about to kick a certain part of the latter's anatomy. "Standing around here arguing isn't going to solve anything. Besides, you're giving me a horrible headache."

Sakura put her hands on her hips. "Well then, what do you suggest we do about this? If Dogbreath over here keeps arguing with us on how to set things up, things will never get finished!"

Neji sighed. "If I remember correctly, Lady Hinata gave you explicit instructions on how she wanted everything to look. But regardless, it will not be a problem for much longer."

"Why's that?" Chōji asked.

"Because it is just about time for you and the others to pick up the catering that was not ordered out of the village. If Ino is going with you, it will separate the two who are causing the most problems."

He glared at Ino and Kiba, who angrily turned away, sticking their tongues out at one another.

Chōji's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, how could I forget!? We have the ramen from Ichiraku, and the cake from that bakery we went to earlier this week!"

He motioned for Shikamaru and Ino to follow him. "C'mon guys, let's get out of here."

Ino and Kiba made angry faces at each other until Chōji and the others have disappeared from the clearing, letting everyone else get back to work on setting up chairs and tables and decorations and dozens of other problems that were flaring up.

"Gah! That idiot makes my blood boil!" Ino hissed to herself, wringing an imaginary Kiba's neck with her hands.

"Didn't Neji ask you to pipe down?" Shikamaru cut in, scratching at his ear. "You're starting to give _me_ a headache, too."

"Oh, you _always_ have a headache!"

Shikamaru didn't try to defend himself; better to leave it at that to make sure he could enjoy some peace and quiet.

But Ino wasn't one to let silence pervade over for long. She had a question mulling around in her head, had been for a while now, and now that they didn't have everyone else around, she felt a little more comfortable asking.

"Hey, Shikamaru…"she began, twiddling her hands together. "You remember earlier today when you talked about Naruto's birthday? How he didn't want to celebrate it?"

Shikamaru cracked open one eye, peering at Ino. "Yeah, I said that. What of it?"

"Does that mean you knew when Naruto's birthday was all this time? How come you didn't say anything?"

Chōji was slightly ahead of the two of them, but the way he slowed down to let them catch up clearly showed he was interested if Shikamaru had kept that information to himself all this time."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I did. I never really thought about it until you said something."

"Why would you want to keep something like that a secret?" Ino asked, concerned. "I mean, we been friends with Naruto for a long time now. How come you didn't tell us when his birthday was back when you had the chance."

"Because he didn't tell anybody."

Neither Chōji nor Ino had expected that answer, stopping for a moment while Shikamaru trudged onward.

"Wh-what do you mean by that?" Chōji asked.

"I mean exactly what it sounds like. Naruto never told any of us his birthday, not even after we had starting hanging out with him or training with him or just talking to him or anything. That was enough for me to figure out that he didn't _want_ anyone to know, for reasons I'm sure are important."

"But aren't you curious? Why would he want to keep something like his own birthday a secret?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Just think about it, you two. It was already something that no one wanted to celebrate in the first place. It was the anniversary of one of the worst events in the village's history, and there were plenty of people back then who blamed Naruto for what happened, regardless of the fact that it couldn't be his fault."

Ino covered her mouth. "You d-don't think they-"

"I don't know, and part of me doesn't want to. If Naruto wants to keep it to himself, I'm going to respect his wishes. That doesn't mean that if I ever run into one of those guys who blame Naruto for what happened, I'm gonna restrain myself."

"You and me both…" Chōji muttered under his breath, already having trouble calming down. It was a horrible thought, that Naruto had possibly kept abuse or something horrible from everyone else purely out of pride. It made Chōji sick to his stomach to think that someone would want to continue to do something like that to Naruto despite everything he had done for the village, and how much he had proved himself over the years. In fact, it was making him so upset, that Chōji started to change course without even realizing it, heading down another street.

"Hey, Chōji! Where are you going?" Ino called out, dragging Shikamaru behind her to catch up with Chōji. "You're going the wrong way. The bakery is back this way."

Chōji turned around, and he had that look on his face that resembled what was usually reserved for people who made fun of his weight. This was more subtle, like he was trying to keep it contained.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong? Ino asked, worried for her friend.

Chōji nodded. "Yeah, but I've just got a bad feeling about Naruto, you know? If what Shikamaru said is true, then what if someone has already tried to do something like that?"

"That's crazy! No one would try and attack him with the way he is now!" Ino protested. "They'd end up a stain in the middle of the street!"

"There are other ways of abusing people, Ino." Shikamaru thumbed the lining of his pockets, beginning to understand where Chōji was going with this. "I'm sure just a quick little look wouldn't hurt, eh Chōji?"

Chōji didn't say anything, but continued right on his way. Shikamaru actually increased his pace to keep up with him, and it was then that Ino finally realized that they were talking about something serious. She decided it would be best to keep quiet, and see where they were going with this.

The farther they led her on their little detour, the more Ino had to guess where they were going. When a familiar, run-down building came into view, however, Ino knew exactly what they intended.

"You think something's gone on at Naruto's house?" she asked, squinting to get a better look.

Shikamaru was looking as well, but he was fixated on a specific detail. "Like I said, I don't know if anything's happened. But me and Chōji figured it would be best if we checked up on him. I know Hinata was supposed to keep him out of the house all day, but you never know. Besides, _that_ has me worried."

Ino followed his finger to where he was pointing, and gasped quietly. The back balcony of Naruto's apartment had a door that he used to get in and out when he was in a hurry. But even from the distance she was standing at, Ino could see that the glass on the door had been smashed.

"Let's go." Shikamaru leaped to a nearby rooftop, with Chōji and Ino close behind. They were up on Naruto's balcony in seconds, and Shikamaru leaned inside the broken window to open the door so they could be let inside.

Ino almost had to cover her eyes at what she saw, and Chōji and Shikamaru's hands balled into fists as they read the hateful speech painted all over the walls. They took a step forward, stepping over the glass towards a picture frame that had fallen from its hanging, and now sat broken on the floor.

Shikamaru bent over to pick it up, and felt his blood begin to boil. Most of them probably had this picture somewhere in their room, which was of their entire graduating class. It had been taken some time before Pain's attack on the village, when everyone's worries were minimal and good times reigned. Shikamaru's grip on the picture tightened, his knuckles losing their color. Slowly, he turned back around to face Chōji and Ino, who looked just as angry as he did.

"I don't know about you…" he said quietly, setting the picture down on Naruto's bed. "But I don't think I can let something like this go."

He immediately headed towards the door, cracking his knuckles. "Maybe Naruto has seen this, maybe he hasn't. I don't know, and I don't care. What I _do_ know, is that we're going to find whoever did this, and tell them just what we think about it."

There was a beer bottle near the door, which Shikamaru collected into his pouch. There was also a small amount of blood sitting on one of the shards of glass, which he carefully looked over.

It was all he needed. He burst back out the door, and was off. Chōji and Ino raced after him, unsure if they wanted to stop him before he did something he regretted.

But that was just it. Whatever was about to happen, there was no way in hell Shikamaru was going to regret it.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I really do hope you enjoyed it.

I feel a little silly including the whole 'Angry people hurt Naruto' cliche, but it felt like it would have worked in the chapter, especially with the way I put it in. Still, if you thought it was a little stupid, never hesitate to say so.

I also feel horrible for leaving you at such a cliffhanger, but it's the best I could do before I leave you.

Now, to reiterate, I won't be updating for at least a week and half, more than likely longer. In the meantime, I have also updated my other multi-chapter story **Collateral Luck **(which I hope you'll check out), and you can also find a **one-shot via my profile**. I would also like to suggest you check out the stories listed under my favorites. They're 75% one-shots because of my tendency to prefer the complete, but they're all fantastic reads.

Until next time, and I hope you have a Halloween!


	37. Shikamaru Fights for his Friends!

**Author's Note:** Well, it was a little longer than I'd have liked, but I'm back with a new chapter!

Let me tell you, taking that break to concentrate on my schoolwork is just what I needed. I even got a perfect score on a World History test! Booyah. The updates should return to their usual time of every 4-5 days, and should remain so until the end of the book. Or until Finals. Whichever comes first, really.

-So there's something I want to say about OC's. If I literally covered all of what I wanted to say, I'd be bogging this chapter down with non-relevant writing, so I'll keep it short: I don't like the reputation OC's have gained on this site. Most stories that involve them are outright despised, and the authors are often to subject to some very nasty reviews (this upsets me because of my preference that if you dislike something, and have nothing nice to say, just move on instead). I'll concede that a great deal of them are written as absolute shit, but there are a wealth of stories out there with OC's that people avoid simply because of their negative reputation.

I prefer to remain skeptically neutral when they come into play, allowing myself plenty of time to see if I like their inclusion before I make a final judgment, but in recent times I have seen many readers/authors notice the inclusion of OC's, and immediately turn on the offensive. Maybe if we were all willing to work with them a little more, their place among us could be improved, because they certainly aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

I apologize if that sounds hostile in any way, as that is not what's intended. I'd love to talk with all of you on the matter if that strikes your fancy, but if not, we can just all move on and get to the chapter.

I hope you enjoy it! I'm terribly sorry for drawing out this birthday arc the way it has been, but I can at least promise that it will conclude in 1-2 chapters depending on your preference, which I'll discuss more at the end of the chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 19 - Shikamaru Fights for his Friends!<strong>

Just as there are places in every village that people love to visit and talk about with one another, there have to be the seedy places that are pervaded by the degenerates and other lowlifes. In the five great villages, these places were far and few in between, but still present.

In the village of Konohagakure, these places were usually located on the outskirts of the village, as there would be too many people willing to make complaints in the center. One of these buildings was a run-down, washed-up bar, and it was currently where Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino were heading.

Shikamaru recognized the bottle immediately when he had picked it up in Naruto's apartment. It was a brand of extremely cheap sake that only a few places nearby would be willing to sell. This one was the closest to where Naruto lived, so Shikamaru figured that this would be his best bet on figuring out who had trashed Naruto's apartment.

Without a moment's hesitation, he pushed past the door, and stepped inside. Just like a cheesy movie, everyone in the establishment turned to face the newcomers, glaring at them for a moment before returning to their drinks. Shikamaru had to squint to see, as there was very little light.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Ino asked, staying close to her teammates. It certainly wasn't that she was scared; well, actually it was, but because she was scared that if any one of these creeps got close to her, her friends wouldn't be able to stop her from pummeling them into the dirt.

"There are only a few places that sell that kind of cheap sake," Shikamaru explained, carefully looking over everyone he passed. "That means that there will be an even smaller number of people who actually drink that swill, and he'll also have a cut somewhere on his body from where he first broke in."

"How do you know he won't have covered up his injury?" Chōji whispered back.

Shikamaru couldn't resist giving him a look. "The guy's a drunk, Chōji. Did you _see_ how many empty bottles were at Naruto's place? I won't be surprised if he can't even walk if we find him."

"_When_ we find him," Chōji corrected. "But do you think he'll really be here? If trashing Naruto's place was his goal, why would he come back to the bar?"

"Drunks like to brag. I'm guessing this guy is-"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence, as someone near the bar started yelling something incoherent. From the looks on everyone else's faces, he hadn't been welcome for some time. Shikamaru was only paying half attention, until the man said something that caught his attention.

"…damn demon brat got what he deserved, if you ask me…"

Chōji's eyes narrowed. He walked straight up to the bar, leaning over to get the owner's attention.

"How long has this guy been here?" he asked, pointing to the man muttering to himself.

"Maybe 45 minutes or so," the bartender replied. "I don't know what you want with this asshole, but he's been disturbing my other guests, so feel free to take him off my hands."

"It would be our pleasure." Chōji quickly gripped one side of the man's jacket, while Shikamaru handled the other, dragging the kicking and screaming man by his collar. The other patrons of the bar were cheering loudly, throwing scraps of paper at the man until they had walked back outside.

Putting his back into it, Chōji tossed the drunk into a nearby alley, far back enough to where no one else could see.

"What the fuck are you assholes doing!?" the man grunted, having to lean against the wall for support. "I've got rights, you know!"

"Shut up." Shikamaru glared at the man. He recognized him. Since his father was the Jōnin commander in the village, there were a few times now and again where he had to discipline some unruly shinobi, namely those with too poor of skills to progress beyond anything but genin, and would decide to take that out on other shinobi. This man had been a thorn in his father's side for years, with numerous offenses of things like abandoning his post and drinking on the job. A real scumbag, that's for sure.

He tossed the empty bottle in front of the man's feet, and watched as it took him nearly thirty seconds to pick it up. "Looks like you're one of the only people in the village who drink that crap. Care to take a guess where we found it?"

The man burped, before sneering at the others. "You found it at the bar, I'd like to wager. What's this got to do with me?"

"We found it at our friend's house," Chōji added in. "Along with this." He tossed out the paint that had been found, and the man's smile disappeared.

"You can't prove shit."

Shikamaru almost laughed. "Actually, it'll be pretty easy to prove it. Like I said, I can count the people who drink this brand of sake on one hand. There was also a small amount of blood found on some shards of glass we found at his apartment. I wonder if you knew about that, or if you were too drunk to realize your own mistake?"

The man's eyes narrowed. "You're bluffing. I ain't got time for this." He suddenly tried to leap up onto the nearby rooftop, which would have been an amazing feat considering how much alcohol he had in his system, but Chōji was quicker. His arm quickly grew to immense proportions, and he slapped the man out of the air with an enlarged palm.

Shikamaru took advantage of the situation, and his shadow shot out from underneath his body, quickly connecting with the man's. Now that he couldn't move, Chōji relinquished his own grip.

"Let me go! You're gonna pay for this!" the man yelled, struggling as much as he could to escape from Shikamaru's shadow. But he was far too weak to do so, even if he was sober.

Now that he was under Shikamaru's control, finding proof that this man had trashed Naruto's place was going to be a lot easier. Shikamaru slowly brought out his right arm, and the man was forced to mimic his actions. He brought his other arm to his right sleeve, and quickly pulled on it with enough strength to rip it off.

There was a large cut on the man's arm, with a few drops of blood still dripping from the wound. That means that it had been recent, and it was all needed.

The man suddenly flew into a rage. His neck muscles bulged as he tired his hardest to squirm out from Shikamaru's control. "Fuck you! That brat deserves it for what he did! He's just a freak, a monster who would make the whole world better off if he was dead!"

"Shut. Up." Shikamaru repeated, his voice dangerously low. The man quieted down, and watched with fearful eyes as Shikamaru bent over, forcing him to follow. His fingers closed around the beer bottle he had been carrying, and with it in his hand, Shikamaru got back to his feet.

"This technique can be pretty dangerous," Shikamaru explained, an oddly satisfied grin on his face. "If you're not careful, you can seriously hurt whoever's affected."

The man noticed Shikamaru begin to slowly close his hand, which made the drunk's own hand begin to tighten its grip on the glass bottle.

"Of course, more often than not, that's what I want to happen." Shikamaru suddenly closed his hand with great force, which in turn forced the bottle in the drunk's hand to shatter, embedding many sharp pieces of the glass into his hand. The man cried out, and winced as Shikamaru cruelly closed his hand even tighter, moving the shards around.

Without another word, a tendril of Shikamaru's shadow wrapped around the man's body and covered up his mouth, before he swiftly plunged his fist into his left leg, which for the drunk meant that the sharp glass of the bottle embedded itself into his own leg. He howled in pain, but the sound was muffled by Shikamaru's shadow.

"That was for Naruto," Shikamaru hissed, gritting his teeth. "And this…" He brought the man's arm up to his previous injury, and forced the jagged edges into his arm, causing a fresh flow of blood to erupt from the man's wound.

"That was just because you're an asshole."

The man was grunting in pain, with his voice still muffled by Shikamaru's shadow. With precise control, Shikamaru strode forward, keeping his control of the man even when he was mere inches from his face.

"We're gonna take you to the Hokage, and you're gonna tell her what happened, if anyone else was involved, and that you promise never to do it again. Otherwise, I'll put that glass in your balls next time. Got it?"

The drunk was sweating profusely, and nodded as quickly as possible. Slowly, Shikamaru backed away, giving some space between the man and himself. He was about to release his technique so the man would do as he ask, but as soon as his shadow separated from the man's, he smirked.

"Like I'd ever do that!" he turned around, and starting running down the alleyway, where a tall fence was the only thing separating him from freedom.

"Saw that coming," Shikamaru lazily drawled, before turning to Ino. "You know what to do."

She nodded silently, and put her hands together, sending out her mind towards the drunk at lightning speed. He wasn't even halfway to his goal before he stopped suddenly and turned around, while Ino collapsed into Chōji's waiting arms.

Ino walked to join the others, with a disgusted face. "This guy stinks! You wanna just tie him up and drop him off at Tsunade-sama's office?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Nah, if we just leave him there, I doubt he'd tell the truth. You can take him until we get there, then we'll release him back to his own body."

Ino pouted. "Fine, but you owe me one! You have any idea how hard it is to keep this guy walking straight with how much booze he's got in his system?"

* * *

><p>It had been more than likely a strange sight to see, watching them make their way to the Hokage's office. Several people would have tried to ask Shikamaru what was going on, but the look on his and Chōji's face made them think twice about it.<p>

Within minutes they were outside the Hokage's office, just as Ino's technique was getting close to its limit. Chōji rapped on the door several times, and Shizune hurried over to answer it.

"I'm sorry you three, but Tsunade isn't in the mood for guests right now. She has a lot on her plate."

From inside the office, they could hear various words they'd rather not repeat, and the sound of furniture being thrown around.

But Shikamaru wasn't about to be turned away. "I'm sorry Shizune-san, but this is kind of important. I think Tsunade might want to hear what we have for her."

Shizune sighed, and swung the door open, muttering something about 'your funeral'. Tsunade was currently digging into her chair with her fingernails out of frustration with some bureaucratic matters, and spun around when she heard the others walk in.

"You three better have a good reason for interrupting-" She noticed that Chōji had Ino slung over his shoulder, and that there was a rather dirty looking man with them, very much out of place.

"What is this about? Who is this man?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously. Shikamaru didn't reply, but rather beckoned for the man to step forward. He did so, before getting on his knees while Shikamaru placed a hand on his shoulder.

Suddenly, Ino started moving in Chōji's arms, hopping down to her feet. Meanwhile, the man who was on his knees suddenly jerked around like he had been asleep, and started to struggle until he realized that Shikamaru was keeping him down.

He bent down and whispered something into the man's ear, whose eyes widened in fear. Shikamaru must have been very persuasive, because the man suddenly launched into a confession of what he had done to Naruto's apartment in great detail despite his level of drunkenness. As it turns out, there were two other people who helped him out, which he gladly ratted on. When asked about his newest injuries, the man clumsily revealed that he had 'fallen down some stairs'.

Tsunade turned her piercing bronze eyes to Shikamaru, who returned her gaze evenly. "Is there any proof?"

"There's blood on some of the glass in Naruto's apartment, and I'm sure you can find his fingerprints on the beer bottles that were literally everywhere."

She stared at the man, who was avoiding looking at anyone directly in the eye. There was a strange look in her eye, but she suddenly turned to Shizune before Shikamaru could pin down what it was.

"Have Kotetsu and Izumo take this man to Ibiki. In the meantime, get a few chūnin together to pick up whoever else was involved in this little scheme. I'll be over there later today to 'talk' with him and his friends."

The man sobbed quietly as Shizune led him out of the office, the tone in her voice being incredibly sobering. No sooner had Shizune shut the door did Tsunade immediately turn back to Shikamaru and the others.

"I won't tolerate any vigilante justice in my village, you three. You should have alerted the military police or come straight to me. If I find out you yourself committed any offences-"

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't," Shikamaru rebutted, looking completely calm. "I don't care either way. That guy got what he deserved. Naruto is a friend, and I'm not about to let him get stepped on by people like that anymore."

Despite his defiance, Tsunade actually smiled. "Let me finish. You should have brought him straight to me, because now I have to wait even longer to show what _I_ think of people who treat others like that."

She stood from her desk. "I still maintain that taking matters into your own hands isn't something I want to become common practice, but I have a feeling that this would have gone unreported had you not looked into it."

"Why would Naruto want to keep this a secret, Tsunade-sama?" Ino asked. "We want to help him with this, not let him deal with it alone."

Tsunade sighed. "Naruto's stubborn. It's just as much his pride as it is not wanting his friends to worry about him. I knew something was up back when he asked for a loan every now and then around this time of year, and it wasn't long after that that I figured out it was to replace everything that was broken."

She turned back to the others. "Maybe it was chance you three decided to stop by, or maybe this was all supposed to happen. Because an outside party was involved this time, I can step in and take measures to keep this from happening. In the meantime, you can try to convince Naruto not to keep quiet about these kinds of things. It's not something he should handle on his own."

"Something tells me you won't have to worry about that, Tsunade-sama," Shikamaru replied. "Now that he and Hinata are together, I have a weird feeling that she's gonna find out about this one way or another, and with the way those two are around each other, it won't surprise me to find out that he's willing to let her in."

Tsunade smiled softly to herself. "That's a nice thought. I certainly hope you're right." She furrowed her brow, seemingly thinking about something. "So, why _were_ you three by Naruto's apartment when this happened?"

Chōji stepped forward. "We were just talking about him when we were on our way to pick something up for his birthday, and I just got this weird feeling in my stomach. We wanted to check to make sure everything was okay. I can't explain why I got that feeling all of a sudden, but I'm sure glad I did."

"You should be. I'm sure Naruto would be happy to know that his friends care that strongly for him. You three are dismissed, as I can imagine there's plenty more for you to do today."

The three bowed gratefully, before excusing themselves from her office. Tsunade's mood, when had been spiraling out of control since that morning, had all but deflated. Sure, this meant that there would be more paperwork for her to go through, but she was just happy to know that Naruto had _true_ friends out there, willing to step up and defend him without even being asked.

She cracked her knuckles together. Maybe if she got through with her paperwork early enough, she could head straight to Ibiki, and have a 'chat' with their newest guest.

* * *

><p>"You think that guy will be okay?" Ino asked, though it was more to make conversation than her actually giving a damn. In fact, she was silently wishing she could have been a part of Tsunade's 'meet and greet' with the drunk.<p>

"I think he'll live," Shikamaru replied. "How about we leave it at that?"

"Fine by me," Chōji added. "The sooner we forget about that guy, the better."

A comfortable silence befell the three as they left the Hokage's office, and returned to their first task of picking up the rest of the catering from the bakery and Ichiraku. Their first stop was Ichiraku, where Shikamaru would take care of taking that back to the clearing. They had rented out a few portable gas heaters to use to keep the food warm, as well as a cart big enough to push it all in one trip. It was agreed upon that the reason Shikamaru had been so eager to complete this task was because he would be alone, which in turn meant that he could take as long as he pleased, and they would have to accept any possibly-bullshit excuse as the truth. More than likely he would stop just a few dozen feet outside of the clearing, and take a nap until he decided to show up or when they were finished working, but there really wasn't any point in complaining about it.

Teuchi was out front of the small booth, sweeping away some of the trash that had accumulated outside, while his daughter helped the sole customer sitting at the bar. He placed his broom aside, and waved the three over.

"Afternoon, you three! I assume you came to pick up your order?"

Chōji nodded, stepping towards the entryway into back. "Yessir! Is everything ready, or do you need my help getting it out?"

"Everything's already made, but we just have to put it all on the cart," Ayame called out from the kitchen. "If you could help with that, we can get you out of here in just a few!"

Ino and Chōji stepped back to help Teuchi put everything on the cart, while Shikamaru sat outside, citing that too many people in the back would just cause more trouble than it was worth. Ino was in the mood to argue with him about it, but Chōji wasn't, and shoved in the back before she could open her mouth.

They emerged a few minutes later, pushing out four piping hot trays of ramen, enough to feed everyone that would be there.

This was only assuming that Naruto didn't have any of it, of course.

"That should do it! You sure you don't need any help taking it back?" Teuchi asked, patting his handiwork with pride.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I think I can handle this easily enough. Really the only thing that could go wrong is if Naruto smelled this from where Hinata has him stashed, and he comes running and then whole plan is busted."

Ayame snickered. "That sounds like something he would do! Maybe you need to hire the village to keep your precious cargo safe!"

Everyone had a laugh, Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and they went their separate ways. Now that Ino had Chōji all to herself, she hung on his arm while she chatted his ear off about all the gossip and other goings-on around the village. Chōji just smiled and listened, happy to be a part of the conversation even if he had no idea what she was talking about.

The main reason he enjoyed listening to her stories was because they helped time fly by. In what felt like only a few seconds, they had arrived at the bakery, which happened to be owned by none other than another member of the Akimichi clan, Yashoku Akimichi. He had graciously given Chōji and his friends a huge discount as his own little gift to Naruto, and when they had split the cost between all of them, the total cost of the behemoth cake that was to be served was little to none.

The place was always in a hurry, people running here and there with large orders to fill for people all over the village. Yashoku ran a very tight ship around the shop, and nothing short of perfection would pass his critical eye. But as soon as Chōji walked inside with Ino in tow, everyone had the time to take a break and say hello.

It was one of the reasons the Akimichi clan was so well-respected in the village, more so than their status as one of the noble clans. They had a friendly air about all of them, and if you worked for or around them for even a short period of time, people couldn't help but be friendlier to one another. Maybe it was a shared passion for food.

Yeah, it was most likely a shared passion for food.

"Chōji!" Yashoku cried out, wiping his hands on his apron before hurrying over to greet his fellow clan member. "It's so good to see you! How have you been? And Ino-san is here as well! It's wonderful to see the two of you here!"

Ino giggled at his enthusiasm. She had met him once or twice when Chōji had invited her over to dinner (which was incredibly often), and had recognized him immediately as jolly even amongst the Akimichi. Even jabs about his husky size were usually glanced off with a laugh and a shake of the head.

Chōji cocked his head to one side, amused. "Of course we're here! We came to pick up that cake, you know."

Yashoku's eyes widened in realization. "That was _you_ who ordered that?"

"Well, yeah! You gave us the discount on it, remember?"

Yashoku laughed. "I must have forgotten! Maybe one of my assistants signed that over for me, seeing your name, but things can get so hectic around here, I wouldn't be surprised if I had just forgotten in all the hustle and bustle of the day!" He laughed again, and several of the other employees made jokes about their employer's seemingly slipping memory, which only made him laugh even harder.

"Come on to the back! We're putting the finishing touches on the cake right now!" He beckoned for Chōji and Ino to follow him, weaving their way through several other bakers and cooks running here and there with piping hot trays. The trip to Ichiraku had been hard enough on Chōji, and all these intoxicating smells were starting to get to him.

Amusingly enough, the same thing was happening to Ino. Her mouth watered as she watched a fresh batch of Anpan rolls come out of the oven, tantalizing her so. Chōji noticed this, and pulled her a little closer, feeling quite pleased with himself. He must be rubbing off on her.

"As you can see, it's certainly as big as you guys originally wanted it, if not bigger," Yashoku explained, pushing open the doors that led to one of the main rooms in the back.

Usually reserved for weddings or other highly special occasions, this room possessed several of the largest ovens, as well as an enormous table for setting everything up once they cooled down. Currently about 5 people were putting the finishing touches on a gargantuan cake, the sole project they had been working on since early that morning. It was 6 layers high, and the person working on the top layer needed a step ladder in order to reach it.

"Finding a dye that made the icing colorful without making it taste horrible was a bit of a challenge, especially since you were insistent on the whole thing being orange. But after a couple hours of ending up with nothing, we got a mixture that worked really well!

Of course the cake had to be orange. Hinata wouldn't have even needed to bother telling them that on her list of instructions. It was just as Yashoku described it; a vibrant orange layer of icing covered all 6 layers, all the way to the top. For extra decoration, the sides were dotted with the symbol of the village in a bright white icing for some contrast, and on the very top layer, a cartoonish version of Naruto's whiskered face grinned for all to see. It looked fantastic.

Yashoku beamed with pride at the same time he was slapping Chōji's hand away when he tried to get a finger full of the icing.

"I have to say, this is one of my best works in a long, long time! You'll be hard pressed to find a cake more delicious! So try and make sure _all_ of it gets to your party. I know you have a habit of jumping the gun, Chōji." No sooner did he finish his sentence did Chōji try once again to sneak a taste of the delectable monstrosity. Yashoku had enlarged his palm as Chōji dove headfirst into it, catching him just before he smashed into the first 3 layers of the cake.

He shook his head in amusement, before pushing Chōji away. "You really need better self-control. Can I actually trust the two of you with getting this to Naruto-san's party without eating it before hand?"

Chōji stared at the cake, like he was mulling over some life-changing question. Ino seemed to actually be contemplating it as well, prompting Yashoku to sigh and roll his eyes. From out of nowhere he pulled out a large carving knife, and pointed it mick-menacingly at his fellow clan member.

"I expect to hear that this arrived at your friend's party in one piece, do you hear me? I'll have quite a few words to say to your dad if I hear you couldn't stop yourself. That goes the same for your Ino-san here."

The two of them nodded sheepishly, while Yashoku laughed merrily. "That's what I like to see! I sorely hope I can count on the two of you."

He turned around and was about to tell the others chefs, who were putting the last of the finishing touches on the cake to prepare it to be sent out, when everyone heard a loud voice call out from the front.

"Hellooooo? Anyone here?"

All the color drained away from Chōji's face the moment he recognized the voice. "Is that…is that Naruto!?"

At first Yashoku didn't realize the severity of their situation, and tried getting up to show Naruto to the back. But Chōji beat him to the door, barring himself in between.

"Are you crazy!?" he hissed. "If Naruto sees us back here with that thing, he'll know what we're up to! What's Naruto even doing here?"

"He ordered some freshly made cinnamon rolls," Yashoku replied. "My guess is that he's here to pick them up!"

Ino slapped her forehead. "And you didn't think to tell us about that sooner?"

"What're we supposed to do?"

"I don't know, think of something!"

"I can't think of anything! _You_ think of something!"

"Dammit! Combination Transformation!"

A huge puff of smoke engulfed the room, just as Naruto Uzumaki found himself in the back room, with Hinata in tow. She was looking rather worried, but upon noticing that it was just Yashoku and his employees back here, she let out the breath she had been holding.

Naruto coughed a couple of times, trying to wave the smoke away from his mouth. "Bah! What is all this?"

Yashoku quickly racked his brain for an excuse. "Someone must have put extra flour in their baking. Nothing to worry about! What can I do for you today?"

"I wanted to pick up my order!" Naruto exclaimed happily, showing Yashoku his voucher.

Yashoku stood up to go retrieve Naruto's order from one of the smaller kitchens, glancing at where Chōji and Ino had been not 10 seconds ago. It had been a last minute plan, but Chōji had thought of using the transformation technique to both disguise himself and the cake at the same time, appearing now as a completely mundane cake with chocolate icing as opposed to the behemoth that had been sitting there just a moment ago.

Ino however, had not had the foresight to disguise herself so elegantly, and in a last ditch effort to hide her true identity, had shoved her face into a bowl of chocolate filling. With her 'beard' of chocolate, she tried to make herself look busy in the background while Naruto waited.

Thankfully, Yashoku was back in a few minutes. He was carrying a medium-sized box, wrapped together with a simple cloth for easier transport.

"Here you are! Fresh out of the oven, just like you asked!"

Naruto smacked his lips appreciatively. "Thanks, old man! These smell great, don't they Hinata?"

To ask her if they smelled nice was an understatement for the Hyūga. She had a very Akimichi-like look in her eyes as Naruto exchanged the voucher for his order, and while Naruto thought she was reaching out her hand for a little affection, in reality she was trying to snag one for a quick snack before they left.

She pouted, but decided she should at least try to wait until she and Naruto were gone. It was already proving to be a challenge.

"Alright then, thanks for the sweets, old man!" Naruto exclaimed, heading back for the door. Ino sighed with relief as he and Hinata disappeared onto the other side, and wiped off the beard of chocolate frosting.

"Hey, old man!"

Ino groaned. Naruto was coming back. She shoved her face in the confectionary once more just as Naruto poked his head back inside. He stole a quick glance at Ino, like he was trying to figure out if she was someone he knew, before he shrugged it off and turned back Yashoku.

"You think we could get a small bit of icing to top these with?"

Yashoku laughed, nodding and grabbing a small tub nearby before tossing it over to Naruto. "Have a wonderful day, you two!"

Naruto gave the man a thumbs-up, and his head disappeared for the second time. This time around, Ino waited several minutes before she wiped off her disguise, which coincided with when Chōji released his transformation.

Ino wiped away the last of the chocolate from her face, licking it off her finger.

"You know…Hinata really isn't being that helpful."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Like I said at the beginning of the chapter, I'm terribly sorry that these have gone on for so long. I guess I got kind of carried away with the pacing of this arc, so lesson learned for sure!

Now, as I mentioned earlier, whether or not this ends in 1-2 chapters is up to you. I have all of it written (and only need to edit and whatnot), but I can split the next chapter into two separate parts because it ended up becoming massive. The reason I think even some of you might consider the choice at all is because the story would be updated in 3-4 days, and then most likely the very next day, leading to a wealth of new content coming out rapidly.

I do hope all of you continue to enjoy my story, and that if you every have a comment or question or concern, or just want to say 'hello', you won't hesitate to send me a PM. I've grown really fond of talking with you all.

Until next time!


	38. Birthday Surprise! A Good Time For All!

**Author's Note: **It's time to finally wrap this arc up! More people suggested I include the next chapter as it was, wholly intact, so that we could get through this quicker, and that's what won out over splitting it in two. No worries, no content has been cut out.

-So I think I'm going to try and experiment with the music. Several people have told me that throwing links into the story out of nowhere destroy the immersion I allegedly was trying to achieve. I don't really know how to put it in the beginning of the chapter without spoiling part of it, so if you guys have any suggestion as to what you would prefer, I'll listen to and consider all of them!

Blah blah, on with the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 20 - Birthday Surprise! A Good Time Is Had By All!<strong>

Naruto was feeling incredibly giddy right now. His day with Hinata was going wonderfully, they had a big lunch packed for a picnic, and the weather couldn't have been better. He had to fight the urge not to skip as they weaved their way through the woods, taking a shortcut to the Third Training Ground.

Ahhh, what the hell. Naruto was in a skipping mood.

Hinata giggled as he nearly tripped over a root, but tried to stifle it down when he whipped around in mock anger.

"What's so funny? I could have fallen and broken my arm, you know! You wouldn't be laughing then, would you?"

It didn't help. Hinata only laughed louder as he tried to get her to feel sorry for him, and when he turned his back on her in protest, he tripped over a root, and fell flat on his face. It was too much for the poor girl; Hinata was suddenly laughing very loudly, and soon it became hard to breathe. Thank goodness he wasn't carrying the food, because if he had dropped it, Hinata might not have been able to handle it.

He didn't care if his nose was stinging with pain, hearing Hinata laugh like that made Naruto feel _alive_. He couldn't keep it contained, and rushed over to throw her off her feet, spinning her around and around in his arms. Incredibly cheesy, but Hinata loved it anyway.

"I love you, Naruto-kun," she whispered softly, kissing the underside of his chin. Naruto stared at her for a few seconds, searching her eyes.

"I know."

Hinata should have expected that, but it still took her by surprise. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed to be this close to him, and quietly asked to be put down.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she quickly started. "I shouldn't have said that, and I-"

But Naruto held up his hands to stop her, and he stepped forward to put his hands on her shoulders. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Hinata. You were just telling me how you feel, and I love that!"

He smiled. It looked happy just as much as it did sad. "I'm the one who should be sorry, because I don't want to lie to you. I can say it back yet, I just can't."

Hinata nodded. She understood, even though it would have felt better for her to resist him saying that. Her eyes dropped to the ground, but Naruto was quick to cup her chin in his hand, and make her look at him.

"That doesn't mean that I haven't loved every single second of time I've spent with you since," He said this firmly. This was more about making Hinata feel better; this was Naruto telling her how he felt, right here and now.

"It's been like a dream come true!" he said excitedly, spreading his arms apart like it was something to share with the world. "I didn't even know it was possible to be in this good of a mood _all_ the time! You make me feel like…well, I don't really know how to describe it, but I can't get enough!"

He wrapped his arms around her again, and pulled her so close to his own body that she had to breathe through his jacket.

"Maybe I can't say I love you back just yet, but maybe I can say I want to wait until I can?" He chuckled awkwardly. "That sounds a little stupid doesn't it?"

But Hinata thought it sounded quite the opposite, and squirmed in his arms to have enough room to sneak her own arms underneath his own, smiling into his chest. "Not at all, Naruto-kun. I'm very happy to hear that," he heard her say, her voice muffled by his clothing. It sounded kind of funny, and Naruto laughed, which made Hinata hide her face even more. But that was okay; Naruto had always thought it was cute when she did that.

He gently pushed her away, but only so he could put one arm around her shoulder, and lead her back on their way to the Third training ground.

It might have been an odd choice for a place to have a picnic, but Naruto had always found it to be a rather pleasant place. They had a nice view of the mountains, plenty shade if they needed it, and the river nearby in case they wanted to go swimming. Though with the cool weather, that might not be the best idea, at least for Hinata. The cold water might make her…

Naruto's face turned as red as tomato, but thankfully Hinata had her eyes elsewhere, and his embarrassment went unnoticed.

Ever since their little 'moment' back at his apartment, Naruto had noticed he was paying just the slightest bit more attention to Hinata's more _physical _attributes. He would watch her body rise and fall with each breath, and the way she effortlessly glided across the ground with every step. It was much more of a romantic way of saying he would occasionally stare at her chest and legs, but Naruto _was_ trained by two of the village's biggest perverts, so could Hinata really be upset with him if he had these kinds of thoughts?

Of course not. Hinata would be flattered to know Naruto was that attracted to her, and it certainly helped that she was having those exact kinds of thoughts about _him_ nearly as often, if not more so. Blame it on the more casual attire he had decided to wear today, or the fact that she had been inches away from sticking her tongue down his throat not 2 hours earlier, but Hinata was starting to find herself attracted to a little more than Naruto's personality. Not that she hadn't been before; she just had the chance to show him now.

Maybe this made things between them more relaxed, or maybe it made them tenser, but both of them were so confused about it that they couldn't tell. Best to push it aside and continue to enjoy each other's company like they had been doing.

Hinata had been a little apprehensive of spending their time together enjoying lunch at a training ground of all places, but when she saw the spot Naruto had picked for them, she could see why he insisted.

It was right by the river, and a large oak teetered on the bank, letting hundreds of tiny pillars of light shine through its leaves. She knelt down to feel the grass, and was glad to find out that it was incredibly soft, made more so as well as warm with the sunbeams bearing down on them.

"Naruto-kun, where did you find this spot?" she asked, taking a seat and patting the ground next to her. Naruto happily did as she asked, plopping down next to her and setting their food in front of him.

"Well, there were plenty of times where Sakura-chan and I would spar a little before a mission or during training, and when she started to _really_ get into it, I would try and sneak off for a nap. Now that I think about it, it was kind of stupid of me to think that a clone could take one of Sakura-chan's punches. She usually caught me pretty quick." He laughed at the memory, about the same time he was wincing from Sakura's past assaults.

"I wish Sakura-san wasn't so mean to you sometimes," Hinata replied, holding her hand close to her chest. "She c-could be a little nicer, I think."

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, maybe. But I never really held it against her. She usually only did when I was acting like Ero-sennin, and I guess that that's something to hit me over!"

His mentioning of his more wanton interests brought the two of them right back to where they had been earlier that day, and their faces glowed red.

"Hey, Hinata…" Naruto began first. "About what happened earlier, I didn't really mean to make it sound like I was unhappy that we stopped where we did. I can respect that you thought I was going too fast and-"

"It's not like that, Naruto-kun!" Hinata interrupted quietly. "I didn't think we were going too fast! I just was a little surprised, that's all."

Naruto wasn't very good at consistency. He would try and convince people that his supposed immoral behavior was taken out of context by Sakura or other people, but then he would go and lean in towards Hinata and say something like this:

"What? Surprised that it felt so good?"

Hinata's face could have been a beacon for miles around had it been night time, and even though Naruto was laughing, he was actually a little worried he had overdone it.

"Ahh, Hinata! I'm sorry! Don't pass out don't pass out don't pass out-"

He was shaking her shoulders gently, trying to bring her back to reality, but Hinata was off in Naruto La-la Land, and if he could see what she was thinking, he might be the one passing out.

Ahhh, young love.

* * *

><p>"Scoot it over just a little over to the left, will ya?"<p>

"What? My left, or your left?"

"_THIS _left, you idiot! They have to be evenly spaced!"

"They _are _evenly spaced, Sakura! You're just being nitpicky now! I thought that was Shino who was supposed to be like that!"

"…"

"Oh, don't give me that look, Shino! You know you do it!"

It was a miracle no one else had heard them. The entire Konoha gang, minus Hinata and Naruto of course, were hard at work putting the final touches on everything, though it would probably be more accurate to describe it as 'everyone screaming at each other'. They were running out of time to set everything up, as some of the people Hinata had invited only had a limited timeframe to come and stop by. It shouldn't have taken this long, but pretty much everything that _could_ have gone wrong, _had_ gone wrong. First it was Sakura realizing that everything they had set up so far was backwards, because she had been reading Hinata's instructions upside down, and then Akamaru had accidentally knocked over one of the main entrees, which had arrived not 5 minutes ago, forcing everyone to spend a great deal of time helping to clean it up. Now they were finally getting close to actually having everything done, and you could tell they were getting anxious.

"Would you guys just shut up and move it over?" Sakura pleaded, her reserves of patience exhausted hours ago. "We don't have more than what, twenty minutes before we're supposed to be finished, and that's being generous!"

Kiba, just as he had been the entire day, rolled his eyes. "Would you quit your worrying? Everything's going to work out just fine!"

"Coming from the guy whose dog forced us to clean for almost an hour?" she shot back. "If you weren't here, we'd have been finished before Noon!"

Before Kiba could yell something back, Lee and Neji set down their end of the table where Sakura had wanted it, glaring at him for leaving them with the work so he could argue with Sakura.

Neji sighed, and turned to Sakura. "I think that's everything. Is there anything else we need to do?"

Sakura took a look around, and found herself quite pleased with the result. They had enough tables and chairs for more people than Hinata had invited just in case, all arranged in a neat circle around the centerpiece, which was made up of the massive cake they had ordered, and it towered over all of them in the afternoon sun, casting a shadow on those close by. Everywhere, the decorations Lee, Tenten, and Neji had put together hung around various wires, nearly as colorful as the blonde himself. Because this would more than likely go into the night, recreational torches had been placed around the border of the clearing, with enough of them to keep the area well-lit no matter how dark it got.

"You know…I actually think we are!" Sakura finally said, clapping her hands together. "I think we're done here, everyone!"

As If on cue, everyone suddenly collapsed onto the ground, groaning appreciatively. The only one who hadn't was Shikamaru, but that was because he had already been on the ground, fast asleep.

Ino took great care to make sure she fell right on top of him.

"Umph!" he cried out when Ino's elbow just so happened to collide with his stomach. "What the hell?"

"We're done, no thanks to you," she replied. "Why don't you make yourself useful and go get Naruto like we planned?"

Shikamaru groaned. "Do I have to? Couldn't we just tell Hinata to bring him here or something? Getting him all the way here is gonna be such a pain."

"Oh get over it!" Ino punched him in the shoulder, and kicked him in the rear to get him to his feet. "You've practically done nothing but sleep all day, so don't think you can whine your way out of this one!"

Konoha's laziest sighed, taking one last look at everyone to see if there was someone on his side. From the way they were glaring at him, they weren't, and he sighed again.

"Fine, I'll go get him, but Sakura might want to think about getting everyone's stuff from her house and bringing it back here before I get back with Naruto. The rest of you might also want to make sure everyone else is coming."

Sakura mentally slapped herself across the forehead, and was about to ask him to wait a little while longer. But Shikamaru wanted revenge for his nap, and before anyone could say anything, he was gone, off to retrieve Naruto.

"Shit! How could we forget about the presents!?" Ino wailed, having a small fit near Chōji, who's normally jolly face did have a hint of worry.

"Do we have enough time?" he asked. "Man, if it wasn't Naruto whose birthday this was, we could just send him and a bunch of clones out…"

"We don't have time for that!" Sakura hissed. "Shikamaru is being a complete ass, so we need to hurry and get everyone else here, as well as the presents!"

She turned to Kiba. "You and your dog come with me. The two of us can bring everything here, while the rest of them can make sure everyone else is coming." She said the last part loud enough for everyone else to hear, and they shot off like a rocket after Shikamaru, hoping they could get everyone else here before Shikamaru found Naruto, and brought him back to an empty party.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Hinata had been having a wonderful time with each other during their picnic. They joked, they laughed, and they ate to their heart's content. Time had just seemed to fly by during their little outing, and now it was late into the afternoon.<p>

The weather was beginning to cool, but during their lunch Hinata had cuddled up against Naruto, and neither of them was wanting for warmth with their close proximity. Hinata, having stuffed herself full with the cinnamon rolls Naruto had graciously purchased for her, had fallen asleep leaning against him, while Naruto simply watched the weather of the day.

Normally, he would have been asleep right along with her, but there was a lot on his mind. He was happy, so happy to have spent today with Hinata, but was it wrong that he still felt sad? After all, even after all these years, his birthday would move on without much of a fuss.

Maybe that's what he wanted. He had spent so many of those years trying to keep that knowledge to himself, and only a select few people like Iruka knew the actual date. But that he had actually spent it with someone this year, Hinata of all people, he was starting to think that maybe he had been wrong. Maybe it would have been nice to tell his friends…

"**WHO WOULD WANT TO CELEBRATE **_**YOUR**_** BIRTH? TO EVERYONE IN THIS VILLAGE, YOU REPRESENT NOTHING TO THEM BUT SUFFERING AND DEATH."**

Naruto sighed. He was certainly _not_ in the mood for this. He closed his eyes so he could concentrate, and brought himself before the Kyūbi's cage, glaring at him.

"Why are you even bothering?" he demanded. "I have plenty of people in this village who care about me! Just look at Hinata, for example!"

"**THAT GIRL? SHE IS FAR TOO WEAK TO BE CONSIDERED HUMAN," **the Kyūbi growled back. **"SHE'S MORE LIKE A DOG THAN ANYTHING ELSE, MEANT TO GROVEL AT THE FEET OF GREATER BEINGS."**

Naruto rolled his eyes. Did he insist on trying to ruin every nice moment he had? "You know, I'm kind of busy right now. Why don't you bother me some other time?"

The Kyūbi's massive jaws curled back into a grin. **"OH YES. THE DAY OF YOUR BIRTH. IT'S SUCH A SHAME EVERYONE FORGOT ABOUT IT AGAIN, ISN'T IT?"**

"They didn't forget about it!" Naruto yelled. "I just never told them about it, that's all!"

"**AND WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? YOU HID IT FROM THE PEOPLE OF THIS VILLAGE BECAUSE THEY WILL NEVER SEE WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO SEE. WHEN THEY LOOK AT YOU, THEY CAN ONLY EVER SEE ME. YOU THINK THEY HAVE CHANGED? HOW IDEALISTICALLY IDIOTIC."**

He knelt down to be eye to eye with his jailor, sneering at him. **"AND WHAT OF YOUR PARENTS? WHAT, NO TEARS TO SHED ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR DEATH AT **_**MY**_** HANDS? MAYBE AS A GIFT TO YOU, I CAN RETELL YOU HOW THEY DIED IN AGONIZING PAIN. IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES."**

Naruto bit his lip. He thought he had been prepared for everything the Kyūbi could have thrown at him, but he wasn't expecting anything like that. He stared wide-eyed at the demon, watching him carefully as he continued his verbal tirade.

"**OR PERHAPS YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE SACRIFICE YOUR PATHETIC MOTHER AND FATHER MADE IN THE FIRST PLACE? HAVE THEY DIED IN VAIN IF THEIR OWN SON DOESN'T LOVE THEM?"**

The Kyūbi was taking great pleasure in this, and paced anxiously at the front of his cage, watching subtle changes in Naruto's facial muscles.

"**YOU KNOW WHAT? I ACTUALLY WISH THAT THEY **_**HADN'T**_** DIED THAT FATEFUL NIGHT."**

Naruto scowled at the monster in front of him. "Why? So you wouldn't be stuck inside me, right?"

But the beast's lips curled back to reveal teeth, as he smiled maliciously.

"**NO. IF THEY WERE ALIVE, YOU SEE, AND THEY SAW HOW LITTLE THEIR OWN SON CARES FOR THEM, IT JUST MIGHT KILL THEM ALL OVER AGAIN. AND I WOULD SO **_**LOVE**_** TO SEE THAT."**

The beast started laughing from the confines of its prison, waiting for the moment for Naruto to snap and fight back. But that moment never came. Naruto was simply staring back at the Kyūbi, and it infuriated it to no end.

"**WHAT? HAVE YOU BECOME SO COLD THAT NOT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST SHRED OF AFFECTION FOR EITHER OF YOUR PARENTS WILL BE SHOWN? PERHAPS WE'RE BECOMING MORE ALIKE AFTER ALL, YOU AN I."**

Naruto shook his head defiantly, and when he brought his eyes to meet with the beasts', the monster quickly grew to anger.

Naruto was smirking at him.

"I know what happened the last time I listened to you. I'm never going to let you get control over me again, no matter what you try to say."

The beast struck a massive claw against the bars, snarling at Naruto. **"WHAT? ARE YOU REFERRING TO THAT HYŪGA GIRL AGAIN? THAT WAS YOU WHO NEARLY KILLED THAT STUPID GIRL, NOT ME."**

Again Naruto shook his head. "You're wrong. She told me that it was all you, that I had nothing to do with it."

"**SHE IS LYING! ANYTHING SHE CAN DO TO TRY AND LIE TO YOU, TO KEEP THE TRUTH FROM YOU, SHE'LL DO! THEY ALL LIE TO YOU, NARUTO, JUST AS THEY ALWAYS HAVE!"**

But Naruto was ignoring him, and was walking away. Any semblance of calm the beast had evaporated, and he started striking against the bars in earnest, howling at Naruto.

"**NO ONE COULD EVER LOVE A MONSTER LIKE YOU! YOU AND I ARE THE SAME, AND WE ARE DESTINED TO BE HATED BY EVERYONE AROUND US FOR ETERNITY. THAT GIRL IS TO BLAME! I WILL KILL HER, RIP THE FLESH FROM HER BONES, AND TEAR OUT HER HEART! DO YOU HEAR ME, NARUTO?"**

Naruto cocked his head to one side, and smiled at the Kyūbi. "Maybe I am. But if they're willing to give me a shot, why shouldn't I?"

The din grew louder as Naruto gradually faded away. The Kyūbi refused to believe he had been ousted by a mere human, and thrashed violently about until darkness consumed him.

'_**WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT GIRL THAT GIVES HIM SUCH HOPE? HOW CAN A MERE HUMAN HAVE MORE INFLUENCE OVER THAT BOY'S MIND THAN ME?'**_

He scowled. This was a new concept to him. He had been so close to plunging Naruto into darkness, and he would have been his forever to manipulate. But that girl, that _Hyūga _girl, has undone everything he had worked towards! How? How was this possible?

* * *

><p>Naruto opened his eyes with a start. He hadn't expected the Kyūbi to have reacted the way he did, but frankly, that was more of a nice surprise than anything else. It made him feel empowered over the beast, like he wouldn't have to worry about its influence anymore. It was quite a good feeling.<p>

He leaned over to tell Hinata about it, and that was when he finally noticed that Hinata wasn't there. He looked around to see if she had gotten up for something, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Hinata?" he called out, getting to his feet. "Where'd you go?"

He was about to start looking around for her, but before he could even plant one foot forward, a long black tendril shot out from behind a tree, heading straight for him. Out of instinct, Naruto leaped out of the way, and had to duck in midair as a kunai came flying out of the same spot. He landed close to another tree, and when he tried to go on the offensive, found that his legs wouldn't obey him.

The kunai that had been thrown at him wasn't meant to hit him. It had embedded itself in the shade on the trunk of the tree behind Naruto, who was never really worried to begin with.

"What's the big idea, Shikamaru?" he called out. "I'm kind of busy right now, y'know!"

Shikamaru finally revealed himself to his companion, leaning up against a tree all casual-like as if nothing had happened.

"Actually, your schedule just cleared up, Naruto," Shikamaru replied. "And there's really not much you can do about it since I've got you where I want you."

Naruto tried to struggle, even though he knew it was in vain. He was giving Shikamaru a look that just screamed 'Seriously, what the hell are you doing?'

"Seriously Shikamaru…what the hell are you doing?"

Shikamaru smirked to himself, and without another word, he started running off, forcing Naruto to follow after him. He nearly made Naruto run headfirst into a tree, momentarily forgetting that he would need to be on his guard if he was going to avoid all the trees they were running past.

Naruto uttered out a string of curses every time it looked like he was close to running into something, and just to screw with him, Shikamaru would always wait until the absolute last second before he peeled out of the way.

"Come on, Shikamaru! Can you at least tell me where we're going!? You owe me that, at least!"

"Sorry, but no can do!" Shikamaru called back. "You're just gonna have to wait until we get there to find out!"

Now, at this point, Naruto should have realized where Shikamaru was taking him, considering the circumstances. But Naruto was too busy worrying about getting clocked right on the nose by a low-lying branch most of the time, so thankfully for Hinata, his mind was occupied.

As Shikamaru had Naruto jump out of the way of an exposed root, his mind was racing, hoping everyone had gotten out in time before he brought Naruto back. He sure as hell didn't want to have to explain why there was an entire party set up for Naruto, with no one even there. That would be _beyond_ troublesome.

But as his luck would have it, as they ran into the clearing where everyone was supposed to jump out and yell "Surprise!" there was no one there. The clearing was empty.

They screeched to a halt, and Shikamaru immediately released Naruto from his technique, who instead of noticing the veritable festival around him, ran up to Shikamaru and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"What's the big idea?" he demanded, shaking him this way and that way. "I was on a date with Hinata, y'know! What if she gets back and I'm not there?"

Shikamaru just stared at him for a few seconds, trying to find something to say. But then, he heard a very small noise coming from behind them, and he knew he needed to stall for just a little bit longer.

"What do you think?" he asked, looking like he was out of patience. "What is the one reason I would have brought you out here where there's decorations and a giant-ass cake behind you?"

It was actually only then that Naruto even realized there was a cake behind him, and he spun around in surprise, whistling when he noticed the massive size of it.

"That's a really big cake!" he said appreciatively. "But what's that got to do with me?"

"Why don't you turn around and find out for yourself?"

Naruto did as Shikamaru asked, and turned around.

There must have been over a hundred people. From families he helped during his work rebuilding the village, to people he'd only met once or twice, he could remember all of their faces and names, and they were there, all smiling broadly.

He also saw all of his friends. Kiba, Neji, Lee, Ino, Chōji, Sakura, Konohamaru…he could have gone on and on listing them, but them he saw who was at the front.

Hinata stood in front of the entire crowd, horribly embarrassed by all the eyes on her. But even more than she was embarrassed, she was happy. The look in Naruto's eyes, that look of unbridled joy_…_the feeling was indescribable.

She offered him a smile that many would say reminded them of Naruto's. "Happy Birthday, Naruto-kun."

* * *

><p>Is there a plane of existence higher than heaven? Some mysterious land where even complete and utter paradise pales in comparison?<p>

Naruto believed so. He believed it was where he was right now, together with his friends and others he considered close to him.

He couldn't even begin to describe his surroundings. Everything had been so strange, so alien to him, until it finally dawned on him that all the pomp and circumstance had been for _him_. All of this was just for his birthday, and Naruto was touched in the very bottom of his heart. Everyone around him laughed and joked with one another, swapping stories. Some may have included Naruto, some may not have, but to see that many people together for his sake was still a little new to him, despite his victory over Pain. This felt different, as there was no great battle won, no insurmountable enemy to defeat. They were here simply because Naruto was another year older, and that was cause for celebration in their eyes.

Along with most of his closest friends, Naruto was amazed at how many people had shown up. Iruka was chasing after some of the more unruly children some parents had brought along with them, Teuchi and Ayame were passing out massive portions of ramen (of which Naruto had taken in a huge amount), Ebisu looked like he was trying to hide his enjoyment (and failing miserably). Even this late in her pregnancy, Kurenai had shown up, chatting with someone who's name Naruto couldn't even remember. Scores more of people stopped by for what little time they had, offering their heartfelt wishes that Naruto enjoyed today. He would thank them again and again, always trying to properly express hwo he felt, and coming up short every time.

There just wasn't a way to show his gratitude, so he was content to stand in the middle of everything, grinning like the fool of the century.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself."

Naruto spun around, and if it was even possible, grinned even wider. Hinata was blushing madly as he kissed her on the nose in front of dozens of people, hiding her face from the cat calls and the whistles, but that only made Naruto happier.

"Hinata—I don't think I could ever thank you enough for all of this."

"I can't take all the credit," Hinata insisted gently. "Sakura-san helped inspire me. She cares for you a lot, Naruto-kun."

Naruto laughed. It was the best way to reply.

"Who would have thought that after so many years of trying to keep it a secret, so many people would know when my birthday was…" Naruto said, dragging his eyes across the mass of people. "And to think, just earlier today I was trying to get through it as fast as possible."

"It's because you let me in, Naruto-kun," Hinata told him. "You let _us_ in. You've been so kind to us over the years. I think it's time we started paying you back."

She walked up to his arm, and stood beside him proudly, enjoying everyone else's presence almost as much as Naruto was. Not a single person she had asked to come had declined, even if they could only show up for a few minutes. Even Tsunade, more than likely going against Shizune's nagging, showed up with a bottle of Sake in hand. The bottle was now empty, and Tsunade was drolly insisting her work could wait another day as she chased after some unfortunate soul who caught her attention.

To impress the younger children, one of the guests had brought along an old violin, joining in with a guitar and flute that had already been there. They had been playing mostly little happy songs, but Hinata was about to change that. She hurried over before Naruto could ask what she was doing, and whispered something into the man with the flute's ear. He seemed to like the idea, and eagerly spread it around to his impromptu band mates.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked, as Hinata returned to his side. She didn't reply, but gingerly took his hand and started leading him forward. He felt compelled to see where she was going with this, and soon his question was answered when the band started playing. Hinata moved his arms around to her back, and lay into his chest. She swayed back and forth, and Naruto followed suit, despite his embarrassment from all the people who were starting to watch.

"There sure are a lot of people watching…" he mumbled to her as the crowd grew.

"Let them watch. I don't mind." Hinata pulled him closer, and Naruto stopped caring as well.

The music was incredibly sweet and soft. And familiar. Naruto's ear piqued up after a while, sure that they had heard this music before.

"Hey, isn't this that sound your mom used to sing to you?' he asked.

She smiled into his chest. "I'm glad you remembered."

"You ever gonna teach me the words?" Naruto asked jokingly.

Hinata sighed with content. "Maybe later, okay? For now, let's just enjoy the party."

"Fair enough." He gave her a little squeeze, and let everything else slip away. For now, it would just be the two of them.

Several other couples joined Naruto and Hinata in their little makeshift circle. Most of them were older, as the song the musicians were playing wasn't well known to the younger generations, but even they couldn't help but be moved by the beautiful music. Ino was the first one to be swayed, and Chōji picked up on this quickly as he took her out as well. Tenten was not about to be ousted, and practically dragged Neji with her to join them. Even Tsunade took to the song; she had caught up with the unfortunate man, and now was drunkenly yanking him back and forth, giggling to herself.

Naruto and Hinata didn't even notice that the song had long stopped playing, too lost with each other were they. It wasn't until Akamaru (and Kiba, oddly enough) started howling to the music, catching everyone's attention.

Apparently, he was moved by the music as well, as he didn't notice what he was doing until he had dozens of people laughing at him. Kiba blushed a bright red, hiding behind Akamaru, who seemed to love all the attention.

"Yeah yeah yeah, laugh it up!" Kiba said angrily, shuffling his feet. He suddenly turned around and sprinted away, laying out some poor excuse for his leave.

Naruto laughed to himself.

Hours passed. People ate and drank, joked and played, laughed and talked with one another. The food was getting low, and the remainder of the people were saying their goodbyes, to each other and to Naruto. He was currently thanking an elderly couple for stopping by for a while, when Ino came bounding up to him. She was smiling from ear to ear.

"What's up with you?" Naruto asked, waving the couple off. "Kiba fall in Akamaru's poop or something?"

Ino smirked. "As if. It's not _my_ birthday, remember? It's yours, and it's time for the best part!"

Naruto cocked his head to one side, curious. "What part is that?"

"Presents, of course!"

Naruto looked genuinely surprised. "You guys got me presents? C'mon, you know I don't need anything—"

"Don't even try to get out of this, Naruto!" Ino insisted, latching onto his arm. "You're gonna get your presents whether you like it or not!"

She dragged him back towards where the large amount of leftover cake sat, with all of Naruto's closest friends sitting around in some of the chairs or on the ground. A ways away, Naruto could see Kakashi scolding Guy about something. He didn't have to wait long to hear what it was about.

"Guy, let's just leave them alone for now. Don't you think it will be a little silly if two people over 30 are hanging out with a bunch of teenagers?"

"NONSENSE, MY ETERNAL RIVAL!" Guy shouted back. "I must share many stories of my youth, to inspire them to work hard and become fabulous shinobi!"

But Kakashi was having none of it. He didn't reply, and instead grabbed onto Guy's collar, dragging a very reluctant Taijutsu specialist. Before they left the clearing, Kakashi turned around, and with his visible eye, winked at Naruto. Naruto waved happily back, and then it was just the Konoha 11 (plus Sai), enjoying one another's company.

"Okay, Naruto—you sit _here_," Ino said, shoving him into a seat that lay in front of the others. "And we'll get you your presents!"

She snapped her fingers, as if she was expecting something. When nothing did, she snapped again. Kiba picked at his ear, oblivious that she was now glaring at him.

"Kiba, go get the presents!" she demanded.

"Why do I have to go?" Kiba protested, crossing his legs indignantly. "You've been bossing me around all day!"

"Just get them, Kiba." Sakura scratched the bridge of her nose. "Look, I'll help you, so let's just get them."

Kiba grumbled something incoherent, but relented, whistling for Akamaru to help out.

* * *

><p>After a short time, they had everyone's gifts laid out in front of Naruto, grouped together in their respective teams.<p>

"Start with ours first!" Ino said excitedly, clapping her hands together. "They're the ones on the far left."

Naruto, not having any other idea what he could do, did as she asked. He picked up a single envelope, tearing into it with his forefinger. A small slip of paper fell out when he shuck the parcel, and he held it up to get a better look at it.

Chōji beamed with pride. "That's an all-expenses paid trip to the best resort in the Land of Fire! Hot springs, free buffets, if you can think of it, they have it!"

Naruto smiled broadly. "Wow, thanks Chōji!" he said happily, flipping it over to the other side. Immediately his face flushed bright red, and he hid the paper in his clothing.

"What got you all embarrassed?" Kiba asked, trying to sneak a peek. Naruto refused to answer, shaking his head so rapidly his head might have fallen off his shoulders.

Chōji started laughing, a wicked look in his eyes. "He saw the part where it's a trip for _two_. They call it the 'Lover's Package'."

Hinata turned just as red as Naruto did, hiding her face from the others as they roared with laughter. The only ones who wasn't laughing with them were Neji and Sai. Neji was trying to maintain his calm, but Sai seemed confused.

"I don't think I understand. If Naruto and Hinata are in a dating relationship based upon affection, does that not make them 'lovers?'

Kiba snickered to himself, and leaned in Sai's ear to clarify.

"Oh, I understand now! It's implying that Naruto and Hinata will have sexual relations on their trip!"

You could practically hear Neji's teeth grinding, and steam seemed to shoot out from Hinata's ears. Of course, none of the others noticed, they were laughing too hard.

Ino finally decided they had suffered enough, and handed Naruto her present next, which was wrapped very peculiarly. There was a section of wrapping that was completely transparent that let light in, and Naruto was curious as to why. When we delicately removed the wrapping, he finally knew why.

"They're a special kind of perennial flower!" Ino explained, noticing the look of curiosity hiding behind Naruto's eyes. "They never stop blooming, because they've been bred to use photosynthesis incredibly efficiently."

Naruto was surprised someone else was aware of his fondness of houseplants, but then again, Ino _did_ help run a flower shop. The flowers were a mix between brilliant red, and a more soothing burnt orange.

"They change color depending on the season; isn't it amazing?" Ino certainly thought it was, but no one else besides Naruto and Hinata (because she was Hinata) seemed to think so. "Because it's autumn right now, they'll be a mix of reds and oranges. But come winter, they turn pink and white!"

Hinata admired the many blooms Naruto had spread out in front of him. As Ino explained, they were just a small sample of what she was going to drop off at his apartment later that day, insisting it would add some color to his balcony. Naruto accepted them graciously, and set them aside away from the others so they wouldn't get stomped on (or peed on, in Akamaru's case. Naruto could see the devious look in the dog's eye).

Shikamaru came up next, handing Naruto a flat box. Feeling a little cheeky, Naruto shook it gently, trying to make out what it was. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Just open it, if you want to know what's inside."

Naruto eagerly tore open the wrapping, finding an ornately carved wooden box, the where a latch, which he flipped open to see what was inside the box. A checkered, flat board greeted his eyes, with many small carvings sitting on some of the squares.

"What is this?" Naruto asked, eyeing on of the carvings. He could have sworn it looked like Chōji.

"It's a game I came across on a mission one day," Shikamaru explained. "It seems like a different version of Shogi, but I'm not that familiar with the rules. Maybe you and I could learn sometimes."

Naruto grinned. "Sure, I don't mind getting beat all the time! And hey, did you notice that some of these pieces look like—?"

"All of us?" Shikamaru smiled. "Look closer. You'll find each of the pieces resembles one of us, in one way or another. I had them all specially carved

The level of detail was incredible. Down to the sheen in Lee's hair or the glint of light in Kiba's canine teeth, everything was in order. Naruto marveled at the little pieces, growing increasingly curious about the game. Maybe losing to Shikamaru every time he played would get old for a while, but Naruto always liked to try new things.

It was only when he set down the piece that resembled Shikamaru himself did he notice the piece meant to be himself. This one was larger than the others, more brightly colored. And hanging on the back of the little wooden Naruto, sat the ceremonial hat of the Hokage.

Naruto's eyes lifted up to find Shikamaru gazing coolly at him, an aloof smile on his face.

"It's the most important piece," Shikamaru explained. "If you take it from the opponent, the game is over."

"So why is it me?" Naruto asked. "I'm not the Hokage."

Shikamaru smiled. "A man can hope, can't he?" He stepped back among the others, nodding in Naruto's direction. "I'd gladly follow you anywhere. Assuming you can get my lazy ass out of bed."

Naruto smiled back, and a few unspoken words passed between the two of them before Shikamaru sat back down.

Because Lee could no longer contain his excitement, it was decided he and his teammates would go next. He raced over to the pile and grabbed what was the largest of the boxes, and when he set it down in front of Naruto, the ground cracked a little.

"Uhh, Lee—what the heck is in this thing?" Naruto asked, eyeing it carefully.

Lee grinned broadly. "Oh, I am so glad you have asked that question, my friend! Allow me to show you!" He then began to unconventionally open the present himself. Naruto didn't mind, as he was too curious to see what was inside. When Lee opened the top of the box, Naruto leaned forward to peek inside.

There was a large amount of training equipment, from leg weights and dumbbells, to several spares of Lee's signature jumpsuit. All of it looked well-used, but kept in great condition. As Lee looked into the box, he had to stop his youthful tears from springing from his eyes.

"This is the very training equipment I used during your three year absence from the village," Lee explained. "Every day, I was reminded of how we two were considered failures, and how we two were thought never to become splendid shinobi."

He suddenly struck heroic pose, smiling wide. "But that is all in the past! You have helped drive me to become a splendid shinobi like the world has never seen, and now I pass these tokens of my gratitude onto you, dear friend!"

Naruto couldn't contain _his_ youthful feelings any longer, and two of them embraced. Everyone else either rolled their eyes or dropped them altogether until the two overzealous ninja separated. Naruto wiped a youthful tear from his eye, and sat back down, just as Tenten walked up.

She had a self-satisfied smile on her face, and Naruto felt himself grow a little uncomfortable underneath her gaze.

"Trust me, you're gonna like what I have," she said, before turning around. "You're _all_ gonna like what I have for him!"

Everyone unconsciously leaned forward, nearly as curious as Naruto to see what Tenten had in store.

"We've all been able to recognize Naruto walked down the street, what with that god-awful tracksuit he's always wearing!" Everyone laughed, while Naruto sat in his seat, fuming.

"But is that really the attire of the village hero?" she asked, building the tension. "I don't think it is, so I decided to go out and do something about it!"

Naruto had to know now. He ripped through the paper and cardboard as if they were…well, as if they were paper and cardboard, holding it up for everyone to see when he finished.

It was a simple black jumpsuit, somewhat similar to what Lee wore, but much more loose-fitting. Naruto was no cloth expert, but even he could tell that this had been expensive, as the cloth felt very smooth in his hand, as well as durable. He could feel several hidden pockets, mentally making a note of where they were for later use.

But what was _really_ cool about the whole ensemble was the coat meant to hang over it. Tenten, despite her personal opinion, left him with his favorite color, as it was colored a brilliant burnt orange color, gleaming in the light. Red flames bordered the bottom of the back and of the sleeves, adding a little bit of light contrast to the overall ensemble. And in pure white lettering, the kanji for Uzumaki rolled down the back of the cloak.

Naruto looked like a child in a candy store, eyes wide with amazement. It was…it was so cool! Everyone else admired the garment from a distance, envious of his new outfit.

"I think that's a little more fitting for the 'Hero of Konoha', don't you think?" Tenten asked, smirking. Naruto leaped up and threw her into a bear hug, jumping up and down.

"It's so cool! I love it, I love it! Thank you!" He started to take off his tracksuit right then and there to try it on, but Sakura 'gently' asked him to wait until later, to which he hastily agreed to.

Next, Neji stepped up, handing Naruto a small, simply wrapped box. Naruto opened it to reveal a very old kunai. The edge had dulled a long time ago, but it was clear that someone had prevented it from rusting.

"This kunai belonged to my father," Neji explained, eyeing it carefully. "It's one of the few things I have left to remember him."

Naruto frowned. "Neji, I can't take something like this. It wouldn't be right." He tried offering it back to Neji, but his arms remained at his side.

"I want you to have it, Naruto. My father gave his life for his family, and when I look at you, I see my father living on in you. It may not be much, but it represents a great thing to me. Please take care of it."

"I promise I will," Naruto said, tucking it away for safekeeping. He felt honored Neji would share something so personal with him, and as the elder Hyūga went to sit back down, Hinata offered him a heartfelt smile, which he returned, if only for a moment before returning to his usual stoic self.

Next up was Shino and Kiba only, since Hinata wanted to save hers for last (though Naruto didn't know that). In fact, Naruto didn't even notice Shino was standing in front of him until he was holding out his present, which had multiple holes drilled into it. Naruto was a little hesitant to take it, but then again most people would be when the box is _buzzing_.

He didn't want to offend his friend, and Naruto's curiosity was itching at him, so he reached for the package, and opened it. Almost immediately the buzzing became very loud, as hundreds of beetles had access to fresh air and light and greeted Naruto, who began to shake rapidly.

"Wh-what are th-these things?" Naruto questioned, watching as a few of the braver beetles started crawling on his hand. Shivers were shooting up and down his spine.

"They are a very rare type of beetle, though one that has little combat potential," Shino replied matter-of-factly. "They are a valuable asset for in the home use. Why? Because they rid the home of other pests, while simultaneously removing other undesirables. They use dust and dirt for their nests, and bacteria is collected through their mouths for energy."

All the girls (and surprisingly, Lee) had to resist the urge to run away at their description, but Naruto was actually fairly impressed. Of course, it was because it meant he would have to clean even less than he already did, without putting in any effort elsewhere. That sounded like a win-win situation to him. He thanked Shino earnestly, and allowed him to say goodbye to his beloved bugs before he retook his place with the others. Ino subconsciously scooted a little further away from him, afraid he might have even more bugs on his person than he usually did.

Kiba was about to get up from his seat, but Sai, who was sitting next to him and had been scribbling furiously in his sketchbook for the past twenty minutes, suddenly got up from his spot, accidently knocking Kiba back into his seat.

"May I go next?" he asked. "I just finished with your present, and I would like to present it to you."

Naruto looked at Kiba, who shrugged his shoulders. He had been getting walked on all day, what would it hurt for it to happen one more time?

Sai smiled, and stepped forward. "I drew you a picture!"

It was something a four year old would tell their parents, but it was well-known now that Sai was no four-year-old (at least when it came to his drawing), and the picture Sai had just finished drawing was no exception.

The picture's subject had been from only a few minutes ago, during the musician's performance. There were dozens of people included in the picture, immaculately detailed, down to the stubble on some of the men's chins. Naruto could see Chōji and Ino, as well as Neji and Tenten, and marveled at how Sai was able to perfectly capture their personalities in a single frame of time.

Most of the picture was in various shades of grey, but in the very center, where Naruto found himself and Hinata placed, was filled in with bright, vivid colors. Naruto's oranges popped, and Hinata's purples and whites glowed. And the look Sai captured in their eyes—it made Naruto blush, and when Hinata came over for a moment to take a peek, she turned the same shade of red as he was.

This got everyone's attention, and soon the entire group was crowded behind Naruto's newest gift, admiring at the level of craftsmanship. Sai was surprised by the sudden surge of attention he got from them afterwards, asking if he could draw something else for them. This made Naruto happy, since Sai hadn't gotten to know everyone else as well yet.

And then it was Kiba's turn. He stood up, walked up to Naruto, and grinned at him. Naruto stared back, not really sure of where he was going with this.

"Hey Naruto…" Kiba began, smirking. "You think you could whistle for me?"

"Why do I have to whistle?" Naruto asked, hopelessly confused. Everyone else was as well. Where could Kiba be going with _this_?

"Just do it!" Kiba insisted. "Trust me, you'll be glad you did."

Naruto shrugged, and did as was asked of him. A shrill whistle pierced through the clearing, and for a few good minutes, nothing happened. Kiba insisted to wait just a little longer, and finally, Naruto heard something coming this way.

A high pitched yipping was coming from one side of the clearing, and everyone craned their neck to see as it got louder and louder. Something small and furry burst through the trees, and nearly everyone (especially Ino) squealed with delight.

A tiny puppy was bounding across the grass, his tongue flopping outside of his mouth as he raced straight towards Kiba. The little guy was moving with surprising speed, especially with what Naruto saw when the dog finally got to Kiba, and was licking his hand.

"Does that dog only have three legs?" Naruto asked, concerned. He was right; the little puppy only possessed three limbs out of the usual four.

"There are some things you just can't prepare for," Kiba explained, scratching behind the dog's ears. "We try to breed it out of them, but sometimes it just can't be helped. That never seemed to stop this little guy. He was a scrapper and a fighter, just like you."

The pup turned to look at Naruto, curious of the blonde. He panted happily as he stared at Naruto, and as Naruto stared back at him. He was covered head to toe with mottled brown fur, and possessed a very unique splotch of white fur over one of his eyes. He must have taken a liking to the Uzumaki, as he bounded over and promptly hopped up in Naruto's lap, licking at his hand.

Kiba smiled. "He couldn't be allowed to be a ninken, and while we usually take care of those at my house, I figured we could let one go. You like him?"

Naruto was ecstatic. He scratched behind the puppy's ears, who rewarded him with another round of licking on his hand, nibbling on his finger a few times. Every couple of seconds, Ino would cry out in delight, defeated by the pure cuteness of the scene in front of her. Hinata giggled when the puppy got a little too excited, and accidently chomped down on Naruto's finger. He cried out briefly, but quickly went back to playing with the little hound.

"I can drop off a couple months of food for the little guy off at your place to get you started," Kiba instructed. "Also, it might be a good idea to leave a window open or something; you don't want him pissing all over your house. Since he can't go on any missions with you, you'll have to leave him behind, but he can find his way back to my house and hang out there with some of the others dogs until you get back, so you never have to worry about him while you're gone!"

Naruto smiled. "Looks like I finally get to have a permanent guest at my dinky little place!" he said to the dog. "How does that sound, little guy?"

The pup seemed to love the idea, pawing the front of Naruto's jacket while his tail wagged rapidly. He more than likely would have stayed in Naruto's lap for the rest of the day, but a dragonfly caught his eye, and he went after it, yipping madly.

"Man, why does Naruto get all the luck?" Ino whined as Kiba retook his seat, laughing. She turned to Chōji. "Can we get a dog? Pleeeease?"

Chōji did _not_ like being put on the spot. "That's not up to me! You'd have to ask your dad about that."

"Could you ask him for me?"

They bickered on as Sakura got up to give her present. She was about halfway when something occurred to her, and she began to search through her pockets, looking extremely embarrassed.

"Uhhh…can you just wait for a second? I think I forgot it at home." She didn't even wait for Naruto to reply before she was gone, leaving behind a trail dust.

And so everyone turned to Hinata. Realizing there was no sense in waiting for Sakura to come back, Hinata decided she could at least give Naruto her present while Sakura was gone.

Naruto beamed at her as she walked up, standing to give her a little hug.

"I hope you like it, Naruto-kun," she said softly, taking out a small box from her jacket pocket.

Naruto grinned cheekily. "Hinata, I'd be happy with anything, you know that!" He removed all the wrapping, and when he opened the box, a small gasp escaped from his lips.

He recognized it in an instant, despite the fact that was incomplete and in multiple pieces. Arranged in a small spiral pattern—

Was what was left of the First Hokage's necklace that Tsunade had given him. Hinata somehow must have come across several pieces of it, and managed to assemble some of the pieces into a spiral pattern, as a reminder of his name.

"H-how did you—" he began to ask. He was in bewilderment. Just how much work did she have to go through to get all of this together? He wasn't exactly in his right mind when he had destroyed the necklace, and to find this many pieces, or any at all for that matter, underneath all that rubble and dirt and who knows what else must have taken an incredible amount of time and effort.

Hinata tapped at her temple, smiling at him. "These eyes have more than one use. It t-took a while, and I would have preferred a few more pieces, but I know how important it was to you. Do you like it?"

Naruto smiled as widely as he could, from ear to ear. "I love it. This really means a lot to me, Hinata. I wish I could really show you how I feel about it, but you know I've never been good at those things." He hugged her again, planting a small kiss on the top of her forehead.

She leaned in close to his ear, to where only he could hear what she said. "I'm sure you'll have your chance later today."

They were both blushing bright red, well aware of what she had meant by that. Thankfully, Sakura returned before everyone else caught onto to the certain type of tension between Naruto and Hinata. How she got back so fast was a mystery, but they weren't about to question their blessing.

Hinata stood beside Naruto this time as Sakura caught her breath. She was holding a square, flat box, wrapped simply in a large section of brown paper. Nothing too fancy, just the way Sakura preferred it.

She smiled, and Naruto felt a shiver run up his spine. The look in her eye made him think that he could never guess what she had for him, and at the time, he didn't know how right he was.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto." She held out her present, and with a little nudge from Hinata, Naruto reached out and took it. He didn't know why, but his heart was pounding, and his palms were more than a little sweaty. Carefully, he tore open the wrapping, casting it aside. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

It was a photo frame, with several small pictures arranged in the corners with one in the center. They were of his father, and he was with a woman that Naruto didn't recognize. But with how happy his father looked, he knew it was.

It was his mother.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata was there in an instant, draping her arms across his shoulder as he sat there motionless, staring at the photos.

She was beautiful. She had a pretty face, and soft blue eyes that were darker than his own. But what Naruto found most amazing was her scarlet-colored hair, reaching down to her back. It looked like a wildfire, making her look fiery and passionate.

"There were so few people in the village who knew her, but I found what photos I could, and they were willing to give them to me," Sakura explained. "It's not much, but—"

Naruto stopped her from continuing, crushing her in a bear hug. His face was hidden away in her shoulder, more than likely to hide the tears that had formed in his eyes. Sakura had given Naruto his mother, and he didn't fully know how to react. His body was shaking, and every now and then a small sob escaped from between his lips. They weren't tears of sadness; Naruto was in fact ecstatic that he finally got to see his mother. It was one of the best gifts anyone could have given him.

The mood caught some of the others as well, especially Hinata. Naruto had left the photo in his seat, and Hinata stared at it, admiring his mother's beauty and serenity. She looked like a wonderful person, and Hinata wished that Naruto could have known her. She wanted to go over and be there for Naruto, but she knew this was between him and Sakura.

"Th-thank you…" Naruto muttered under his breath, having calmed down somewhat. "Thank you so much…"

Sakura smiled, and patted him on the back. "You're welcome, Naruto. I'm just glad you like it."

The two finally separated, and Naruto scratched behind his head, embarrassed he had let that slip out all of a sudden. No one seemed to mind, however; they understood how he felt completely.

The rest of the day went by in the blink of an eye. Everyone nibbled on what food remained, and joked with one another until the sun had long gone down. Naruto had given a heartfelt thank-you to everyone still present, and some of the more emotional people (Kiba) could be seen wiping their eyes. To his relief, the others had told Naruto that he wouldn't have to worry about cleaning up, much to his relief, as they would handle it tomorrow when they had the time, and had gradually excused themselves one by one, leaving Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata the only ones left.

Naruto had sat back down in his chair, staring at the photographs of his parents. There was one where she looked angry, obviously not happy that whoever took the photo (more than likely his father), had done so while she was still in her pajamas. There was one where she looked peaceful, staring out at a coming sunset. The one Naruto cherished the most, however, lay in the very center. It was of both of his parents, and centered on the growing bulge in his mother's stomach. His father was one knee, gently kissing her stomach as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

"She seems like a wonderful person," Sakura said from behind him. He jumped a little in surprise, not realizing he had been concentrating so much.

"Yeah, she does," Naruto replied. "I can see where I got my devilish good looks from now, too!"

She lightly punched him on the arm "Idiot. Your father is way cuter."

Naruto grinned cheekily. "So that means _both_ of my parents were attractive? I guess that means I must be the most handsome man in the whole world!"

"Not by a long shot." Sakura paused, watching his face. "I'm glad you had a good birthday, you know. We wanted to make up for all those years where we—well, you know."

"You don't have to worry about that; I never held it against you or anyone else," Naruto reassured her. "After all, I never really broadcast it to you guys. But I'm happy you did this. It felt really good, you know?"

Sakura smiled. "Good, because next year you'll be lucky to get a cupcake and a song."

Naruto laughed and smiled back. The two swapped goodbyes, a quick hug, and as she walked away, Naruto turned around to find Hinata gathering all of his other things together.

"What's this? My fair lady shouldn't be forced to handle what is my responsibility!" It was endlessly corny, but Hinata liked it when he talked like that, and giggled.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun. Just think of it as another present, okay?" Naruto could tell she would win if they got into an argument about it, but insisted that he at least help her carry half of it back to his place. All except Naruto's newest companion, who hobbled after him happily, eager to see his new home. Hinata tried picking the little thing up too, but he silently insisted on walking himself, but gave her a little lick on the hand as consolation.

As soon as the door swung open, Naruto was close to dumping everything on the floor before crashing on the bed, but Hinata's presence, as well as the huge amount of stuff in his arms, forced him to wait a little longer. He placed everything on the kitchen table before helping Hinata unload her own armful of stuff. He accidently knocked over one of the bags of kibble Kiba had given him, and the pup was on it in an instant, chomping up over half of what spilled before Naruto scooped him up. The puppy didn't seem to like this, and lightly nipped Naruto on the nose, much to his indignation, and to Hinata's amusement.

"It's gonna be weird having someone else over all the time," Naruto sighed, setting the pup down so he could explore the other rooms of the house. "Errr, some_thing_ over all the time. Do you think he likes me?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes, I think the two of you get along wonderfully. But you know…" She suddenly crept up close to him, sliding her arms underneath his. "You may have _another _guest over tonight."

Naruto turned bright red, and was about to ask her what she meant, but her lips captured his before he could say anything.

How Naruto had had this big of an effect over her, Hinata didn't know. But whenever she was around him, namely when they were alone, she felt like she could be _bold_, maybe even sexy? The word seemed so unlike her, but it just felt so natural when she was with Naruto, and he certainly didn't seem to mind.

"What's this?" Naruto asked, in between breaks for air, "Am I getting another birthday present?"

"You remember when I thought we weren't ready to take that step yet? Earlier today?" she asked. Naruto nodded, which made Hinata grin slyly. "Well, it may have been just because I wanted to wait until now." She dove back in again, pushing Naruto against the wall. He didn't seem to mind, in fact switching their position before she could stop him.

Their bodies were grinding up against one another, and Naruto felt a part of his stomach begin to heat up. They were going to keep going this time, weren't they? Did that mean he was allowed to be a little...investigative? Because for some time now, he wanted to be.

But to his surprise, Hinata was actually the one who beat him to it. His eyes rolled into the back of his head when he felt her tongue slip past her lips, and slide into his. She shuddered when he fought back with his own, and this time didn't stop when a moan escaped from her mouth into his. In fact, it only spurred Naruto on, who's hands traveled slowly down her back, before stopping to hover just above her rear.

They split for air, staring at one another as they gasped for air. Hinata was smiling at him, but something seemed to be eating at Naruto.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked, suddenly feeling slightly ashamed. What if it was because he didn't like what she had done?

But that wasn't what was on Naruto's mind. "Are you sure we should be doing this? I don't want your dad to get mad at you."

And then all of the anger she had felt towards her father earlier that day came rushing back. She had been meaning to go home and confront him, but she had been so happy all day that she had completely forgotten about him, and something in her decided she simply didn't want to deal with it right now.

"Can I stay here tonight?"

Naruto blinked several times. Did she just say—

"I didn't mean it like _that_," Hinata confessed. "I would just rather spend the night here than deal with him right now. He's done some things recently that have…actually, can we stop talking about it? Just thinking about them puts me in a bad mood."

Naruto kissed her forehead. "Sure thing. I can lay out some spare sheets or something and crash on the floor.

Hinata almost rolled her eyes. Even now, Naruto managed to miss the completely obvious. "Actually, Naruto…I was hoping we could maybe share the bed?"

"Right. That's what I meant," Naruto replied, grinning impishly. He suddenly picked her up bridal style, and carried her into his room, where the pup was currently sniffing around the TV stand. When Naruto set her down on the bed and started to take off his shoes, the dog picked up on that it was time for bed, and shambled over before pawing Naruto's leg, asking to be let on.

"Hold on, aren't dogs supposed to sleep in their own beds?" Naruto said, scratching behind the little dog's ears.

Hinata pouted. "Can't he sleep up here just for tonight?" When Naruto looked back at the dog, he was giving him the same puppy-dog eyes that Hinata was giving him, and had to relent.

"Alright then. C'mon, little guy!" he picked up the overjoyed puppy, who scampered around on the sheets before finding a warm place in between the two of them to settle down.

Neither of them really cared that they were still in their clothes for the day; they were too exhausted. Their 'fun' may have been ruined by Naruto's brining up of Hiashi, but neither of them dwelled on that, just happy to be with one another's company. Naruto fell asleep first, while Hinata gently cooed the puppy to sleep, softly stroking it's back. Soon after the little dog fell asleep as well, leaving Hinata to contemplate her thoughts for a few minutes before sleep took her as well.

She watched Naruto's face scrunch up as a stray hair tickled his forehead, before reaching over to brush it away. She pushed herself forward, giving him a little kiss on the nose, and when she drew back, he was smiling.

"Happy birthday, Naruto-kun," was the last thing she said before sleep overtook her, taking her away to a land of slumber and dreams.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

-I made Sakura's present more personal than Hinata's for a reason. I wanted to illustrate that no matter how close Naruto and Hinata get, even to the point where they are than he and Sakura, Sakura will be close to him in a way no one else will. That doesn't mean Sakura will every usurp Naruto's affections, but merely act as a reminder that they have been through more together.

-I have my reasons for all the presents, and while some of them (namely Shino's and the entirety of Team Guy) were hard to come up with, I'm happy with them overall. Some of them may have seemed a little obvious, but what can you do?

-Also, some of you may be wondering why I intentionally left out the puppy's name. Well, that's because I've decided to let you guys name it! Drop a suggestion off however you like, and I'll pick one out of the choices, as well as credit who ever came up with it. I hope to see lots of suggestions!

Until next time!


	39. Raiā's Return, and Hinata's Defiance!

**Author's Note:** I bet you guys weren't expecting another update so soon, amirite? Well, I decided that for a Pre-Holiday treat, I would update the story the moment I was finished with a chapter this whole week, instead of spacing them out. Maybe that means I need more time each day to write, but if I'm home from school for a while, doesn't that mean I have more free time anyways?_  
><em>

So apparently I have been considered for prenominations for several awards for the 2012 Fan-Fiction Awards (or Ficcy's for short, as I learned) for Naruto. Not only was **Entwined** nominated for Best Het Romance and Best Het Long Story, but best Long Story overall! I'm not very learned in how these things work, but I would like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. It's entirely a result of your enjoyment of this story that has driven me to continue writing, and I will only say that I hope I will continue to do so for a long time coming. This is all I will say about that, since nothing is set in stone.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions for the naming of Naruto's newest companion! It was a tough choice finding the right fit, especially with so many excellent names to choose from, but I think I've picked one that best exemplifies who is naming him. Since nothing is set in stone, it can always be subject to change, but I think you'll like the name.

Lastly, I forgot to add this to the previous chapter, so that's my mistake. If you were curious as to what Hinata and Naruto danced to at his birthday, you can find my inspiration here: ** watch?v=9JiUwIB-iSw**

On with the chapter!

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><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 21 - Boiling Point! Raiā's Return, and Hinata's Defiance!<strong>_  
><em>

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

A pool was beginning to form. With every drop, its boundaries spread further across the floor, liquid tendrils seeking to drown all it could reach. Raiā suddenly coughed up an ample amount of blood, adding it to the pool beneath his feet.

How many days had it been? Weeks, even? His sense of time was distorted; they didn't even feed him regularly.

With what little strength he could muster, Raiā raised his eyes to his captor, and spat in his face. To hell with all of them.

His 'attendant' calmly wiped the blood and spittle from his cheek, not batting an eye. He was well aware Raiā was merely trying to get a rise out of him, a pleasure he refused to grant. Still, that didn't mean the bastard was free from harm, and he struck Raiā across the face to remind him.

"What's the point of all of this?" Raiā demanded, in between ragged breaths. "You know you'll never get anything out of me."

"My job is to beat you within an inch of your life," the man replied bluntly. "I don't care if you talk or not."

Raiā smirked. "Well, aren't you the obedient guard dog? You have a bitch to look after as well, dog?" That comment earned him another blow. His forehead split open above his brow, and blood seeped into his eye, stinging and blinding.

"You might as well kill me now," he continued, adjusting his wrists to keep the chains from digging into them so much. "I'm not going to live that much longer, and you might get a pay raise if you're the one to off me."

"Yes, you have already informed us of this,"

Both Raiā and his attendant turned in the direction of the door. Gaara was standing there, eyeing Raiā suspiciously. He was holding a scroll in his hand. What were the contents of that scroll, Raiā wondered to himself.

Gaara stepped further inside, closing the iron door behind him. "You've tried to goad my men into allowing you to escape ever since you were first brought here. If it did not work then, are you such a fool to believe it will work now?"

Raiā sneered. "Of course; my mistake. You are all far too stupid to realize your mistake."

He didn't receive a reply. Gaara whispered something to the attendant, who nodded, and left without a word. Raiā grew a little worried as to why he was being left alone with the leader of Suna, but he didn't want to sound too curious; he refused to suggest that this was getting to him.

"What's this? Has the Kazekage finally decided to do his own dirty work?"

Arms folded, Gaara stared at Raiā. The scroll he had brought with him was now resting on a nearby table, the only other piece of furniture available. Its contents had been…troubling, but Gaara did not have the time or the patience to play any more mind games with this man. He would have to take a gamble.

"So you are one of the last members of the once-famous Uzumaki clan..."

Raiā went berserk. This innate rage gave the broken man strength beyond comprehension, and he struggled against his bonds anew. The gamble had paid off.

"How did you know that?" Raiā screamed. His nostrils were flaring, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets. "I was so careful not to leave anything behind, I'm sure of it! My home was destroyed!"

Gaara didn't flinch despite the savage display, but the corners of his mouth nearly turned upwards in a self-satisfied smile. "I knew nothing until you confirmed it. It was merely a hunch Kakashi and the Hokage of Konoha had made. You have betrayed yourself."

He had to take a step back to avoid Raiā's violent thrashing. He shouted and cursed at the top of his lungs, and fell to the floor as a result of his tantrum. His head bouncing off of the stone floor shut him up.

A hissing sound came from Gaara's back, as his sand snaked across the floor, setting the chair Raiā was chained to back on its legs. It was a few more minutes before Raiā was ready to speak again.

"So you found me out. Congratulations, Kazekage-_sama_." He jeeringly stressed the 'sama', and attempted to spit at him just as he had with his attendant. It didn't even make it close before Gaara's shield reacted instinctively, rising up from the floor to absorb it.

Raiā snarled at his captor, but there was a look of fear in his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to push it down, Gaara would be able to see it. This was not something he expected, and perhaps he was finally starting to realize that these people were just as dangerous as he claimed this 'other man' was. At least, that was what Gaara was hoping for.

"Why is this information important to you?" Raiā asked, studying the Kazekage's face. "It is not a mystery that the clan scattered after our home was torn apart by your 'Great' villages and their wars."

Gaara leaned against the table. "Is that what really happened? Perhaps on the surface, but what could be lying underneath, hiding among the filth and the rats? What secrets to the past can be found? These are things the Kazekage must be made aware of, and if you are willing to share your secrets, we might be able to make a deal."

His eyes narrowed. "One secret in particular, interests me greatly. Who was your clan? Who remains, and is there any chance that there could be those who are not wretched examples of humanity like you?"

Raiā laughed mirthlessly. "You will find no peace in that discovery, boy. The Uzumaki clan is nothing but vile liars or murderers like me. You'd be better off letting them remain scattered; perhaps one day we'll all die off."

"I do not believe that," Gaara replied. "I believe there are those who are pure of heart and do not deserve the blame you have given them."

"Then you are just as big of a fool as I have always said. No matter how you try to look at it, half of us will always be hated by history, condemned to damnation."

He shut his mouth and the muscles around his face twitched. He obviously hadn't meant to say that much, and would now be on his guard against giving away any more information.

Gaara almost looked sad; regretful, even. "You truly were not aware, were you?"

"Aware of what? Out with it!"

"The reason you are here, the very reason you are alive is because an Uzumaki saved you. He is the student of Kakashi, and I owe more to him than I do anyone of my own village."

Raiā's eyes widened, and searched Gaara's own for any sign that the Kazekage was lying. He found none, and sunk back into his chair, the fight having seemingly drained away from his body.

"His name is Naruto Uzumaki," Gaara continued, "and he represents everything worth protecting in this world of ours."

"Why are you telling me these things?" Raiā pleaded. "What game are you playing at?"

"I refuse to believe someone such as Naruto can be either a 'vile liar or murderer', as you so put it. He defies all of that. It makes me curious of your past. What could have happened to you that has twisted you into the man you are now?"

Raiā fell silent for several moments, staring at the ground. "…which one? Who was Naruto?"

"Is it not obvious?" Gaara replied. "If not, the answer should come back to you eventually." He stood up, and surprisingly, placed a hand on Raiā's shoulder. Raiā jerked back, expecting violence, but none came. Gaara removed his hand, and started to leave.

"I was once like you. I turned my back on humanity, and would have been consumed by the darkness in my heart were it not for Naruto. Perhaps…perhaps he can do the same for you."

The door shut behind him, leaving Raiā alone for the first time since his return to the village. The only thing he could hear was his own breath, and the only thing he could see, were the events of that night.

He had encountered only one other person that night before the Uchiha brat had knocked him out. The boy had an unruly mop of blonde hair, and wore orange of all colors. Could this be who Gaara had spoken of?

Raiā concentrated harder, bringer greater clarity to the boy's features. Tanned skin, whisker-like marks on his cheeks, and vibrant blue eyes—

He stopped. Those eyes…he had seen something in them. He had seen vitality, and determination. Those eyes seemed so familiar...

The sudden realization hit Raiā like a thunderbolt. He did not react at first, but he soon became violent once more, struggling and crying out like a caged animal. There something terrible hidden underneath those cries, a horrible past, or a devastating memory.

Gaara stood on the other side of the door, and sighed. There was so much more to this than meets the eye.

* * *

><p>Back in Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki was beginning wake up.<p>

It's not like it was his choice. A beam of sunlight had decided to pierce through his blinds, and direct itself straight into his eye. He had tried rolling over, but the stubborn light of the sun wasn't about to be ousted by a mere human. No, it was time to get _up_, and start their day!

Naruto rolled over to his other side, wishing he had some curtains he could use to block out more sunlight, when he noticed a strange presence. It was almost as if someone else was in the bed with him…

He cracked open one eye, and found Hinata sleeping peacefully next to him, their faces inches from one another. He began to panic. They hadn't…well, you know, had they?

But then the memories of last night began to come back to him, and Naruto relaxed. Hinata had only wanted to stay the night, and she had crawled into bed next to him, where they had both quickly fallen asleep.

He watched her face, how her lips moved slightly every time she took a breath. Naruto found it adorable, and decided that waking up was a good thing if this is what he got to wake up to every morning.

"Good morning, Hinata-hime," he whispered, leaning forward to plant a little kiss on the tip of her nose. Her eyes twitched, she let out a big yawn…

And burped in his face. The smell was _foul_.

Naruto rolled off the bed in an attempt escape the horrid stench, with both hands covering his nose. But because both of his hands were covering his nose, Naruto didn't have any hands to stop his face from smacking against the floorboards. The sound was more than enough to get Hinata up.

"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?"

He turned onto his back to see a sleepy-looking Hinata peeking down at him. She rubbed her eyes, and yawned again. Despite his face hurting, Naruto smiled. Yeah, he could definitely get used to waking up to that.

"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" Hinata repeated, crossing her legs as Naruto rose up on his elbows. He winced a little, but gave her a thumbs up.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Better than ever, even! You sleep alright?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes. Your bed is um…very comfortable."

Naruto smiled. "I'm glad you liked it."

He was about to make another comment, but a strange noise coming from behind him made him turn around instead. His little three-legged friend was digging his teeth into a pair of Naruto's boxers, and Naruto yelped in fear as he tried to snatch them away. The pup merely thought this was a fun game they were playing, and tugged at it with surprising strength until a loud rip spit the boxers in two.

"Awww man…" Naruto whimpered as he clutched his half. The puppy trotted up to him, dropping his own half like it was something to be proud of.

"You'll have to train him not to eat everything he can get his paws on," Hinata advised, scooting to the edge of the bed. "Though you might lose a few more pairs of underwear before he learns."

She watched as Naruto scratched underneath the pup's chin. Even though the dog had just ripped something up of his, Naruto didn't seem angry in the slightest; that was a sign of a good pet owner.

"Have you decided what to call him yet?" Hinata asked, curious. "Every dog needs a name."

"You're right; I forgot!" Naruto exclaimed, snapping his fingers together. "Let's see…"

He needed a name that would be easy to remember, and at the same time sound really cool and intimidating! Hmmm, what could it be?

"I know!" Naruto suddenly said. "I have the perfect name for this little guy! I'll call him Miso!"

"Miso?" Hinata repeated. It _did_ have a nice ring to it, and Hinata could only guess where the idea struck him

The newly dubbed 'Miso' seemed to be quite fond of his new name, and hobbled around the room as if the was showing off to the whole world. Hinata giggled to herself when the dog nearly tripped over an empty ramen cup. Yes, Miso seemed to fit him wonderfully.

"So what do we have planned for today?"

The question came out of nowhere, but Hinata instantly knew what Naruto was talking about; he must be worried about her.

"I have to talk to him Naruto-kun," Hinata replied. "I don't want to drag this out any longer."

"Drag _what_ out, Hinata? I don't exactly have the full picture here."

Hinata sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought, but it was something Naruto needed to be aware of nonetheless. "My father and I have been fighting…over you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked, the slightest hint of ice in his voice.

"I don't this he's too happy that we're together anymore. From the beginning, I knew that he was at least tolerating it, but ever since what happened with Sasuke…" She absent-mindedly ran her hand over where her scar was, tracing its outline on the fabric of her jacket.

Naruto stiffened, and stared at the floor. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised—I did attack his daughter after all. He has every right to hate me—"

"He doesn't hate you, Naruto-kun!" Hinata said with confidence. In truth, she had doubts about her father's true opinion of her boyfriend, but that was the last thing Naruto needed to hear. She rose to her feet, walking over to where Naruto was sitting so that she could join him. "If he's angry with anyone, it's me. I haven't been doing what he wants for the past few weeks."

She reached out and stroked Naruto's cheek. "And you know what? It's felt amazing. For the first time in my life, I feel like I can finally make my own decisions without him watching over my every move."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Hinata, I really do, but don't say anything you'd regret."

Hinata seemed confused. "Regret? Naruto-kun, my father's been at the center of nearly every negative thing in my life. I don't know if there's something I could say that I would regret later."

Naruto didn't like the sound of that. "But he's still your father! Maybe he has a bad way of showing it, but I'm sure he loves you! And you can't forget about Neji and your sister, too!"

"You make it sound like I'm going to tell him I never want to see him again," Hinata said, growing frustrated. "You don't know what's been like—"

"You're right. I barely know anything about the man. I also don't know what it's like to have a father at all."

Hinata lowered her head in shame. She should have chosen her words more carefully. Naruto reached over and lifted her chin; he was smiling, but it was bittersweet.

"I just don't want you to lose your father over an idiot like me. Family is the most important thing we have, and I don't want to see you forsake yours because of me."

"What if I want _you_ to be my family?" Hinata whispered to him, resting her head on his shoulder. The words had come out of her mouth before she truly realized what she had said, but she didn't mind him knowing.

Naruto didn't reply. They sat there on the floor, with Naruto softly rubbing Hinata's back to soothe her.

"Do you want me to be there?" he asked finally.

Hinata shook her head. "No, this is something I need to handle on my own. He's my father, and I should be the one who talks to him."

"Well, I'm sure he'll come around!" Naruto said reassuringly. "After all, who could hate me?" He smiled, and Hinata smiled back. She was still nervous, but Naruto didn't seem too worried, so she could at least put on a brave face. Perhaps everything would work out for the best.

* * *

><p>Naruto opted that they both take a shower since they had slept in their clothes, and went first despite his repeated insistence that Hinata go before him. She sat on the bed, wrapped in blankets and playing with Miso, letting him nibble on her finger.<p>

The water turned off, and Hinata got up from the bed to get ready to take her own turn. To her surprise, Naruto suddenly came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He looked embarrassed, and she blushed bright red as droplets of water trailed down his well-toned body.

It was not the kind of thing Hinata needed to be thinking of right now.

"I kind of forgot what I was going to change into," Naruto informed her sheepishly, heading towards the closet to pick out his attire for the day. Before he could, however, there was a rather frantic knock on his front door.

Naruto yawned. "Hold on, I'll get it!"

He started towards the front door, and for a while Hinata stayed in the bedroom, waiting for him to finish. But she then realized that Naruto was still only in a towel, and that if it was anyone they knew on the other side of that door—well, things could get very awkward.

"Naruto-kun, wait!" she called out, but it was too late. Naruto had opened the door.

Neji blinked several times. Here was Naruto Uzumaki, standing in front of him in nothing but a towel, and down the hall, his precious cousin wrapped in a bed sheet, her face as red as a tomato.

Anyone would have thought the same thing.

Naruto had the wind knocked out of him from the first blow, as Neji shoved his fist into Naruto's gut. The second one was heading straight for his jaw, when Hinata arrived in time to stop him.

"Please, it's not what you think!" Hinata cried out. She was forced to use both hands to keep Neji in place, and the blanket fell from her shoulders, revealing her still fully-clothed body. When Neji saw this, he suddenly drew back, thinking there might be some truth to her words.

"You are going to explain to me everything. NOW."

Naruto laughed to himself nervously, mumbling something incoherent before hurrying off to put on some clothes. While he was gone, Hinata explained the situation; that she had stayed the night with Naruto and that most importantly, _nothing_ had happened between them. At least nothing Neji would be upset about.

But when Naruto came back to the front door, clothed in some dark blue sweat pants and a pastel orange shirt, he found Hinata and Neji arguing with one another.

"This behavior has gone on long enough!" Neji barked, pointing an angry finger at his cousin. "You are to return home and apologize to your father for making him worry all night!"

"Worry? This borders on obsessive!" Hinata fired back, arms folded. "I'm gone for one night, still in the village by the way, and you act like I've been kidnapped! This is completely ridiculous!"

Neji took a step forward. "What do you expect? Hinata, you've been acting strange for weeks. He's worried that you'll do something shameful."

Hinata couldn't believe her ears. Her father had known what she was like for literally her entire life, and when she does one thing he doesn't approve of, he thinks that she's going to what, start sleeping around with every man in the village? Her blood was beginning to boil, and Naruto was getting uncomfortable from all the tension forming in _his_ apartment.

"Guys guys, can we just calm down?" he pleaded, stepping in between them before either of them got any angrier. "You two are family! Neji, Hinata's just feels a little sheltered, and Hinata, Neji is just trying to look out for you! Please don't get mad at each other!"

But Hinata was nowhere near willing to back down. "Shameful? How _dare _he think that! I'm tired of him constantly being more worried about the appearance of the clan to the rest of the village than to the happiness of his own family!"

She turned to Naruto, nostrils flaring. "I'm going to settle this once and for all! Naruto-kun, I'll be right back, okay? I want to be with you however this ends."

Naruto watched as she gathered up her jacket, threw it on, and stomped out the door with Neji close behind her. The Hyūga jōnin mouthed a silent apology for making Hinata this upset, but Naruto knew it was inevitable. He just hoped Hinata and her father solved this peacefully.

* * *

><p>Hiashi was sitting in one of the spare rooms, sipping on a small cup of tea while he looked over the clan's finances for the month. One of the more frustrating duties for the head of the clan, but he had to make sure they were balancing out their own personal needs with the relief effort for the rest of the village.<p>

However, his mind was elsewhere, slowing his progress greatly. His daughter hadn't come home all night, and he could only guess where she had been. That deplorable boy was souring his relationship with his precious daughter, and he had had enough of this nonsense! He was proving to be nothing but a negative influence on Hinata; he made her lash out against her own family, and was a danger to her and anyone else around him until he learned to control his demon.

He had sent Neji and several other clan members out to the places where he believed his daughter to be. Kō had been sent to Kiba's home, while Hanabi had been asked to look at the Aburame's home (much to her distaste. Hanabi did _not_ like bugs). Whoever returned to him first would give him the answer as to where she had gone.

And he prayed Neji didn't return, since he had gone to Naruto's apartment.

Someone knocked on the door, and Hiashi stood to greet them. The door opened, and Hiashi's temper immediately began to flare.

"I'm sorry I had to be the one to report back first," Neji said softly. "But Lady Hinata was in fact at Naruto's apartment."

Hiashi started to say something, but Neji surprisingly interrupted him.

"But I assure you nothing happened between the two of them; Naruto is a terrible liar, and there was no dishonesty in his eyes. Hinata also insisted that she merely stayed the night."

He had hoped that Hiashi would calm down a little hearing that news, but it didn't seem to help in the slightest. Hiashi pushed past his nephew briskly, off to search for his daughter. Neji called out that she was in the dojo, and Hiashi was gone.

Neji took a deep breath. He really hoped they would handle this civilly.

* * *

><p>Hinata was smashing one of the training dummies to pieces. There was no grace in her blows; it was all raw power, and anger. One particularly forceful strike took the dummy's head off, sending it flying away before it smashed to pieces against the wall.<p>

Hiashi didn't even need to announce his presence in the dojo before Hinata wheeled around to face him. Her cheeks were glowing red, but this time it was from anger, not embarrassment.

"Why do you insist on ruining my life? Being with Naruto-kun is the only thing I ever needed to be happy, and you're insistent on trying to end it!"

That comment stung deeper than Hiashi let on, but he kept his cool. "I am only trying to look out for your safety, my daughter. Uzumaki-san has become…unstable. If he were to hurt you again—"

"He didn't hurt me the first time!" Hinata growled back. "That wasn't his fault, and you know it. You're just finding a way to blame him!"

"How can you say that it was not Uzumaki-san that hurt you? It was his hand that stabbed you in the shoulder. He may not have been in control, but it was he that lost that control in the first place. If he cannot handle the demon—"

"How can you know how easy it is to hide that away? Naruto-kun is only human, we _all_ are, and just because I was involved doesn't give you the right to hold him to impossible standards!"

Hiashi stared grimly at his daughter, and rush of air whistled through his nose as he exhaled sharply. "Do not interrupt me again, Hinata. You are _my_ daughter, and you will obey me when I ask something of you."

"If that means you want to keep me from being with Naruto-kun, I refuse," Hinata said calmly. She didn't care how angry her father got anymore; she was tired of backing down to his abuse. Naruto had helped her find her confidence; it was time she started using it.

"That boy has been nothing but a negative influence on you for the past 2 months, Hinata. How can you not see that?" Hiashi was surprised by the urgency in his voice, but did not back down. "I am only trying to keep you safe. What would your mother think if she knew you were throwing aside your safety for someone like that?"

Hinata froze. Slowly, the hairs on the back of her neck started to stand up, and she felt rage boil in her heart like it never had before. How _dare_ he bring her mother into this! She was nothing but kind and compassionate, and held love and loyalty above all else. To use her mother's memory against her…Hinata couldn't stop what happened next.

She dove after Hiashi, palms outstretched. Anyone else would have been caught by surprise, but Hiashi was the head of the clan for a reason. He quickly sidestepped her blind attack, and when she turned around, he had his Byakugan active.

"If this is how you want to settle this…" He jumped into the proper stance, and was on the offensive in seconds. He threw hand over hand, with much more gusto than their spars in the mornings and evenings. This had become personal between the two of them, and not a soul would dare get in between them should they find out what was happening.

"Why do you care so much about my life _now_?" Hinata pleaded, ducking and weaving. "Not 4 years ago, you wouldn't have cared if I was dead!"

"Do you truly believe that?" Hiashi roared back. "I only wanted to motivate you; to push you to the potential I knew you could achieve if you focused! Kurenai-san would never have let you be harmed! But you insisted on chasing after that delinquent. What you saw in him, I never knew, but I left you alone to make the decision between succeeding as a shinobi of the village, and chasing after some fairytale affections."

"I _saw_ everything that was good on this earth!" Hinata yelled, angry tears forming in her eyes. "I saw everything you weren't! I never understood how Kā-chan could have loved someone as heartless as you!"

"Watch your tongue!" Hiashi shouted. He suddenly burst forward, slamming his palms into Hinata's shoulders, with one of his hands landing directly on her scar. She cried out in pain, and tumbled across the dojo floor.

"You know nothing of your mother!" he continued to shout, spittle flying from his lips. "Do not dare to speak of things you cannot understand! If you knew what she had sacrificed for you—"

"I never understood only because you never helped me understand!" Hinata fired back, going back on the attack once she had risen to her feet. "You were content to throw me out into the world, hoping I didn't drown. If Naruto-kun hadn't come along, I would have been consumed by it! He's more like family than you'll ever be!"

She suddenly sidestepped Hiashi's next attack, leaving him wide open. Her last comment had caught him off-guard, and he was completely exposed as she drove her hand into his gut, forcing him to his knees as he grunted in pain. He quickly recovered, and threw her across the room, where she skidded to a halt.

"Is that how you truly feel?" Hiashi asked, his voice as quiet as a graveyard. From across the room, Hinata nodded, her mind still seething with anger towards her father.

He turned, putting his back to her. "Then I am done with you. I will no longer waste my time with someone who doesn't consider themselves a Hyūga. Get out of my sight, and throw your life away if that is what you wish."

But that wasn't enough for Hinata. To still hear her father consider her relationship with Naruto to be a bad thing was something she wasn't willing to accept right now, and with a desperate cry, she charged at him. All caution and patience had been thrown to the wind; rage and passion was driving the Hyūga, and it would cost her dearly.

Hiashi suddenly turned back to face her, and when Hinata looked into his eyes, she didn't see a shred of mercy in them.

"HAKKE SANJŪNI SHŌ!"

Hiashi's fingertips stabbed at her body again and again, and she could slowly feel her ability to move slip away from her grasp. Eventually, the only thing keeping her standing was Hiashi's onslaught, and the moment he delivered the final blow, she crumpled in a heap in front of him, bleeding.

"When you have the ability to move…." Hiashi whispered in between gasps for air, "I want you out of this house. I do not want to see you here again." He stumbled out of the room, leaving his daughter alone, wounded.

* * *

><p>Several other clan members attempted to stop Hiashi as he made his way to his room but he ignored them all. He threw himself behind the privacy of his bedroom door, and collapsed onto his floor.<p>

"What…what have I done…" Hiashi smashed his fist against his wall, cracking it in several places, just as the floor beneath him began to dampen. A glint of light caught his eye, and he raised his head to see what it was.

A picture, held within a simple wooden frame. His legs trembling, Hiashi rose to his feet, and reached out to grab the photo.

His precious wife, and Hinata's mother, smiled back at him, her serenity forever captured in time. He stared at her, and at himself and Hinata whom were also in the photo.

It fell to the ground as his grip lessened, and soon he joined it, weeping.

* * *

><p>Naruto had been lazing around the house all day, attempting to teach Miso what was acceptable to pee on, and what wasn't. Namely, he was trying to stop Miso from peeing on <em>anything<em>. It wasn't working.

"C'mon, how many times do I have to go over this!?" Naruto pleaded out loud, on his knees. "Look, if you need to take a leak, just let me know so I can let you outside, okay?"

The pup cocked its head to one side. Clearly, he did not understand the concept of 'waiting'. Naruto sighed, but was then struck by a clever idea.

"Then how about this: I leave this window open at all times, and whenever you need to go out to take care of business, you just hop up onto the bed, and then onto the bookshelf, and then you're home free!"

This Miso could understand, and his tail wagged happily in agreement. Naruto jumped for joy that he wouldn't have to replace his _entire_ wardrobe, and headed into the kitchen to fix the two of them some celebratory lunch. He was putting the bowls onto the counter when his mind drifted to Hinata; how she was handling whatever was going on between her and her father, and if she was alright.

Naruto hadn't expected these problems to stem from him, but the more he thought about it, the more it began to make sense. Hinata had never really spoken about her father, nor had Naruto seen much of the man until they had started dating; not a few weeks after, Hinata started having issues with him. She claimed that she was happy Naruto had had an effect on her confidence, which had given her the courage to run off and face him, but it still made Naruto worried. What if she did in fact say or even do something that the both of them would regret. Naruto hated to think that he would be the cause of a rift between Hinata and her father.

Another frantic knocking at the door snapped Naruto out of his own thoughts, and for a second he thought it might be Neji again, badgering him about who knows what. But then he quickly realized that maybe Neji had come to inform Naruto of what had happened between Hinata and Hiashi, so he rushed to the door to invite him in.

Instead, he found a ragged, bleeding Hinata at his doorstep. She attempted to blabber out a sentence or two, but all the tears and snot dripping over her face kept the words from forming themselves, and she fell forward into Naruto's arms, hysterical. He hurried her inside, and shut the door behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Some may feel that this was a little rushed (or maybe that's just me being paranoid), but I have to insist that's only because this was an excellent stopping point (albeit at a rather nasty cliffhanger) for the chapter. We'll pick it right back up in just a few days.

-I feel that it was time for Hiashi and Hinata's feud to reach a boiling point, but it certainly isn't over, not by a long-shot. It will take you in some interesting directions, I assure you of that.

-So the pup's name is Miso! Naruto isn't the most creative person when it comes to nicknames (Ero-sennin and Granny, for example), and I felt that naming the pup after his favorite flavor of his favorite food seemed appropriate. I myself prefer names that have a hidden meaning like so many of you guys suggested, but I had to think of what Naruto would do. I'd like to thank **OGAFazer89AC **and **Soliciana **for the inspiration, but everyone else, do not despair! I had a brilliant idea for **all** of your names to be used in the future, and I have written them all down for when the time comes. Thank you for sharing your creativity with me!

-Thank you all for your kind reviews and words of advice/suggestions. I listen to each and every one of them, even if it's something I choose not to include. After all, what you choose to leave out has just as big an effect on the story as what you leave in.

Don't hesitate to talk to me about anything you feel like! Until next time!


	40. Tobi on the Move! Hiashi's Struggle!

**Author's Note: **Well what do you know? I'm not dead!

I apologize for the large delay in getting the next chapter you, but I was suddenly struck with laziness, unexpected schoolwork, The Black Plague...

-Okay, I admit it! I hit a _massive_ roadblock writing this chapter, and struggled with pretty much everything that happens after the intro. Maybe being home and trying to write on a big comfy couch after a Thanksgiving dinner didn't help, but that's no longer important. We're through this time of turmoil, and it's finally time for a new chapter! Though to be fair, Finals are coming up, and they _may_ interfere with writing. But it's only for two weeks, so it won't be that long.

-I'm glad to see that many of you felt that last chapter came out at a good time. I was afraid it might have seemed drastic, but then again, isn't that always the reaction when something reaches the _boiling_ point?

-As always, thank you so much for your kind words and your willingness to talk with me and tell me what you think. This story is becoming more and more of a collaborative process, and I'm loving that.

-I have a lot to share with you at the end of the chapter via the second **A/N,** as right now I want to let you jump straight into the chapter. Do give the second **A/N** a read once you're done, please!

On with the chapter, then.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 22 - Tobi on the Move! Hiashi's Struggle!<strong>

Sasuke noticed a strange feeling in his stomach, as he sat in the darkness. He had lived in this cave system for some time now, and yet it never felt like anything more than rock and dirt. Entirely inorganic, but today it felt _alive_. Something was going on in this cave, and Sasuke needed to know what.

It didn't take long for him to find Tobi. Because there were no other humans besides themselves for dozens of kilometers, they never saw the need to lower their chakra signatures.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked bluntly. He had found Tobi near the many machines used to monitor the chakra they had collected. Sasuke didn't know how any of the machines worked, nor did he care to learn. But something was happening, and he did not want to be left out of the loop.

"I am leaving for a while," Tobi replied, without turning around. "To make up for your failure in recovering Raiā, we will search for another candidate who can handle this _small_ task."

Sasuke growled under his breath. "That was not my fault."

"You can blame whomever you like; your companions, Naruto…I don't care either way. But it is still your failure, and until you accept that your arrogance has blinded you from your true skills, you will never achieve what you hope to in this life."

He finally turned to face the Uchiha; he seemed to watch him with a cautious eye. "You will stay here and watch over the Gedō Mazō, as well as that snake Kabuto. Perhaps while I am gone you will train enough to become useful."

"I won't be used as some guard dog," Sasuke insisted, taking a step forward. His eyes narrowed; he could have sworn he saw Tobi's shoulders shake with laughter.

"You are in no position to make any demands, boy. I need someone to stay here and make sure everything is taken care of in the short time I am gone. I do not trust your companions, nor do I trust Kabuto. If you try to leave, I will find out, and kill you. You are not worth as much to me as you may believe."

Hissed breath escaped between Sasuke's lips. These insults and degradations had started to wear on his nerves. This masked man still greatly underestimated Sasuke's skill; he was sure of it.

Tobi did not seem to notice Sasuke's frustrations, or more likely he did not care. A portal appeared in front of him, and the masked man disappeared inside, his loyal subordinate Zetsu more than likely not far behind.

"My my, he does like to hold his superiority over you, doesn't he?"

Sasuke didn't bother to turn around; he knew the voice belonged to Kabuto.

"What do you want?"

Kabuto stepped up beside the Uchiha, that calculating smile decorating his face as it did so often. "I'm hurt, Sasuke. You and I used to be very close, didn't we? Before you murdered Orochimaru, of course."

It was no secret that Kabuto harbored a grudge against Sasuke for the death of Orochimaru, but at the same time, Kabuto did not hide the fact that he would rather take Sasuke for his own uses than kill him in revenge for his fallen master. He was always looking for the greatest benefit, and if that meant letting the Uchiha live, so be it.

"We were never close. You were a means to an end, that's all," Sasuke replied, snorting loud enough for Kabuto to hear. He didn't seem to mind.

The snake licked his lips anxiously. "How touching. It's nice to hear that you have your priorities in order."

"I said _what do you want_?" Sasuke repeated, his short reserve of patience rapidly fading away.

"So the masked man has left you behind to take of business himself; you must be quite frustrated with him."

"I don't care," Sasuke replied gruffly. "The less he asks me to do, the more time I can spend on training."

Kabuto was suddenly in front of him, his pale white skin putting off an otherworldly glow from the candlelight. His tongue flicked out again.

"But you must be so torn up over what happened? It was such a pity that Jūgo had died defending you, and in the end Raiā was saved by the timely arrival of Naruto-kun." He had that self-satisfied smirk on his face; the kind that Sasuke wanted to tear off with the sharp end of his sword.

"Jūgo died doing what was expected of him," Sasuke said, looking away. "There is nothing else to it."

Kabuto didn't think so. "Are you sure about that? After everything you've been through, and everything you've done, Jūgo was willing to give his life for you. That has to mean there was some connection between the two of you, right?"

He started to walk away, and Sasuke could not see the malicious smile spreading across his cheeks.

"Perhaps our gracious host doesn't understand you. He seems to be more concerned with accomplishing his own goals than allowing you your revenge, and isn't that what's most important?"

"It's the only thing that matters." It was Sasuke's reply, it had come from his own mouth, and yet it did not feel like his own words. He had told himself over and over again that revenge against those who had ruined his brother's life was the only thing in his life worth chasing after. It gave him life, more than food of water or sleep.

And yet when he closed his eyes, Jūgo's face stared back at him.

It infuriated the Uchiha to no end. They had been comrades for a time, nothing more. The young man had clung to him like a lost puppy, seeking solace from the darkness that resided within. He had been useful, probably more useful than any of the others, and Sasuke was mildly upset that he was gone, if not simply because it would make future endeavors harder.

And yet there was more to this. He couldn't shake the feeling that Jūgo's death had a greater effect on him than he realized, despite how ridiculous that sounded.

He scowled. Kabuto had done this on purpose. Why, he did not yet know, but Sasuke understood why Tobi had no trust for the snake.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean there's nothing you can do!?" Naruto yelled, his hands clenched into fists.<p>

Despite her condition, Hinata had been forced to use every ounce of what little strength she had to keep Naruto from racing off to the Hyūga compound in search of her father. It took several minutes for Naruto to calm down enough to realize that Hinata was more important, after which he stayed with her in his apartment for the better part of 5 hours holding her close and nursing her wounds the best he could.

The moment she was able to walk, however, Naruto neglected his better judgment and stomped off to Tsunade's office, eager for a word with her. Hinata was roped into going along, fearful that Naruto would do something rash.

Naruto stood in front of the Godaime now, his whole body trembling as Tsunade told him that there was nothing she could do about Hiashi. Hinata sat nearby, watching.

"What kind of answer is that?" Naruto demanded. "Do you see Hinata? Look what her dad did to her! How can you just let him get away with this?"

"Because Hinata is _honest_, Naruto," Tsunade replied. "It doesn't matter how you look at it; Hinata struck first, and I'm not going to have a man arrested and dragged through the streets because he did what his daughter wanted."

They stared at one another; one livid, the other strangely calm. Naruto was sure Tsunade would be as upset as he was, and to see her acting against him was disheartening to say the least. A sharp exhale hissed through gritted teeth as he paced back and forth.

"There's gotta be something we can do! If I could just talk to him for a little bit-"

"Absolutely not, Naruto." Tsunade rose from her seat, at full height. "I know your temper. You'd toss that man up and down the streets like a ragdoll, provided you could keep away from his hands. He _is_ the clan leader for a reason."

"Oh, and that gives him permission to beat his own daughter?" Naruto questioned. "What kind of Hokage lets her people-"

"The kind of Hokage who doesn't get riled up every time a parent and their child has a spat!" Tsunade suddenly yelled, interrupting Naruto again. "You _will_ watch your tongue, brat."

She crossed over to the other side of the desk, standing inches away from Naruto. "You've been talking in circles. Hinata attacked Hiashi first; that means I can't do anything against him. Even if _he_ was the first one to attack, I still wouldn't, because Hinata would have struck back. They had a fight, Naruto. Hinata lost."

Naruto let out a cry of frustration, and it looked like he was looking around the room for something to break. But then, a tiny hand wrapped around his own, and he felt calm.

"It's o-okay, Naruto…" Hinata muttered softly. "Tsunade-sama is r-right. This is between my father and I."

It killed Naruto to hear her say that, to hear that nervous stutter plague her speech again. He hadn't noticed until now, but she hadn't been stumbling over any of her words lately; now it was like back before they had started dating.

He felt another hand, but this one was Tsunade's, on his shoulder.

"I'm saying I can't do what _you_ want me to do, Naruto. It's perfectly within reason for me to bring Hiashi here and let them talk to each other."

But Hinata was quick to shake her head. "N-no, Tsunade-sama. I think it's best for us to stay away from each other for a few days."

"Where are you going to stay?" Tsunade asked. "If you'd like, I can give you a list of several places that will take you in for the time being."

"No, she'll stay with me." Naruto did not look like he would budge on this, not that Hinata wanted him to. She really hadn't even considered what it would be like to go through this without Naruto with her. It was a scary thought, and to hear that she would at least be able to spend so much time with him brought her some comfort. Since neither of them could still go on any missions, perhaps they could spend an entire day with one another, from sunrise to sunset? It was something had only dreamed of.

Tsunade seemed to be happy Naruto was so quick to respond; there was the ghost of a smile hovering behind that piercing face.

"Thank you, Naruto. That's actually all I need for you, so you can wait outside until Hinata and I are done."

Even if it was with Tsunade, Naruto seemed loath to leave Hinata's side. "But it was me who wanted to come here in the first place!" he complained, reverting back to his child-like self.

"And now it's you who's going to leave in the first place," Tsunade insisted. She walked to the door and swung it open. "There are some things I want to talk about with Hinata _alone_. So please…"

Naruto grumbled to himself, but the serene look in Hinata's eyes calmed him down. He gave a little wave, and stepped outside like Tsunade asked, who then gently shut the door after him.

"Okay, Hinata…" Tsunade began as she walked back into the middle of the room. "I want you to make this decision without anyone else influencing you. Do you want me to bring Hiashi here, or set a meeting for another day?"

Hinata gave it more thought this time. She thought of Hanabi and Neji; she would miss them if she was gone, but they could always visit her at Naruto's. She thought of her mother; she would miss her especially, and there was no way Hinata could see her unless she snuck into the back garden.

But then she remembered the look in Hiashi's eyes before he struck her for the final time. There had been remorse, and sadness, but it was buried so deep; buried intentionally. Hiashi had pushed away his feelings for his daughter, and had done what he thought was 'best' for her. If best was to strike her down, and leave her to limp out of the house, than she did not want to see that man's face for a while. If he continued to feel this way about Naruto, maybe never again.

Hinata firmly shook her head no for the second time. Tsunade studied the girl's eyes for a few moments, trying to gauge if that was what Hinata truly desired.

She suddenly broke away, and turned around.

"I'll arrange for all future missions requests to be sent to Naruto's apartment, as well as any other mail that needs to be sent directly to you. If you'd like, I can also have someone gather your things and bring them to Naruto's. Think of that as just a favor to you."

Hinata was grateful, but she knew Neji would offer to help eventually. He may remain on good terms with Hiashi, but he still cared for Hinata and Naruto as well.

Tsunade sighed. "I wish it were under better circumstances, but I'm glad you'll be able to spend so much time with Naruto. Maybe this will be what Hiashi needs to realize that there are some things more important."

Hinata gave the Hokage a little smile. She was like a grandmother to the entire village, stern when they needed it, and kind when they wanted it. She bowed in gratitude, and left the office to go back home with Naruto.

But Naruto wasn't there. She left to find an empty hallway waiting for her.

* * *

><p>"These actions are completely out of line, Hiashi!"<p>

"What were you thinking, fighting your own daughter like some drunk?"

"Have you even considered the ramifications of the problems this could cause for the clan?"

It took everything Hiashi had not to explode. The council, the moment they had found out about Hinata and his' fight, they had dragged him from his room, demanding an emergency meeting. They were always so concerned with appearances and the purity of the clan; Hiashi did not need this right now.

"You all have…_valid_ concerns," Hiashi began, doing little to hide the spite in his voice. "But Hinata is _my_ daughter. I will not have you telling me what is best for her."

"We were suggesting no such thing!" bristled one of the clan. "This is hardly about Lady Hinata; this is about you showing a complete and utter lack of control over your emotions! You have driven away one of the clan's most foremost members, and for what? He is a hero to all the village!"

"He is dangerous!" Hiashi spat. "That boy cannot control himself. You saw what happened to my daughter under Uzumaki-san's care, did you not?"

"The boy lost his temper," another clan member spoke up. "Is not giving him what he wants the best way to avoid such an event from happening again?"

"You will not talk about my daughter like she is some item to be given and taken away!"

The clan member eyed Hiashi coolly. "We are not, and neither did we treat her like a practice dummy. The entire village is bound to hear about this! Hiashi, it is your responsibility to maintain our reputation in the village. How will this reflect on us, when the head of the clan of one of the most respected clans in the shinobi world let his anger rise from the words of a 16 year old girl?"

"Does this involve Hanako-san, Hiashi-san?" One of the more tactile councilmen questioned. "Perhaps if you were to tell us explicitly what happened with your late wife, we could better assess-"

"No." Hiashi's voice was firm. "That is nothing you need to be concerned with."

A few of the other council members shifted in their seats, annoyed. Hiashi had been the only one told of Hanako's death, straight from the Hokage, and he had refused to tell anyone else the entire story. Some thought that it was because not even the Hokage knew everything, while others insisted Hiashi was hiding some shameful secret from the rest of the clan. They feared it was information he would take to his grave.

"You must go see Hinata at once! Perhaps you two can still work this out before the entire village knows."

"This is not some petty squabble," Hiashi said. "Hinata and I…we need some time apart. I want to see her again, I regret what I have done, but it is for the best. She does not wish to see me right now, and trying to talk to her now will only make things worse."

The others grumbled amongst themselves. Perhaps they felt different, but Hiashi was not concerned how they felt.

"Is it really wise? To leave the Uzumaki boy with Hinata for so long? They have become quite fond of one another. Perhaps they might-"

"Think nothing of the sort," another clan member interrupted. "The boy can be a bit…unorthodox, but I do not believe that he would be that foolish."

"Should we take the chance? Perhaps we might ask Kō to keep an eye on those two. Is it not perfectly within our rights to be concerned for the purity of our clan?"

Hiashi snorted. "That may be true, but Tsunade-sama sometimes chooses to follow her own rules than the laws of the village. That would be extremely risky, sending Kō out to spy on her and Uzumaki-san. Her eyes are just as sharp as any of ours, if not sharper, and if Tsunade-sama were to find out and not approve of our actions, the clan would suffer the consequences."

None of them were stupid enough to underestimate what 'consequences' Tsunade could dish out, but that didn't mean they had to happy about their situation. The Hyūga clan, reduced to squabbling like a family of drunks. It was infuriating, to say the least.

Some other clan issues were discussed, but Hiashi had stopped paying attention, glad they had finally ceased bringing up his daughter. He didn't want to think of it, yet no matter how hard he tried, his mind began wandered back to the look on Hinata's face when he struck her down. He felt disgusting.

The meeting concluded without Hiashi even realizing it. He sat on the floor, alone, not even sure of where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do. But a strange urge overcame him, and his feet mindlessly guided to him to a place he hadn't been in years.

* * *

><p>The garden was nice this time of year. Hinata preferred when all the flowers were blooming and bursting with color, but Hiashi found the fading buds a sweet sight to his eyes. They reminded him that no matter how hard the winter, the life and color would be back next year, waiting for him.<p>

A crisp breeze wafted through the garden, and Hiashi shivered.

'_Winter is coming…'_ he thought to himself, unaware of where his own feet were taking him. And then, the memorial was in front of him.

He stared at the stone, at the name carved into the stone, and his legs grew weak. Had there not been a bench behind him, he would have fallen to the ground.

Silence was his only friend here. He felt no joy, no comfort at seeing his wife's name. Why was that so? Hiashi asked this over and over again within his head, and no answer came. He felt lost.

"I was scared…" he was surprised by the sound of his own voice. "Scared that I would lose Hinata the same way I lost you…is it so wrong that I was scared?"

"What have I done?" he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I did not mean for it to go so far, but Hinata does not understand! She does not understand how dangerous he is!"

He sighed deeply, and looked to the sky. "I don't know what to do anymore. Hinata will not listen to me anymore. She is putting herself at risk."

"She doesn't listen to you because family doesn't treat each other that way."

Hiashi didn't even rise to Naruto's words. He just stared at Hanako's grave, his eyes colder, harder.

"how long have you been standing there?" his pride would have been wounded, letting Naruto sneak up on him like that, but Hiashi had too many things on his mind to notice.

Naruto stood behind him, his hands clutched into fists. It was taking quite a bit of self-control to stop himself from punching this man straight in his jaw. Hiashi could feel that.

"Do you want to hit me? Would that make you feel better?"

"It would," Naruto replied. "But for Hinata's sake, I'm not going to. I want you to know that I _really_ want to. What you did to her-"

"You think I am not aware of what I did to my own daughter?" Hiashi whispered harshly, turning his neck. "You think I am not aware of how I struck her to the floor, and left her there in pain? It hasn't left my mind since, boy."

"Then why would you do it?" Naruto demanded, taking a step forward. "Hinata's your daughter! You're supposed to love her!"

Hiashi turned back again, and his head drooped. "It is because I love her that I struck her down."

Naruto could not reply. This man was justifying his actions, and the urge not to beat him senseless was disappearing fast.

"Do you know who this grave belongs to?" Hiashi asked, surprising Naruto with the tenderness in his voice.

He nodded. "Yeah, this is Hinata's mom's grave. She showed it to me."

"Hinata's mother. My wife. They are one and the same." Hiashi reached out with his arm. It didn't touch the stone, but he felt the roughness of it nonetheless.

"I come here so little. The memories…they are a burden I cannot often bear. She was taken from me so many years ago, that I can scarcely remember her face."

His shoulder trembled, and from behind, Naruto watched with curiosity. Seated in front of him was not a cold, merciless man. He was a broken man, and the pieces were scattered among the flowers and the grass.

"Why am I telling you this? I have not shared these things with anyone, not even my daugh-…not even with Hinata."

Naruto could not tell him why. He could only listen. But something was flashing through his mind; distorted images and sounds that Naruto could not describe, other than that a chill ran up his spine. Had he felt this before? He tried to push it out of his mind as Hiashi continued to speak.

"I have not ceased to regret what I have done to my daughter. Every second of the day, it is on my mind. You must understand; I am scared. Scared that I will lose her the same way I lost her mother. To put them through such grueling training, to be so cold and distant, it was never what I wanted for them. But…they must be ready for this world. Destiny is not sentimental."

He did not notice that Naruto had sat down next to him, nor did he move to get away. These words were pouring from his soul whether he wanted them to or not. Why the boy had this effect on him, Hiashi did not know. But seeing his face, watching his eyes, he grew more afraid.

"She was always telling the children that a storm was coming," Hiashi continued. His eyes rose to the tree above him, and he studied the last of the petals that clutched against its branches, stubborn against the coming winter. "She always told them that a storm was coming, and that you must weather it, to find your place in the sun. Perhaps it is only now that I begin to understand what she meant…"

Hiashi leaned forward, and this time his arm did reach. His fingertips grazed over Hanako's name, and unshed tears welled in his eyes.

"My daughters, my family, my village…they are my place in the sun. I must fight for them. I cannot lose another to the coming storms."

"What happened?" Naruto asked. The question burned in his throat. He felt compelled to ask it. "What happened with your wife?"

Hiashi let a smile flit onto his lips. "Perhaps…one day I will tell you, Naruto Uzumaki."

But Naruto's curiosity would not stop bothering him, and he would have asked again, had he not heard footsteps from behind him. He spun around.

"Hinata…" he said quietly. She was watching him, with hurt in her eyes. She did not want to be here, and she did not want him to be here.

"Hinata, I only wanted to-" Naruto tried to say, but Hinata ignored him. Her eyes turned to Hiashi, and they hardened immediately. Her usually soft, comforting eyes had become hard.

She searched Hiashi's face, but for what neither Naruto nor Hiashi knew. For a brief moment, her gaze fell onto her mother, and Naruto could see Hinata's face soften. He wanted to say something, but the words were caught in his throat.

She suddenly grasped Naruto's hand, and started to lead him out of the garden.

Hiashi didn't know what to do. He took a step forward. "Hinata, I –"

"I have asked Neji-niisan to bring over my things. You will not need to worry about my presence in your home any longer, Hiashi-san."

_Hiashi-san_. The name felt like a crooked dagger in his chest, and Hiashi lost the will to speak. He could only watch as she held Naruto Uzumaki by the hand, and led him away.

Before they were out of sight, Naruto took one last look behind him. The shell of a man watched him go, standing beside a grave.

* * *

><p><strong>"Are you sure this is the right place?"<strong> Zetsu growled, lazily trailing behind his superior in the vast desert that blanketed the Land of Wind. It was a windless, moonless night, the kind that mothers began scary stories for their children with.

"Of course I am," Tobi replied. "All of the clues point here. If what they say is true, he will be exactly what we need to make up for Sasuke's failure."

"But are you sure he's the right man for the job?" White Zetsu questioned. "He did use to be a member of the Sand Village, after all."

Tobi inclined his head slightly in Zetsu's direction; he was annoyed. "He will join our cause whether he wants to or not. Have you forgotten to whom you are speaking with, Zetsu?"

The man/plant hybrid didn't reply, only muttering to himself as Tobi picked up the pace across the desert. They crossed over the top of an unusually large sand dune, and their destination revealed itself in the distance.

A massive mountain loomed across the sand, jutting out of the earth like a bone to flesh. It grew larger and larger until Tobi and Zetsu felt consumed by its shadow, watched by it. As they approached the base of the mountain, the sand began to disappear, replaced by rocky crags and dusted boulders. Some might have called this place a haven for those seeking to escape the blasting winds and endless expanse of sand, but if the landslides and teetering boulders were any indication, this mountain was far from safe.

"It will be somewhere around the Western side of the mountain." Tobi announced, leaping atop one of the boulders to begin his mysterious search. "The area is most likely covered with traps, so proceed with caution."

"I'll be just fine, Tobi." White Zetsu jeered back, taking another route to the other side of the mountain. He began peeking under all rocks and behind crevices, joining Tobi in his search.

The masked leader of the Akatsuki, leaped to the top of a particularly large boulder, surveying the surrounding area. Everything looked like it was in its place, and that it had been unmoved for centuries.

Which was exactly what he was looking for.

"Zetsu!" he called out. "I've found it."

Within a matter of seconds his subordinate had joined him, and from the look in his eyes, he wasn't impressed.

**"Found what?"** Black Zetsu grunted. "This place looks like it hasn't been touched in centuries."

"That's exactly the point." Tobi retorted, as if it were obvious. "This place is one of the few areas in this stretch of the desert that can provide shelter from sandstorms. Do you really think no one has ever been here? A place such as this would have been visited by humans by now, and they always leave evidence of their time spent here, regardless of the quantity. This place looks to natural...this is the spot, I'm sure of it."

To prove his point, Tobi began lifting the boulders out of the way, pulverizing them if they were too large to be shifted from their positions. Zetsu merely watched from a short distance away, shifting his body impatiently. But when Tobi destroyed one of the larger boulders, something glinted at them in the moonlight.

"What comes next will be interesting…" Tobi breathed through his mask, approaching the small symbol that had been revealed. The crest was a plain black diamond, with some sort of trigram pattern seated in the middle. Zetsu couldn't see it, but Tobi was smiling from underneath his mask.

The storm was coming.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Alright, we've got a lot to cover today.

-This entire chapter has some references to other chapters. Hiashi's remembrance of Hanako, Naruto's strange visions, and if you noticed, the finale of this chapter was the tidbit I gave you before the second Book, way back in Chapter 18. That should tell you that things are about to go down. I'd like to thank a reader for the idea of Hinata calling Hiashi by a more distant title, but sadly they were only a guest profile. Still, if **TL **is reading this, thanks for the tip, friend!

-I just need to have a Geek-out for a moment. As Hiashi is out in the garden, he thinks to himself that 'Winter is coming'. For those who are fans of George R. R. Martin, you'll recognize this as the words of House Stark, key characters in the absolutely INCREDIBLE book series 'A Song of Ice and Fire', which is being converted into the equally amazing HBO program 'Game of Thrones'.

I had been aware of the books for a little while, and the TV show for even less. It's not that I didn't care for it, but rather pushed it out of my mind because I thought I would have no access to it. But as it turns out, my apartment complex includes HBO with the cable package, and a friend of mine has all the books. I URGE you, if you want to be completely swept away, **SEEK THESE OUT. **They are fast becoming my all time favorite TV/Book series. The plot, the characters, the dialogue...neuoh yeah. In fact, the scene with Hiashi and Naruto was inspired by this song from the show: /watch?v=AkQXZSQqFag. I'm even starting to form another epic-length story in my head, with huge amounts of inspiration from the series.

-I have done some light editing to my NaruHina One-shot "One More Dance". Just some minor editing that I think improves the overall flow, so if you haven't yet, I hope you'll check it out!

-And finally, it's time for a shameless plug-in for another story. It's been the funniest things I've read on this site, and I wholly feel it's worthy of being mentioned here.

**Fanficers Guide to the Galaxy: Cliches** by **xxYou-shall-be-my-Squishyxx** details various cliches or other annoyances that have become infamous on , and does so with hilarious results. Not just because it's written with a smarmy and sarcastic edge, but because so much of it is TRUE, like scarily so.

A word of advice: go there to laugh, not to get angry if you happen to be a fan or even a writer of something she discusses, as it's all in good fun, and isn't meant to offend. In fact, in the most recent chapter, she included excerpts from a set of PMs with me discussing NaruHina ones in particular. I am guilty of some of them myself, even! If anything _does_ offend you, however, direct your rage at me. I'd rather take it myself than watch them get put down. GO READ IT NOW.

-That's everything (I think. I'm so paranoid that I forgot something.)! Until next time.


	41. A New Enemy Emerges!

**Author's Note:** I feel really good about this chapter. Like, _really_ good. Some crazy stuff that I've been hinting at for months is coming up, as well as some new twists and turns that are gonna be introduced. It has a lot more meat on it's bones than usual, so let's just call that a gift for you guys!

-I'd like to take a moment to thank my good friend **OGAFazer89AC** for his invaluable help with this story. Over the course of a few months we have helped each other greatly; I have been unofficially (in that, I just suggested it out of the blue) and proudly Beta-ing his own story, and he has become my Confidant of sorts, someone whom I can bring any idea to and receive an honest and well thought-out opinion. If you'd like to check out his work, his story is entitled **'Naruto: Path the Future'**.

-Maybe I do it too much, but I don't even care. Thank you so much for you guys' reviews and PM's. The story is quickly becoming something I'm immensely proud of, and it wouldn't have done so without your help. This is your story just as much as it is mine!

On with the chapter, then.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 23 - A New Enemy Emerges! <strong>

"**What am I supposed to be looking at?"** Black Zetsu asked, staring at the small symbol engraved into the ground with beady eyes. It did not look familiar to him.

"You will find out soon enough," Tobi reassured his partner. "This must mean the entrance is close. Start looking for a-"

Several dozen wire strings were suddenly pulled taught, and Tobi felt them begin to slice into his skin. A second later, the two of them were cut to ribbons.

Or would have been.

Zetsu hadn't even flinched when he felt the wires to his flesh; he knew Tobi would make them both intangible in time. Had his reaction time been an instant later, however, both of them would be in several hundred pieces by now.

"I suppose he'll know we're here now," said White Zetsu, mockingly.

"He knew we were here the moment we set foot in the shadow of that mountain," Tobi insisted. "Now he's just testing us, trying to see if we're worth talking to."

"Well, you said so yourself: you can be _very_ persuasive."

Tobi didn't answer, and resumed his search for the presumed entrance to the cave system that was hidden underneath the mountain. To do so, Tobi cast his ability to become intangible once again on his arm, and he fished through the ground trying to find where it was hollow. Eventually, he found a lever, a ways away from where the original symbol lay in the dirt and rock.

He pulled the lever up, and to the left. A loud hissing sound erupted from the ground where Zetsu was standing, and two plates of earth began to separate from one another, forcing him to step out of the way.

The cogs groaned and creaked as they revealed their secret; a hole, lined in metal, leading straight down into the heart of the mountain. They could only see for about 10 meters before darkness consumed it.

Zetsu was about to offer to scout ahead, but Tobi let himself drop down the chute almost the instant it was fully open; clearly, he was getting anxious. Zetsu chose to let himself ride alongside the wall. He didn't do well with long drops.

It wasn't even 5 seconds into the drop before Zetsu was forced to evade large spikes as they suddenly jutted out from the wall of the chute. From what he could feel out with his body, it was like this the whole way down. He buried himself completely inside the wall now, content to ride out underground until he deemed it was safe.

Five minutes later, he reached out to find earth greet him the right side up. Tobi stood nearby, waiting.

"This man is quite serious about his privacy," Tobi observed. "Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less. Not after what he has been through."

"What _has _this man been through?" Zetsu demanded. Tobi told him everything, every little detail, but he had been tight-lipped with any details on this man. "What has this man been through that leads you to believe he will join us so easily?"

A tunnel loomed before them, black as night just as the hole above them. Tobi stepped into the darkness with confidence.

"_Hell_." His voice echoed through the black.

Zetsu was intrigued. Men, who have been through Hell, oft have such interesting stories to tell.

* * *

><p>The cave system was far more complex than Tobi originally anticipated, with dozens of tunnels that had no purpose other than to ensnare anyone brave enough to delve into the mountain. They had dodged a multitude of other traps; everything from spinning saw blades to poisonous gas. Some were excruciatingly easy to evade, while others masked themselves in ingenious ways, and it was only through Tobi's and Zetsu's gifts that they survived each one.<p>

Every now and then, they would hear a sound. It was small, and did little to help their sense of direction, but it was not something nature could produce on its own: they were getting closer.

"Remain hidden until I have spoken with him," Tobi instructed, as they followed the sound. "It is best we make sure he has no reason to believe we are his enemies."

Zetsu grunted in compliance, and sank beneath the earth, leaving Tobi to find the rest of his way himself. It was beginning to get easier; the sound was getting louder.

He turned anther corner, and found a small wooden door at the end of the tunnel. The same marking that they had found up on the surface: a diamond with the gate crest seated in the middle.

Tobi approached the door with caution. Five minutes in this cave system taught him that everything could be a trap, and more than likely was. But the door opened without a sound, and from what Tobi could see, nothing would try to kill him. At least, not yet.

The room he stepped inside was absolutely massive. A huge cavern, with incredible stalagmite and stalactite formations on all sides. Embedded into the rock shone a mineral Tobi had never seen before. It was teal-colored, and reflected brilliantly off of the torches that lined the cavern's wall.

He heard a clatter, and his eyes rose to the ceiling. Thousands upon thousands of strings hung from the stalactites, and attached to these strings, were broken or unfinished puppets. A strange air blew through the cavern every few seconds, no doubt an air shaft, which pushed the puppets into one another, producing a symphony of clattering wood. Their dead, unblinking eyes would unnerve weaker men, but Tobi's gaze was that of awe, not of fear.

And on the far side of the room, a man sat hunched over a table, working away without a second thought towards his guest. The clatter of wood and metal echoed off the walls; the puppets seemed to dance to this music, swaying back and forth.

Tobi took a step forward, and felt the air catch in his throat with a sickening thud. He looked down to find the man's hand clutched tightly around his throat.

Across the room, he could see that the man had not left his desk, nor did he even stop working. He muttered something under breath, but Tobi could not hear.

He smiled underneath his mask.

* * *

><p>Back in Konoha, Naruto's dreams were plagued by restless thoughts. The moment he and Hinata had arrived back at his apartment, something happened that no one would have expected.<p>

Hinata had gotten angry with Naruto.

Naruto had gone directly against what both Hinata and Tsunade had told him. She had been terrified that Naruto would do something he would regret before she could reach him, something horrible.

He had argued against it for a while, argued that he only wanted to talk to Hiashi and see what he was thinking. Hinata told him that it felt horrible to see her father so soon after what had happened between the two of them, and Naruto felt remorse. He tried to apologize to her, but she brushed him off. It had been an exhausting day, she had told him. It was best they get some sleep.

Naruto had insisted he sleep on the floor. If Hinata was angry with him, he wanted to give her some space, and she was too tired to argue against it.

Now, he tossed and turned, guilty for what he had done. It must have been hard to see her father so soon; how could he have forgotten about her feelings like that? She was the reason he had went there in the first place!

And yet, that was not what truly bothered him. Hiashi…the ghosts in his eyes, the sound of his voice…they chilled Naruto to the bone. Everything he had known about the man had been dashed in an instant, replaced by nothing but a sense of ambiguity. Hiashi hid the secret of his wife from everyone, even his own daughter, so why did he feel so uncomfortable when he had brought it up with Naruto?

It was maddening. Naruto did not want to upset Hinata further, but at the same time he felt his curiosity burn in the back of his mind. The next few days would be hard, he feared.

But this morning would be nothing but happy for him. He had roused from his sleep sometime in the night, as the angle he was relative to the blinds let the light from a streetlamp shine straight inside (Naruto really _really _needed some curtains), and awoke to find Hinata had crawled out of his bed sometime in the night, and had snuggled up next to him. She had taken the pillows and blanket with her, and wrapped herself up like a cocoon, save for one tiny hand, which clutched at Naruto's jacket like he might slip away should she let go.

Naruto sighed blissfully. Taking care not to wake her up, he scooted a little closer, and interlaced her hand with his own. The added warmth made Naruto's eyes fall heavy, and he fell back into slumber a few minutes later.

* * *

><p>The second time Naruto woke up was because he could barely breathe. In her own sleep, Hinata had shifted closer and closer to Naruto until her bangs got in the way of his mouth and nose. He awoke with a cough, which in turn roused Hinata.<p>

"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. It was the second time she had done so. She hoped it wouldn't become a habit.

Naruto craned his neck so he wouldn't cough in Hinata's face, and cleared his throat. When he looked back, he gave his girlfriend his trademark smile.

"I am now. I didn't expect to wake up to such a pretty sight, you know."

Hinata have him a little peck on the nose. "I'm sorry for how I acted last night. I shouldn't have taken that out on you."

"It's okay. I know what I did was wrong." Naruto cracked a cheeky grin. "You're still like, the best girlfriend I've ever had!"

"But Naruto-kun—aren't I your first girlfriend?" Hinata asked.

"Well yeah, but you're _still_ the best!" Naruto reassured. To prove his point, he rolled over off his side, and quickly pinned both of Hinata's arms to the ground. He was feeling a little..._frisky_, this morning.

"Naruto-kun, what are you—" She was interrupted as Naruto captured her lips with his own. He used his hands to hold himself up, while Hinata's own got tangled in Naruto's messy hair.

Naruto had just been messing around, a little morning fun, but things were quickly getting out of hand. Hinata had pulled his body as close to hers as she possibly could, her tongue was wrapped around his the moment his mouth opened.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head; it was easy to forget how good this felt, until it happened again. Naruto's skin was so warm…her body felt like it was melting.

A pair of legs wrapped around Naruto's waist, and Hinata didn't even notice at first that they belonged to her. Neither of them minded, and continued on. Naruto began to plant the softest of kisses on the corner of her mouth, before he started to trail down her left cheek. He paused to breathe on her earlobe a little, and Hinata let out a gasp. Her chest shivered, and her stomach grew warm. This felt…she couldn't describe it. If he knew what he was doing to her...

Naruto was too preoccupied to notice. His mind was racing; he thought his kisses felt clumsy, and inexperienced. But Hinata seemed to like them well enough, and he was glad to make her happy. He (regrettably) abandoned his spot, and moved down to her jawline. His lips barely grazed the fleshed; he merely let his warm breath tickle her. A moan escaped from Hinata's lips, and he rewarded her with his true intention.

She felt him capture a spot on her neck for his own, and squirmed underneath as she felt his tongue swirl around the spot, tracing patterns into the quickly-reddening skin.

"Hah….Na-Naru—" Hinata gasped out, her hands tightly clutching at the sheet and clothes that was their bed. Her knuckles turned white. It felt so good.

Her legs acted on their own, and pulled Naruto fully on top of her. She felt something rub against the inside of her leg, and a spark of electricity shot up her spine, and this forced them apart.

They stared at each other. Neither knew what to say, or even what to think. Naruto's cheeks flushed bright red, and Hinata was gasping for air.

She gingerly slid her legs off of Naruto, giving him some room to sit back. He rubbed the back of his head. She smiled at him; she wanted to show him that she wasn't upset with him or anything like that. She was just surprised.

Naruto mumbled something about making breakfast, and slowly rose to his feet. He offered a hand out for Hinata to help her up from the floor, and she silently took it. Thankfully, a sight greeted their eyes that helped ease the tension in the room.

Because Hinata had left the bed sometime in the night to join Naruto, Miso ended up getting it all to himself, and he lay curled up in the very center, surrounded by as much of the sheets he could drag over to the nest he had built. Hinata stifled a laugh so as not to wake the little thing.

"He certainly looks comfortable," Naruto remarked, wishing that could be him all curled up on the bed. "I'll go make us something to eat, okay?"

Hinata smiled, and moved to play with Miso a little while Naruto worked. She started to flick his ear on top of his head, and he would shake a little to put it back down. She had done this several times before the pup woke up, and upon seeing his 'tormentor', gave her a little nip on the finger.

She heard Naruto yelp in terror from the kitchen, and Miso started to yelp in surprise. The two of them rushed into the kitchen to find Naruto on his knees, whimpering. Hinata craned her neck to see what it was he was upset about, and had to hold back another laugh.

_All_ of Naruto's ramen had been torn into by some unknown fiend. Packets of all sizes and flavors were scattered around the room, with their contents spilled onto the floor. Naruto was too busy mourning to notice Miso wagging his tail proudly. Hinata had to break the news to him.

"How did he even get up there…?" Naruto wondered, marveling at the length of the jump the pup would have to have made in order to reach the cupboard. Still unaware of the gravity of his crime, Miso trotted up to Naruto, pawing his leg happily. Naruto sighed, but scratched the little fellow behind the ears anyway.

"Well, I don't know what we're going to do about breakfast now…" Naruto murmured, shrugging his shoulders.

"What else do you have around here?" Hinata asked. "Maybe you have some eggs, or some flour?"

Again, Naruto shrugged his shoulders; he didn't know if he had milk, let alone anything besides his favorite dish. Hinata rolled up her jacket sleeves; it was time to go to work.

* * *

><p>Hinata had gotten lucky. A few days ago, Sakura or Kakashi or Iruka (Naruto forgot who) had dropped off some extra food, insistent that Naruto eat more than just ramen, as many had done before. From then until now, Naruto had completely forgotten about that, and Hinata had to look through every cupboard, even in some places where food shouldn't be (Hinata found a pack of biscuit dough under the bathroom sink). She managed to scrounge together some eggs and a couple of hotdogs that were about to go bad. Not exactly the most luxurious spread, but it was something she could work with.<p>

While she cracked open the eggs, she sternly set Naruto to rolling up pieces of the hot dogs into the dough for the biscuits, intending to bake them in the oven for a little while.

Oh wait, Naruto didn't _have_ an oven. She groaned a little, and was forced to think of an alternative.

In a spark of genius, she came across this; Naruto did have an electric hot plate, which he used to boil water. She placed the Pigs-In-A-Blanket on top of the plate, and put a metal cookie tray on top of them. Using a couple of coat hangers that Naruto didn't use anyway, she connected the two pieces of metal together, and when she turned it on, her makeshift 'oven' sparked to life.

"Wow, you are _really_ good with that," Naruto marveled, examining the machine like it was some strange new technology.

"Naruto-kun, the eggs!"

It had been his job to watch over the eggs while she worked on making the oven, and instead of putting a little salt and butter into them, was putting a _lot_. A stream of obscenities poured from his mouth as he went for a fork to fish out the extra. Of course, in his hurry, his pant leg caught into the cabinet beneath him, and he almost tumbled to the floor.

"Why me…" he whimpered, much to Hinata's amusement. She decided she had seen enough, and bid him to the table while she finished everything up. Grateful, he accepted without a word of protest.

As Naruto sat at the table, watching Hinata finish the eggs while Miso played with her foot, a strange feeling overcame him. Watching the two of them in his house…it felt like they were family. He felt calm with that revelation, but did not know what it meant.

Maybe…maybe that meant that he was starting to—

"Ready!" Hinata suddenly called out. She flicked off the 'oven', dumping the eggs and the Pigs-In-A-Blanket onto a large plate, before carrying it back to the table. She slapped Naruto's hand away as he tried to dig in early, citing that he would burn his mouth. He rubbed it, grumbling something to himself as she poured each of them a glass of water.

At first they ate mostly in silence. It was a comfortable silence, but the two found themselves chatting about whatever came to mind. Hinata would scold Naruto for giving Miso too many pieces of his own breakfast, and Naruto would tease Hinata for the way she held fork with her pinky sticking out.

Her elbow tapped the table, and she winced in pain. She was still sore from yesterday, and that did not go unnoticed by Naruto.

"Do you wanna go to the hospital? Sakura-chan can check on you and make sure you're alright if you'd like."

"It's okay, Naruto-kun. I'm just a little sore."

Naruto wasn't the least bit convinced. "Your elbow barely hit that table, and you looked like someone twisted your arm out of it's socket. That's more than a little sore."

Hinata resisted for a few more minutes, but Naruto gave her a puppy-eyed look he recently picked up (thanks to Miso) that she couldn't resist. After they finished breakfast and changed clothes, she promised she would go with him to look for Sakura for a 'light' check-up. She didn't want to spend the entire day getting poked prodded on some hospital bed, after all.

* * *

><p>Sakura sighed. It was a horrible thing to think, but sometimes she hated it when no one got hurt. It meant she would be stuck inside the hospital, with absolutely nothing to do but twiddle her thumbs and hope someone falls off a roof or something.<p>

Today, she had Tenten and Ino to keep her company, but to be honest, they weren't really helping. Ino was just reading a magazine, and Tenten was using old medical records for target practice _inside_ the hospital, something that no matter how many times Sakura told her to stop, Tenten would go right back to doing the moment Sakura turned her back. She was hoping Tenten would miss and hit Ino.

At least that would give her something to do.

"Can't you just leave work for a while?" Ino asked, thumbing past the same article for the fifth time. "Look: nothing's going to happen, so why don't we just go out and get some brunch? Sitting around all day is killing me!"

Sakura shook her head. "You know I can't do that. I have to be here just in case anything happens. Why don't you and Tenten go find something to do? I know this must be boring for you."

Tenten flicked her kunai pack into her pouch. "We don't want to just leave you behind. Besides, I don't have anything to do either. I sharpened half my weapon collection when woke up, and it wasn't even 9 in the morning."

Ino blew some hair out of the way of her other eye. "Maybe I could go get us something to eat, and bring it back here?"

It was a good idea, and Sakura was about to accept when she heard two people approaching. The door swung open, and in walked Naruto and Hinata, looking well-refreshed and happy.

"Hey, you two!" Ino said excitedly, running over to hug Hinata. "Oh, I've been worried sick about you, Hinata! Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, Neji told me about what happened," Tenten added. "Is there anything we can do?"

Hinata bowed in thanks. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm f-fine. Naruto-kun has been taking care of me, and he insisted I come here to so Sakura-san could take a look."

She wished it could have been under better circumstances, but Sakura was glad for the additional company, as well as something to do.

Ino thought of an idea. "Hey, after Sakura's finished, we all go out and get a bite to eat! I know of this perfect little café where we could catch up with one another."

It was a little mean, considering Sakura couldn't go, but Naruto was suddenly struck with a great idea. "That sounds great! Hinata, would you like to go with them?"

Hinata furrowed her brow. "Well y-yes, but you make it sound like you aren't going to go."

Naruto nodded. "I know that Sakura-chan can't leave the hospital when she's on duty, so I figured I could stay behind and keep her company. I've been pestering her to show me some medical ninjutsu, and this is the perfect opportunity!"

He turned to Sakura. "Are you okay with that?"

Sakura was more than okay with that. She didn't want to seem too needy, but she had been waiting for Naruto to bring that up again nearly every day since they had first discussed it.

Everyone else agreed to the plan, and Sakura had Hinata hop up on the bed for a few minutes while she went to go get her tools and instruments.

* * *

><p>The check-up had gone off without a hitch. Sakura noted that while there would be bruises, Hinata wouldn't have to worry about any internal damage. She offered Hinata some painkillers for her to use until then, but Hinata refused. Ino had hurried Tenten and Hinata out the door, and now Sakura and Naruto were starting his first medical ninjutsu lesson.<p>

"So, how exactly do we get started?" Naruto asked, washing his hands next t Sakura in a large sink. "Do we just jump right in and I start healing people?"

"This isn't like regular training, Naruto," Sakura warned, drying her own hands off. "Medical Ninjutsu can kill people if you're not careful. Just emitting your own chakra into someone else's body is dangerous."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "How is that? I thought medical ninjutsu was supposed to heal people? Can it really hurt them?

"Yes. Here let me explain."

Internally, Naruto groaned. He hated lectures. But then again, maybe Sakura would be better at them than Iruka-sensei or Kakashi-sensei.

"Do you know what stem cells are, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Are you talking about like the bottom of trees and flowers and stuff?" Naruto answered with a question. From the look on Sakura's face, it was a stupid one, but she remained composed.

"Not exactly. This is a different kind of 'stem'. I guess a better word to use would be 'young' or 'basic'. These cells are available to the body for any purpose they're needed for. They could become nerve cells, or they could become muscle cells. Do you understand?"

Naruto shrugged. "I guess. They're kind of like just starting out, and they could be anything they wanted?"

"Close enough," Sakura said. So far, Naruto seemed to grasp the idea "And it's the same way with Chakra. In small doses, direct transfusions of other people's chakra can be helpful, but if you give too much at once, their body reacts violently to the presence of foreign chakra. That's why we each have our own individual chakra signatures, as opposed to sensors just sensing chakra and nothing specific."

"So how does healing work if you're using foreign chakra?" Naruto inquired.

"That's the basis of the Mystical Palm technique, which is in itself the basis of all medical ninjutsu," Sakura explained. "Essentially, what you're doing is turning your own stem cells into medicinal chakra, as well as forcing your normal chakra to produce new ones."

"How does that work?" Naruto asked, confused. "You're turning chakra into stem cells, and then right back into chakra?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, you're just forcing your chakra to produce new ones, as well as converting the ones you already have into chakra. It's kind of like what Lee and Guy-sensei do when they force open Chakra Gates; their forcing their body to produce more of something. In their case, Chakra itself. In our case, stem cells, which are converted into healing chakra, while the new ones produced replace your old ones so your body isn't harmed."

"Out with the old, in with the new?" Naruto asked.

Sakura clapped her hands together. "Exactly! Except you're recycling the old for new use in a new body."

She produced a scalpel, and to Naruto's surprise, made a sizable cut down the front of her arm.

"Sakura-chan, what are you doing?" Naruto asked, jumping off the table he was sitting on.

"Take it easy Naruto, jeez!" Sakura exclaimed, pushing him back. "I was just gonna show you what we were talking about." Her hand began to glow green, and she held it slightly above the injury. Naruto watched with amazement as it slowly started to fade away.

* * *

><p>"Wh-what?" Hinata asked.<p>

Ino put her hands on her hips. "You heard me. How have you and Naruto been doing? You had a look on your face this morning that you've been up to some steamy stuff, and I want the juicy details!"

Hinata blushed like she used to before she and Naruto began dating. Tenten rubbed her back, glaring at Ino.

"Do you always have to be so curious?" she demanded. "We're kind of in a public place, in case you've forgotten!"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't tell me you're not in the least bit curious as to what Naruto's like behind closed doors! I bet you're the same way with Neji!"

This time it was Tenten's turn to flush red, and Hinata to calm her down, though perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Hinata 'kept Ino from losing her head'.

Their little spat was interrupted by the arrival of their waiter. The three of them had gone to the café just as Ino had suggested. Hinata wasn't that hungry, as she had had breakfast not an hour ago, but Ino insisted that they served tea and cookies and other light things that she could snack on while they ate a fuller brunch.

Ino had actually already eaten a sizable breakfast herself, and yet she couldn't explain why she still felt so hungry. As she ordered a soup, salad, and some breadsticks for everyone to share, Hinata took a pretty good guess as to who was influencing her.

'If you're so keen on the sharing of personal lives," Tenten began, handing her menu back to the waiter, "Why don't you just start with you and Chōji?"

Ino let out an audible 'humph', and folded her arms. "If you must know…we've kind of reached a standstill."

Hinata was worried. "Oh, I hope it isn't anything serious! Is there something wrong?"

Ino shrugged. "I don't even know. He's so sweet when we're with each other…but I think he's still embarrassed about his weight. A few nights ago, we we're _spending some time together_, and he refused to go any farther when I started to take his shirt off. It was just his shirt! But he got all nervous and suddenly jumped into the kitchen. He made some pretty damn good chili that night, but that wasn't exactly the kind of _satisfaction_ I had been hoping for."

She sighed, falling back into her seat. "What about you Tenten? You had any luck cracking apart the Ice-man that is Neji Hyūga?"

Tenten's expression was foul. "He's starting to piss me off. I've always been the aggressive one; I got him to ask me out, I was the one who kissed him first…I'm tired of doing all the work! Why can't that stony bastard just sweep me off my feet once in a while! Would make me feel less like a tomboy…"

Now both Ino _and_ Tenten were in a bad mood, and Hinata had no idea how to lift their spirits. However, it seemed that their curiosity was stronger than their frustration with their relationships, as they wished to know how her and Naruto had been 'doing'.

Hinata turned bright red as she remembered what had happened between them that morning, which only served to confirm Ino's previous suspicions. She seemed to perk up immediately, and started to grill all the details out of Hinata.

Tenten scowled. Hinata sure was a lucky girl.

* * *

><p>"Woah! How did you do that!" Naruto exclaimed. In seconds, Sakura's injury had completely healed.<p>

"By doing just what I explained to you a minute ago," Sakura replied. "I take stem cells from either my bone marrow or fat reserves, and convert them into medical chakra, while at the same time using normal chakra to stimulate the production of replacements. Now that I have the medical chakra available to me, I let it seep into the wound, and it does the rest."

"Just like that? You don't have to control it or anything?"

"For simple injuries, no. But for more traumatic injuries, more of your concentration is required. If you're not careful, too much or too little organ tissue could be replaced, leading to impaired function. For injuries like being impaled or internal bleeding, things can get very difficult. You need to have an immense amount of control over your chakra flow. Too much, you'll do more damage than good, and may put the patient in a comatose state. This can mean the same thing for you; too much of your own chakra can cause severe trauma to your own circulation."

Naruto whimpered a little. "Man, this stuff sounds hard!"

"I'm not gonna sugarcoat it; it is _very_ hard." Sakura patted Naruto on the back. "But you seem to respond best to practice, and you always have your clones to make it go by faster, though we might want to wait until you've gotten the hang of basic training first."

She motioned for Naruto to follow her. Down the hallway was a special room for potential medic-nin to begin their training. Several tables lined the walls, and a large fish tank sat in the middle.

Naruto squinted. "What the heck is the fish tank for?" he asked.

"We practice on them," Sakura explained. "They respond unusually well to human chakra, and we've discovered a way to simulate bodily injuries without actually harming the fish."

"How do you do that?" Naruto asked, as Sakura moved to the middle of the room. She picked out one of the smaller fish, and quickly jabbed it in the forehead, as well as behind each of its gills.

"We paralyze it. The brain is in a half-comatose state right now; it can still see and breathe and everything, but the nervous system relating to pressure and pain has been shut down. This fish won't have a clue what's going on."

She unceremoniously threw the fish onto the nearest table to prove her point. The fish flopped around a little in surprise, but quickly calmed down.

Naruto approached the fish apprehensively. "Are you sure this is okay? I wouldn't want to hurt it."

"It'll be fine, Naruto. I promise you it won't feel a thing."

She took his hands in her own. "Now, to start off, I'll help you convert your stem cells into medicinal chakra. You just concentrate on bringing it to the surface, and I'll take care of the rest."

Naruto gingerly reached over the fish to begin. Sakura smiled to help calm him down. But she did have a warning.

"You probably ought to know that this is going to sting a little."

"What do you mean by—" As Naruto released a small amount of chakra out of his hands, a searing pain shot through his entire body in seconds. He fidgeted for a few seconds before yanking his hands back in pain.

"A little? What the hell was that?" Naruto demanded, blowing on his fingers as if that would help.

Sakura put her hands on her hips. "Honestly, what do you expect? You're taking cells out of your _bone marrow_, Naruto. That hurts. You eventually get used to it, but it never goes away."

Naruto stared at Sakura's hands. The pain felt like it would leave permanent damage, and yet Sakura's hands were perfectly smooth and delicate (strange considering her temperament). To find out that Sakura had been going through something like this all the time, often for his own benefit…well, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"I know what you're thinking. You don't have to be sorry for anything. If there's one thing Tsunade-sama drilled into my training, it was that you are there as a medic to take of others. If I worried about myself all the time, I wouldn't be nearly as good at it."

She held her hands out a second time. "You want to give it another go?"

Naruto's mouth drew thin. He was certainly still curious, and understood the practicality of having this kind of knowledge, but he wasn't sure he liked that stinging. Naruto didn't like stinging all that much.

"C'mon…don't tell me Naruto Uzumaki is going to give up _that_ easily?"

Somewhere deep within Naruto's brain, something awoke. A base, almost feral stubbornness, the drive to continue on no matter how many times he got knocked down.

Oh, it was _on_.

* * *

><p>Ino bit her lower lip. "That sounds so sweet, but Naruto really can't keep his mouth shut when you two are getting busy, can he?"<p>

Hinata felt a little ashamed, but didn't hide her agreement. As she had told Ino and Tenten most of what had happened between her and Naruto (which she had been very loathe to do at first, but had gradually opened up), and as a result had informed Naruto of his habit of bringing up sore subjects right when they were in the middle of…well, Hinata didn't know what to call it, and she definitely didn't want to use what Ino called it. That would render her a stuttering mess.

"At least Hinata's gotten some touchy-touchy, even if this morning was just a case of morning wood," Tenten offered rather lewdly, still in a sour mood when she discovered how far Hinata and Naruto had gotten in their relationship. "I'm lucky if I can get Neji to hold my hand."

"What's your secret?" Ino asked, leaning in like it was some mysterious technique only Hinata could know.

But Hinata had no clue. "I d-don't know, Ino-san, I truly don't! These things just kind of…happen."

Tenten huffed. "Yeah right. It's gotta be because he's probably the biggest pervert in the village, aside from Kakashi-sensei."

Silence suddenly hung over the three. Ino and Tenten turned to Hinata; had that been something that had crossed her mind?

"If Na-Naruto-kun really is like that…" Hinata began twiddling her fingers, "I haven't seen anything like that from him yet. I've started just as many…well, you know." She blushed a fiery red, and Ino giggled.

"Ooohhh, I wonder what _that's_ gonna be like!" She gave Hinata a lecherous grin. "You think Naruto's learned any exotic moves when he was with Jiraiya?"

If Hinata had any room to turn any redder, it happened then and there. Tenten laughed.

"I don't see why you're so embarrassed, Hinata! That's bound to happen sooner or later if you and Naruto keep this up. You're telling me you've never been curious about how that idiot might be in the bedroom?"

Hinata averted her eyes. "Well, I actually…in that, I mean…uhhh…"

Ino squinted. "Wait a minute. You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"N-no!"

"Don't think you can hide it from me, Hinata! I can smell a good secret from a mile away; better than Kiba can!"

Ino stared at Hinata closely, observing the way the Hyūga girl thumbed with her jacket, and bit her lower lip. It was almost as if…

"A-ha!" Ino suddenly shouted, attracting the attention of half the café. She muttered an apology, and leaned in so only her friends could hear her revelation.

"You know what I think? I think you've wanted to take that step already, haven't you Hinata?"

Okay, so it turned out that Hinata _could_ get even redder. Tenten was scared her head might pop off.

Ino giggled again. "Looks like our sweet little Hinata is a dirtier girl than we thought! How long have you wanted to ravage the piece of meat that is Naruto Uzumaki?"

Tenten glared at Ino. "What are you trying to do, Ino? Make the poor girl pass out? Your curiosity is gonna get her killed one of these days."

Ino waved it off. "She already told us everything that's happened between them! I have nothing but respect for Hinata thinking this far ahead. Trust me; guys start to subconsciously feel when you start having those desires, provided they somehow have held them off themselves for that long. It gives the signal that you really want to be with this person, and they definitely pick up on that."

Hinata looked hopeful. "You r-really think so? But, what if Naruto-kun doesn't like it if I'm too forward?"

Ino rolled her eyes at that one. "The guy's dense, but when it comes to his friends, I've never seen anyone so empathetic. You're allowed to have those kinds of feelings, Hinata. I won't say that Naruto's guaranteed to accept them, though he'd be stupid not to, but he'll definitely be willing to talk to you about them and understand where you're coming from."

Tenten took a sip of her drink. "Besides, I can't imagine Naruto wouldn't be thinking the same thing of you as we speak, and I don't mean that in a perverted way. We all see the way he looks at you, Hinata. For all we know, he may have the same doubts you have. That would certainly bring your sexy time to a standstill, wouldn't it?"

Ino and Tenten shared a laugh, but it got Hinata thinking. What if that was it? What if Naruto was just as scared of rejection as she had been, and been having these kinds of feelings the same time she had?

Curiosity can take you to some _interesting_ places. But of course, Hinata was pretty sure she _wanted_ to go to those places.

* * *

><p>"You can't just force it, Naruto! Try again!"<p>

Naruto licked some sweat away from his brow. His muscles were screaming, and there was an ache in his bones deeper than anything he had ever felt. Sakura watched from behind him, anxious for some progress.

Naruto had quickly gotten used to the pain of the chakra conversion, but his overall lack of chakra control was proving disastrous. Sakura had stopped guiding him to see if he was able to convert the chakra himself, and while he could maintain that for a short while, the moment he tried to heal a minor injury inflicted on the fish, he would vastly overdo it.

There had even been one case where Naruto had pumped _wayyyy_ too much chakra for the poor fish to handle. It had exploded, sending fish guts everywhere. Naruto had felt terrible. Sakura had felt slimy.

"This is delicate, Naruto!" Sakura reminded. "If you just shove all the chakra you can into it, we'll have to spend the next 30 minutes cleaning up dead fish again!"

"You don't think I know that?" Naruto shot back, losing his concentration quickly. "I kind of have a little bit more chakra than you do, Sakura-chan! This is harder than you think!"

He shouldn't have tried to speak. He had tried to heal a cut fin, but had overdone it, and now the fish nearly had a second appendage sprouting from the first.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. "How can you not have learned better control after all this time, Naruto? You mastered the Rasenshuriken, remember?"

Naruto frowned. "I know that! It's just…this feels different. It's like my body doesn't want me to do this to itself."

"Of course it doesn't. With how much chakra you've been producing you've been putting a heavy strain on the production of stem cells in your body. Normally the injection of chakra to speed up the process wouldn't do too much harm to your body, but if you keep this up, you'll start shaving time off your lifespan. The cells of the body can only replicate naturally so many times; chakra isn't some key to immortality."

"Gah! This is so hard!" Naruto fell back into a chair, rubbing his sore arms. "Maybe I'm just not the kind of person cut out for medical ninjutsu—"

He would have continued to complain, but Sakura swiftly kicked the chair out from under him. He fell to the floor with a loud pop, and clutched his tailbone in pain.

"You're not gonna give up now! If you do that, you'll have let training beat you, and even worse, I'll have failed as a teacher! I'm not about to let that happen, oh HELL no! Get back up; let's give it one more try before we call it a day. Deal?"

Naruto rubbed his chin. He definitely didn't like the sound of training getting the best of him. And he would feel bad if Sakura felt she had failed to teach him something she was so good at.

"Fine, but can you help me up? My legs…well, my _everything_ is killing me!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, but offered her hand out. Naruto was pulled to his feet, and readied his hands one more time.

Sakura made a small incision on the fish's side. "Okay, remember: there's a feel to how much chakra you need. You should be able to feel that out when you start. Hold onto it, and maintain it. Just try to think of your Senjutsu training."

That was something Naruto could get behind. Getting the right balance of Natural energy had been a massive obstacle, and just as Fukasaku had once told him, it just needed a certain amount of instinct to get it right.

He held his hands out, and started the process of converting his cells into medicinal chakra. The ache started anew, but Naruto pushed that out of his mind.

'_You just need to find that balance, Naruto…you can do this.'_ He concentrated harder. He _had_ to do this.

The glow from his palms brightened, and Sakura watched tensely as the cut began to fade way. It was moving extremely slow, but it was healing! She could see how hard Naruto was struggling, but was proud of him anyways.

'Yes Naruto, that's it!" she exclaimed, egging him on. "You're doing great! Just keep that up, and you—"

The chakra surrounding Naruto's palms started to change color. The green began fade lighter and lighter, and a tinge of deep red began to take root. Naruto had his eyes closed from the strain, and didn't know what was happening.

The red turned deeper, and the cut actually began to open again. Even worse, necrosis started to spread throughout the fish's body. Sakura could see the ribs becoming visible. She could see that even though it felt nothing, the fish looked afraid. It scared her.

"Naruto, stop!" she yelled, grabbing his hands and yanking them away. She immediately began to heal the fish herself; had she been a second later, the fish could have died.

Naruto took deep breaths as he watched Sakura undo the damage he had done. He looked down at his hands, utterly lost. Had he done something wrong? Maybe he used too much chakra again?

A couple of moments later, Sakura had fully reversed the damage, and gently released the fish back into the tank. She turned around to meet eyes with Naruto. He was looking to her for answers.

Unfortunately for him, she was looking at him for the very same thing.

* * *

><p>Tobi did not move an inch. Even though he could become intangible and escape the man's grasp, he needed to show that he meant him no harm.<p>

"What in blue blazes do you think you're doing?" the man demanded. His voice was shrill, but hid the ghost of authority within. "Invading my home, disturbing my work…can't a man get some peace and quiet!?"

He tightened his grip on Tobi's neck as he looked around. "Where is that giant plant-thing that came in with you? He's not trying to sneak up on me, is he?"

Zetsu revealed himself to the man, staring at him. The man did not seem the slightest bit disturbed by Zetsu's appearance; in fact, he seemed kind of bored.

Tobi took his chance. "Zetsu...it seems we have forgotten our manners."

His Sharingan glinted in the candlelight. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Monzaemon Chikamatsu, Puppet Master of Sunakagure."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Oh shiiiiiiiiiitt! What could all of this mean!?

This has been something I've been excited about for MONTHS. I don't think Monzaemon's ever been included in a story, which gives me free reign over his backstory, which is _awesome_. If you don't know who this is, let the Naruto Wiki be your guide! By the way, his introduction, both at the beginning and end of the chapter, was inspired by this song from the (amazing) game Okami - ** watch?v=5bBUfLeBEmc**

**I would really appreciate some feedback** on what you think about his inclusion, since it was something I've been so excited about for a while now (I'm literally shaking as I write this, I'm so excited to see what you guys have to say). I think you guys will love him.

Also, I've written a new chapter for my other story, **Collateral Luck**. If you haven't checked it out yet, I hope you'll do so! I think this newest chapter, coupled with the previous three, will really help people get comfortable with the story's setting.

Until next time! Codaram awaaayyyy!


	42. King of the Hollow Men! Monzaemon!

**Author's Note:** Howdy.

-I've gotten so much work done these past few days! I took a Bio Final Monday (kicked its ass), read through an entire book for my World History class and took a quiz on it (kicked its ass), and I've written a _lot_ for this story. How much? Two chapters' worth, that's how much! You see, I am going to aggressively continue this schedule whenever I can, and write 2 chapters in the four days I have before an update. That way, I'll be able to get further and further ahead. Hopefully I'll get so far ahead that when the time comes for me to take a break and start considering the 3rd book, you guys won't even have to deal with no updates! That would be lovely, no?

-I feel like my writing is starting to improve bit by bit, like _really_ improve. I will wholeheartedly credit this to talking with all of you and seeing what you like and dislike, especially my good friend **OGAFazer89AC. **I also have to credit that I've been able to sit down and read a book for the first time in _years_. Yes, I geeked out on 'Game of Thrones' already, but reading through the first book is really helping me see how a book _should_ be written. You'll even find another homage to the series hidden in these words!

-I have more I can say, but then again, I _always_ have something to say. No need to talk your ear off, so we'll just get right to it.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 24 - King of the Hollow Men! Monzaemon Chikamatsu's Past!<strong>

Monzaemon Chikamatsu stood from his desk. He was obviously annoyed that his work had been disturbed. "Yes, you know my name. Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"Of course not Monzaemon-sama," Tobi replied. "I was only informing my partner. He was…unfamiliar with you."

He turned to Zetsu. "This man served Sunagakure many years as their—"

"Enough with 'pleasantries', masked man!" Monzaemon snapped. "What are you and the plant man doing in _my_ mountain? My work is very delicate; it requires I not be disturbed, no matter the occasion!"

Tobi held his hands in front of him. A sign of diplomacy. "We merely wished to observe your work, Monzaemon-sama. Your puppetry skills are unmatched throughout the entire shinobi world. Is it so hard to imagine that you would have fans?"

Monzaemon's expression softened, as did his grip around Tobi's neck. "You…have an interest in my work?"

Tobi nodded.

"Why didn't you say that from the beginning, you fool?" Monzaemon said excitedly. He released his hold on Tobi almost immediately, setting the man down and brushing him off with his hand. The chakra strings connecting it to his wrist pulled backwards, reattaching it to his wrist. "Come see, come see! It is beautiful!"

Zetsu gave Tobi a wary look, but Tobi was not concerned. He approached Monzaemon, hiding his caution.

He was a tall man with a generous belly and a wide face. His great beard hid a bulbous nose and thin lips, which twitched every now and again as the whiskers tickled his chin. The crown of his head had been bare for many years, but long wispy hairs stretched from the back and sides of his skull just past his shoulders. His small, round eyes darted back and forth constantly. There was a wild look in those eyes.

"Come look! You and your plant-man friend!" He beckoned Tobi over with his hand, stepping aside so they could see his work clearly.

It was the start of another puppet, from what they could see. The head was covered with large eyes; eyes that Tobi would swear followed his every move.

Monzaemon had hurried over to a barrel nearby, and pulled out what Tobi guessed what would become the puppet's arms.

"Look at the marvelous craftsmanship!" Monzaemon said. "Every detail has a purpose! And what's more…" A chakra thread shot out from his bony finger into the puppet's elbow joint, and an immense chakra shield burst to life. It was large enough to defend two full-grown men.

"It is magnificent!" Monzaemon bragged. "This could block all manner of projectiles, maybe even some ninjutsu!"

Tobi acted impressed. "Truly, it is a work of art, Monzaemon-sama. But I must ask, what offensive capabilities do you intend to develop?"

The air around Monzaemon suddenly turned foul. He spun around, glaring at Tobi. "Off-offensive!? Do you take me for some bloodthirsty fool, some c-common iron monger?"

He threw his the arm he was holding at Tobi's head with surprising speed. Tobi dodged it with ease, but masked his movements to look clumsier. He let the other arm hit him.

"Disgusting! Brutish! Savage!" Monzaemon screamed, throwing the barrel over. Arms and legs and other unfinished body parts spilled to the floor.

"A puppet must be used for defense only! Self-defense if innocents are in danger!" Monzaemon spat. "If you are so familiar with my work, how could you have not known that?"

Tobi feigned ignorance "Do you mean to tell me that your work has not inspired some of the greatest weapons in the shinobi world?"

"The very idea offends me, as it should all puppeteers of the Sand!" Monzaemon replied. "The nature of the puppet is one of protection and defense. It can be where man is without _being_ man. It can defend women and children as men do, and the man is no longer at risk. What is dead may never die. Those are my words, masked man, the words I have lived by for my entire life. A puppet cannot die, why should it not go in the man's stead? The puppet can be tossed aside or rebuilt; it is supposed to save lives, not take them away."

Tobi's Sharingan glinted dangerously in the candlelight. "Then it seems, Monzaemon-sama…that your followers have not lived by your words as they should."

Monzaemon's small eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? What do you mean?"

"Puppetry has become an infamous form of combat, widely practiced in Sunagakure, as well as in other villages should they find a Suna puppeteer willing to teach them. They have perfected the art of death like no other shinobi, with no risk to the user."

"You lie!" Monzaemon roared. "I left the village to create the perfect puppet, the one that could protect our people forever! The only possessions I left behind were my original 10 puppets, to be used to guard the village."

Tobi stepped forward. "They have modified your collection, Monzaemon-sama. I have witnessed first-hand their destructive capabilities. The shinobi of Sunagakure have turned your beloved craft into another tool for war."

Monzaemon's eyes searched for answers, but they found none in his faceless guest. His mouth drew into a thin line.

"Come…you will tell me everything that has happened in my absence. Spare me no details. If you lie, I will string you up to the ceiling, and you will be as lifeless as my puppets."

"As you wish, Monzaemon-sama."

* * *

><p>Monzaemon brought both Tobi and Zetsu into another room. Poorly lit and sparsely furnished, it was the only room he did not dedicate to his work. A bed sat in the corner, as well as hearth for cooking and warmth. Besides that and a few chairs, he afforded his guests no luxuries.<p>

Monzaemon draped a white cloak over his shoulders to keep himself warm while he started a fire. Tobi sat patiently on the other side of the room, while Zetsu stood in the doorway.

"Is the plant-man ever going to speak? Monzaemon asked, as the embers slowly began to spread.

"He is not a very talkative person, I'm afraid," Tobi answered. "He prefers to listen."

Monzaemon snorted to himself. "Humph. A rare quality among men…err, plant-men." Satisfied that his fire would last, he hobbled over to another chair, and sat down.

"Perhaps it is best if you tell me about your work with the village first, Monzaemon-sama. I will answer any questions you may have afterwards." Tobi needed the puppeteer to tell his side of the story first; this way, Tobi could adapt what he needed to say in order to sway Monzaemon.

"Very well," Monzaemon said, getting himself comfortable. "I shall tell you of my past with Sunagakure."

He turned to the fire. "Many, many years ago, the village of Konoha was founded, and what a village it was! Can you imagine what it must have taken? Two of the most powerful clans, which had been feuding for as long as anyone could remember, putting aside their differences and working for a greater peace? It was nothing short of inspirational to many of us across the shinobi world."

His eyes glowed as he stared at the flames, from both the fire, and his memories. "I worked tirelessly with a select few of other like-minded people here in this wasteland we call home. If the Land of Fire could do it, why couldn't the Land of Wind? Across the desert we traveled, uniting the tribes together one by one, with the express purpose of forming another shinobi village that could provide the same level of protection to our people. Gone would be the petty civil wars between us; we would have become civilized men, in a civilized world!"

"My art of puppetry was originally conceived as nothing more than entertainment for the children of those tribes," he continued. "They loved to watch my little wooden men dance and play and leap around. Oh, to hear them laugh!"

Tobi seemed surprised. "Your art began as a way to entertain children?" he asked.

"It was entertainment for all who would see it that way, masked man," Monzaemon corrected. "But there were those who fought against our work to unite the tribes. One day, in a small village towards the northern end of the country, a fire broke out in the night. We tried to put it out as best we could, but it spread rapidly, and we feared the village would be lost."

He smiled. "I had been visiting someone else in the village, but I ran back to where I had been staying, hoping the family who had taken me in was still alive. The mother and father…they did not make it, but in the corner of the room, I heard a sound. Hiding underneath all the wood I had brought along to make puppets for the children of that village, was the son and daughter of that family. Everything else had burned, but my puppets' hard wood kept the flames at bay long enough for me pull them out, and to safety. My little wooden men, my toys…they had saved lives."

Monzaemon watched Tobi's reaction. His shoulders tensed up like he was anxious to hear what happened next, and he leaned forward in his seat.

"Can you imagine the feeling that gave me? I had created something that could _save_ people, not just entertain them. From that day on, I knew my true purpose."

Several threads of chakra suddenly burst from Monzaemon's hand, connecting with a puppet Tobi had not seen sitting in the corner. It rattled to life, before hobbling to the fire. Monzaemon had been making some tea for his guests and himself, and he used his puppet to pour it into several cups, before bringing it back. For obvious reasons, Tobi set it aside.

Monzaemon sipped his tea. "Developing the chakra thread technique was the hardest step. To concentrate chakra to the point of tangibility requires not only a large reserve, but immense control." He laughed. "I had never possessed much skill in the shinobi arts, but _this_...this came naturally to me, as does the ability to walk for a child."

His laughter died away. "And I worked at it constantly. I was motivated to keep working at it until I succeeded, and the technique was perfected. The others with me, the men and women whom I helped build Sunagakure, helped me along the way, and when it was finished, the puppet technique was born."

"I'm sure your companions were very grateful for your work, Monzaemon-sama," Tobi said airily.

Monzaemon snorted. "From the very beginning, I knew they saw them as a tool for war. No, I had told them, I will not have my techniques used against our own people. I began designing puppets for use in battle, but the only mechanisms I gave them could be used for defense; shields to guard against attacks, stores of water to put out fires, that sort of thing. I saw them as nothing more than a way for our growing shinobi force to keep themselves out of harm's way. When other tribes realized we did not use our new found power to force other tribes to our cause, they joined more willingly."

He suddenly leaned forward. "They _trusted_ us, masked man. They trusted that we would protect and serve them, as all the great villages have come to do. That kind of trust cannot be bought, or formed overnight."

And then his face darkened. "But those who had built the city with me, those who were the first leaders of Sunagakure, still sought to teach the puppeteers how to kill and attack. I was stubborn; if they wanted me to teach new recruits, I would only do so if they swore to never attack another man with their puppet _unless_ they were saving one of our own. Only then could one of my children be used to harm another human being."

"Your children?" Tobi asked.

"At the start, I was the only one who made puppets. Each and every one of them was unique; they were my children. They were not my flesh and blood, but I cared for them nonetheless. They represented my hope for peace, to protect all of our people from the horrors in this world. Even my own personal collection, 10 puppets bearing my seal, was given to the first guardsmen of the village to watch over the walls of our growing community."

He chuckled to himself. "They needed almost two people per puppet! No, I told them! You only need one _finger _per puppet! They looked at me like I was mad. They were young, and still learning. It was not an easy skill to learn."

"So why have you come here, if there was so much to teach?" Tobi asked. "Why have you buried yourself in the heart of this mountain, hidden away from the entire world?"

"To continue my work, boy!" Monzaemon snapped. "When the village's leaders were insistent I work with them to turn my art into a death dealer, I offered them this; I shall leave the village, and devote myself to discovering the ultimate puppet. One so powerful in its defenses that Sunagakure would never have to worry about the outside world again! We could grow and prosper on our own, and become a true village to be admired!"

"Has it really taken this long?" Tobi asked. "Have you not yet discovered the ultimate puppet?"

"This work takes time," Monzaemon insisted. "Every time I think I have reached a breakthrough, I realize it is flawed, and scrap the puppet altogether. Over the years I have made a number of improvements, but it is still not perfect. Until then, I shall remain here in my mountain, perfecting my art. It has been many years since I have seen my home, seen the people I grew to love and care for. But if this is what it takes to protect them, so be it."

"What shall you do when you complete your puppet, Monzaemon-sama?" Tobi asked.

"I shall return to the village, of course. I will make more of this puppet, and bestow them to the village to keep it safe. A new generation will take over my legacy, and at last, I can move on from this world to the next."

He sighed. "Many things have happened in the years I have been gone, correct? There are days when I miss the sunlight, and the smiles of children as my wooden men danced for their amusement, but I always remember that what I'm doing will protect those children, and that has kept me going. But not all men reminisce of sunlight and children. Wars have been fought, blood has been spilt. Do not bother lying to me, masked man. I am no fool."

Tobi's eye watched him carefully. This man had let the mountain rule over him for many years, but his mind still seemed sharp when it needed to be. What came, next, Tobi had not expected.

"I am aware that you are no follower of my work, either. You are not a puppeteer; I knew that from the moment you entered my mountain. You and your plant man have come here for another purpose, haven't you?"

Tobi masked his surprise. "You are correct, Monzaemon-sama…I am not a puppeteer, in the traditional sense."

Monzaemon ignored the vague comment, and waited for Tobi to continue.

"But I _am_ a fan or your work, Monzaemon-sama. I have nothing but respect for a man who seeks to protect his people, and who was willing to sacrifice so much to attain that peace. I myself search for a peace like that."

"Yes…yes, you do seem like that kind of man," Monzaemon quipped. "The kind of man who seeks great change in the world. But tell me, how do you wish to bring about this kind of change?"

"By doing what needs to be done."

Monzaemon laughed bitterly. "I have heard far too many men justify entire wars with those words. They were machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts. If the villages kept to themselves, we would not have this mindless violence plaguing our world."

Tobi seemed intrigued. "You support isolationism? How could the villages grow and prosper?"

"That does not matter!" Monzaemon growled. "To grow and prosper is what corrupt rulers tell themselves and their people when they fund their wars, send men and women to their deaths. Growth must come from _within_. Think of a tree; it does not grow because it stretches its branches and uprooting others. No, it deepens its roots, takes from where it was seeded, and where it should remain. And if the tree oversteps its boundaries, it must be burned."

He drew his cloak tighter around his shoulders. "I won't pretend to be a saint; sometimes death is indeed the only answer. But why can it not be limited to when you are in danger? If the great nations of this world kept to themselves, the danger would dissipate, and there would be no need for shinobi altogether. Maybe a few to guard civilians from thieves and other ruffians, but certainly not the thousands in number employed in my day."

Monzaemon looked at Tobi, and studied his mask. He was trying to see through it, to see the mysteries that lay behind it. "So you are not hear to listen to an old man reminisce. You are the kind of man who seeks change, and you have come to me to seek out that change. Why?"

"I wish it were better circumstances that I come to you, Monzaemon-sama." Tobi stiffened. Monzaemon's reaction might be…severe.

"But as I said before, I have come to tell you that the men and women you have entrusted the village to have betrayed your trust. They have turned puppetry into another tool for war. Only a few years ago did they attempt to invade the village of Konoha, the village that inspired your dream for peace. They wanted power, and used your techniques to accomplish that."

"That is a lie, as I have said the first time!" Monzaemon said firmly, trying to keep his voice down. "I have entrusted my legacy to some of the most trustworthy people in our lands. Besides, the people would not dare follow along with such madness, not when they have the knowledge that I am only a few days away—"

"That is not the case, Monzaemon-sama," Tobi interrupted. "You only told a select few of the councilors of your plans; the information was not made public, and they have used that to their advantage."

"What _are_ you babbling on about? If this is some attempt to get me to abandon my work—"

"It is _not_, I assure you," Tobi interrupted for the second time. He produced a scroll from within his cloak. "This is what they tell their children in your village now."

Monzaemon grabbed the scroll, and his tiny eyes rapidly scanned the writing. "This…this cannot be the truth. This says that I was—"

"Assassinated, yes. The other members of the council falsified their reports, claiming an assassin stole your life sometime in the night. They even held a funeral, with an empty coffin. Every citizen in Sunagakure believed this for decades."

Monzaemon suddenly stiffened. His eyes rose to meet Tobi's mask. Fear was in those eyes.

"What are you saying? Decades?"

Tobi nodded slowly. "Yes, Monzaemon-sama. Your devotion to your work, and your lack of contact with the outside world has cost you dearly. You have been working on your masterpiece for over 60 years."

He smiled, but Monzaemon could not him do so. "And I am _very_ interested in how you managed to achieve that."

* * *

><p>Raiā could not sleep this time of night. When he had still been a member of the village, his thoughts had robbed him of any hope for rest. Only strenuous medication kept him going, but where he was now, it was no longer necessary.<p>

Besides, he had company tonight.

Gaara watched him from the opposite side of the room. He barely moved. It was beginning to irk Raiā, and less so, worry him. The boy had an unusual gift at making people uncomfortable when those green of his eyes fixated upon you, and Raiā was no different.

"Why are you here?" Raiā asked. "My attendant was perfectly good at beating me senseless should I so much as breathe wrong."

"I would rather be here than in my office, filing through endless paperwork," Gaara said lightly, never taking his eyes off his prisoner.

Raiā snorted derisively. "If that is the reason, than I am the Sage of the Six Paths! Tell me, why are you _truly_ here, visiting a traitor to your village? Are you trying to get inside my head, figure out what makes me tick?"

"Yes."

Taken aback by the answer he was least expecting, Raiā angrily looked away. Gaara almost seemed amused.

"I am not some senseless monster, who only wants to see you bleed and bruise until you are no longer my problem. In my experience, violence has never helped in the long run."

"Then perhaps you aren't doing it right," Raiā mocked. He cracked his neck, trying to push the soreness out his mind the best he could. "I might be inclined to give you what you want if you crack one over my skull. I've been wanting for a nap for a few days now."

Gaara shook his head. "I am sorry, but you will have to do without."

"What a gracious host!"

"You are aware that this game of trading insults will get no reaction from me," Gaara observed, "and yet you continue to do so."

Raiā shrugged. "Maybe I'm just stubborn. That makes two of us."

"I prefer to think of it as determined."

"Determined to do what? Force my sob story out into the open, so you can bring me back towards the light?"

"Yes."

For the second time, Raiā was unprepared for that answer. He scowled. This boy was far too naïve to believe that could happen; he had to be. And yet, when those pale green eyes stared back at him, he saw the determination.

The lights flickered on and off for a few seconds. Electricity was never guaranteed in the desert, especially where they were now.

"And if I can't…" Gaara began, "I'm sure Naruto would be more than happy to try himself."

Raiā's eyes narrowed. "I doubt that boy would be happy to see me."

"I think otherwise. Naruto has a strange power about him," Gaara remarked, looking off at a wall. "It's something extraordinarily rare in people."

"The delusion that orange is a _good_ color with blonde hair?"

Gaara almost rolled his eyes. "He has the ability to change people. I…I used to be someone who didn't deserve his place on this earth. I only cared for myself, and killed anyone who sought to get in the way of my existence."

"Sounds like someone I would have liked to meet," Raiā jeered.

Gaara didn't even acknowledge him. "I never thought I would meet someone like him. We were so much the same person, yet at the same time, we couldn't have been further apart. I had given up, and resigned to my fate. Naruto had spat in its face."

Raiā leaned up in his seat. There was a glint in his eyes; it did not go unnoticed.

"He refused to take the life fate had given him. He fought tooth and nail to be accepted, and did not care now long it took. He was confident he would succeed."

The Kazekage shifted his body. "Now, he is revered as the hero of his village. The love and devotion his people have shown him are second only to the Hokage. All because a little boy refused to give up. He has changed countless others in his life, and will do the same for many more before he is taken from us. When that day comes, it will be a sad day indeed."

Raiā mumbled something under his breath.

"Come again?" Gaara asked.

"…he sounds like someone I would have liked to meet," Raiā said, barely above a whisper. He kept his eyes low, and they searched the cold grey floor.

"You still have the chance to," Gaara told him. "I can easily arrange for Naruto to come here for a few days. You two would have some time alone to speak with one another. Despite what you may think, Naruto is a forgiving individual; he would listen to what you have to say."

"Come here?" Raiā asked. "Why not send me to Konoha? Their security is far greater than yours could ever hope to be."

"That may be true, but I am not willing to put you on the open road just yet," Gaara replied cooly. "You are right; our security is not up to par with some of the other villages. We've even had a break in not several weeks ago, where a boy not yet twenty years of age stole past our gates, and tried to kidnap one the our oldest and most trusted members or the community. It's hard to think what might happen to him should we release him from the relative safety of the village."

Raiā grimaced. Yes, the Uchiha brat would probably be looking for him, hoping to send him back to _him_. And that is something Raiā could not allow to happen. For now, he would have to stay put.

"You make a good point…" Raiā begrudgingly agreed. This young man continued to surprise him. Just as that Uchiha boy, this young man was not yet twenty years of age, and yet he had wisdom far beyond his years. Raiā wondered what this boy's life must have been like to give him this wisdom.

"Naruto, however, is perfectly capable of taking care of himself," Gaara continued. "Should we find an opportunity where he can make the journey, I shall send for him. If you are willing to cooperate with _me_, I might even be inclined to offer this to Konoha as an official mission for Naruto, so that he may come without delay."

Raiā blew out a rough breath. "Do not think that I will be leaping at the opportunity to meet a boy, Kazekage-_sama_. He has nothing he can learn from me,"

Gaara nodded slowly. "Yes…but maybe there is something you can learn from him."

He rose from his spot against the wall. As he made for the door, it swung open to reveal to chūnin carrying in several items.

Raiā only paid attention to the small mattress they were carrying between them. From his position, it looked like the finest thing in the world. The two chūnin set the bed down on the far side of the room, towards his right. Raiā could see a small amount of food in a box as well.

"I am still curious as to where your life has taken you," Gaara said as he exited the room, "but perhaps that is not for me to know. Still, should you ever be willing to tell your story, I can think of two people who would be willing to listen."

The two chūnin followed after him, shutting the door behind them. Raiā's eyes immediately set to the food, and he got up from his chair to see what they had given him.

Only he hadn't gotten up from his chair.

They hadn't untied him from it.

'_Impudent little…'_ Raiā tried to calm himself down. He was letting a sixteen year old boy get the best of him. Well, he was not a man who held onto pride when it did not suit him. He rocked back and forth in his chair, harder and more violently until he crashed to the floor. It made his muscles ache, but Raiā did not mind. Adjusting himself so his chin was against the ground, he began to crawl.

* * *

><p>Monzaemon sat frozen in his chair. Sixty years…sixty years had passed since he left his home with the promise to defend them. Many of his friends if not all of them will be dead by now. He was a man displaced by time, spurred on by his relentless devotion to his task.<p>

Tobi shifted in his seat. "I am sorry I had to be the one to tell you, Monzaemon-sama, but this is not the time for reminiscing about the past. You are needed back in the world."

"Why are you telling me this?" Monzaemon suddenly demanded. His right hand clutched at his tea, and Tobi watched his knuckles turning white. "Why are you telling me this?" he repeated.

"Because puppetry has become a foul shadow of what it once was!" Tobi said. "I am telling you this because puppetry has become another tool for war, just as I have told you several times before! How could you let so many years go by while you stood by and did nothing?"

Monzaemon would have normally been angry with Tobi's tone. But was this man right? It had been so long; why hadn't he noticed. "I…I must not have noticed. You see, a long time ago, I stumbled across a new technique for my puppetry. A way for me to continue my work without worry of food and water."

"You are talking about turning your own body into that of a puppet, correct?"

Where did this masked man hear of that? Monzaemon had only passed this knowledge onto one other; a boy, from his village.

"Y-yes. A technique I devised, far too complicated to go into now, to extend the life of a human being by placing into the body of a puppet. I sacrificed my _humanity_ so that I could continue my work long after my time on this earth had been spent. A young man came to me one day, wishing to learn of the technique's secrets. I did not know how he learned of it, but he told me he wished to learn, so that he could better protect the Sand. He was willing to make the same sacrifice I did, for the same reason. It was admirable of him."

Tobi sighed. "Your pupil, Sasori, has lied to you Monzaemon-sama. He did not wish to follow in your footsteps to keep the peace in his own country. He has stolen your hidden techniques, and used them for warfare."

He reached into his cloak, and revealed another scroll. This had been the Akatsuki's detailed report on Sasori when he had first become a member, and it heavily detailed his use of puppetry for the many atrocities he committed, including…

"H-he killed the Sandaime Kazekage?" Monzaemon spat out, scarcely believing what he was looking at. "How do I know you are not lying?"

"Because the Yondaime Kazekage took his place, and after he was murdered, his son took on as the Godaime Kazekage," Tobi replied. "That is not something I could lie to you about."

Monzaemon was visibly shaken. "This is not what I intended when I took that boy in! H-he told me he wished to protect the Sand. It was a noble goal! How could he betray his people like this? And now you tell me the Yondaime was murdered as well?"

"Because their branches have spread too far, Monzaemon-sama." Tobi chose his words carefully. "They have started to uproot others. There is not a single puppeteer who follows the old ways, your ways. They have all turned to bloodshed."

Monzaemon sat in his chair, shivering. Tobi watched him closely, expecting another outburst. But he could not call on the strength.

"I…I gave them everything. My art, my time…my soul! And you tell me they betray my trust, and have turned to killing one another like animals? This cannot be true! I refuse to believe it!"

"Why else would I bother you, Monzaemon-sama?" Tobi asked. "Why else would I bother an old man who had been cut off from the world for decades? The Sand has become tainted with blood; I need your help to right their wrongs."

Monzaemon struggled to accept this. It was having a physical effect on his body. His shoulders shook, and his mouth twitched in frustration.

"I...I cannot believe you," he finally said, "unless you give me some proof. If I cannot see this with my own eyes, how can I know you are not lying to me?"

"I would not expect you to be so trustworthy, Monzaemon-sama," Tobi said. "But I can show you, if you would allow me."

Zetsu stepped out from the dark. Monzaemon had almost forgotten he was there.

"My associate here has the rare ability to 'record' battles he has witnessed, and can show them to whomever he likes," Tobi explained. "He will show you everything you need to know."

Monzaemon was nervous as Zetsu approached. He tensed up when Zetsu reached out with his arm, but Tobi assured him that nothing would come of him. Monzaemon had every right to be cautious, he had said, but this was what needed to be done in order for Monzaemon to accept the truth. The puppeteer was utterly lost on what to do; he did not even notice Zetsu's hand come to rest on his forehead.

He suddenly felt light headed, and opened his eyes to see an endless white expanse. In the distance, he saw color and sound rushing towards them. Then they were standing in the middle of the desert, witness to a gruesome battle.

Monzaemon watched with horror as several men summoned puppets to their side. The gleamed with sharp blades in the desert sun, and dripped poison from their mouths. A young man stepped at the forefront of them, his fave covered in strange markings.

He yelled something about a 'Puppet Brigade', and the men began to attack. Who they were attacking or why, Monzaemon did not care. He reached out helplessly as men and women were violently cut down in front of him; there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Stop!" he tried to call out. "Enough of this mindless violence against our own people!"

But the could not hear them, and he was forced to bear witness to this Puppet Brigade slaughtering the rest of them, leaving their bodies to be covered by the desert.

There were other visions too. His pupil, carving a swath of destruction across an entire country with puppets garbed in red. He even saw his own personal collection, which he had bestowed to the Sand to _protect_, slaughtering an entire castle. These images were frightful, and Monzaemon squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block the images out. But they would not yield; they were all he could see. His mind screamed to him that they were a lie, an illusion, but his heart told him it was the truth. They had always seen puppetry as a tool for warfare; they had only waited until Monzaemon was no longer their concern to see this through at last.

Monzaemon was suddenly back in his mountain, with Zetsu and Tobi standing in front of him. The shock was almost too much for him to bear, and he nearly collapsed to his knees.

"No…this cannot be true…" Monzaemon searched for a reason for this madness, any at all. He found none, and began to weep. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks, and he cried out in agony. His little wooden men, standing over the bodies of decent men and women, of children…his mind was tortured by the thought of it.

He rose from his chair, wailing like a caged beast. His cloak was thrown from his body, and Tobi drew back in surprise.

Wheels and cogs and pumps of all shapes and sizes covered Monzaemon's flesh. They churned and cranked slowly and loudly, giving him life. An artificial life. They were covered in rust; even his own body had been neglected in the search for a way to protect his people.

In the cavern where he had first crossed paths with Tobi, the puppets swayed from their strings. It was an empty clattering of a sound, hollow and lifeless.

What is dead may never die. They were Monzaemon's own words, and yet as he moaned and cried out into the darkness of his mountain, he felt his soul begin to rot away.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I hope you guys are taking to Monzaemon well. I knew it was a big risk back when I first toyed with the notion of using him, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I also included Raia in this chapter, since you guys have already seemed to have grown fond of him, something that never fails to surprise me!

So you know what really helps me write? Listening to music. Now, I'm sure a great many of people do that, but I get a little bit more specific. I like to listen to my favorite tunes from my favorite video game. That nostalgia pumping through my brain really gets my fingers moving. It helps me set the tone for certain scenes and dialogue, and has even given me a good number of ideas to use in the past and future! Have a tune or an entire game that really hits home? Let's talk about it! I love reminiscing about gaming with my bros and hoes (classy ladies).

Until next time.


	43. Mystery of Medical Ninjutsu! Dark Forces

**Author's Note:** The rest of my finals are this week. But have no fear! The updates will proceed as usual, since I only have one final a day, leaving the rest of it open for writing.

-So there's something I wish to share with you guys. Most people use their Favorite Authors list for writers who have consistently wowed the reader with their stories. I am here to share with you that I am adding four people to my own list, but for a different reason.

**Solvdrage, Rose Tiger, Leaf Ranger, **and **Chewie Cookies **represent the absolute best of the FF community, in my opinion. Not only are they all outstanding writers by themselves, but they take a great amount of time and care to encourage other writers to keep writing, and to improve. Their kind words are often all a struggling writer needs to continue, and that is something to be respected and applauded. It may seem like I'm gushing here, but I have nothing but admiration for people who are so helpful to the community. I urge all of you to send a review or a PM their way, thanking them for their valuable contributions to the site. They most certainly deserve that, and more.

Okay, enough of the lauding and praising! Let's get back to the story, shall we?"

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 25 - Mystery of Medical Ninjutsu! A Dark Force at Work?<strong>

"Calm down, Sakura. I can't understand a word you're saying. Just take a deep breath, and start over."

Sakura forced her body to keep still. She closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths through her nose. Tsunade watched her carefully.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

Sakura exhaled again. "Yes, Tsunade-sama. It's just I've never seen anything like this before, and I don't exactly know how to tell you—"

"Sakura, do you need to breathe some more?" Tsunade asked gently. "Or, can you handle telling me what's got you so nervous?"

Sakura smiled nervously. She didn't want to be this flustered, but she didn't know what to make of it all. "A few days ago, Naruto asked me about medical ninjutsu. It was the day you had him come help me at the hospital."

Tsunade nodded. She remembered.

"Well, after Naruto saw me working on patients all day, he was curious about how medical ninjutsu worked. And I kind of offered to teach him about it."

"You decided you were qualified to be a teacher without my permission?" Tsunade asked in a low voice. "Sakura, medical ninjutsu is _dangerous_, and Naruto's not the best person when it comes to understanding principles and concepts. He needs practice, and if he had messed up…"

Sakura averted her eyes. She tried to block out Tsunade's disappointed stare, but she could feel those piercing bronze eyes upon her.

"Of course, Tsunade-sama. I shouldn't have assumed I was good enough to be a teacher."

"I didn't say that, Sakura. You're one of the finest medics I've ever seen. In a few years you'll be as good as I ever was. But I'm telling you that something so delicate shouldn't be decided by one person. Did you know I had spoken with Shizune for _hours _until I decided to take you on as a student?"

Sakura did not know that. She felt flattered, but pushed the feeling down into her stomach. Now was not the time to feel proud.

"Well, Naruto and I finally got some time to practice, and I wanted to teach him the basics, see if he could take to it. He was really excited to give it a try, so I took him to practice on the fish just as you did to me."

"And how did he do?" Tsunade asked.

"At first, he didn't like the stinging." Sakura smiled to herself. It was just like Naruto to act tough in the face of death, but start to complain when he got a little bone ache.

Tsunade laughed. "Men usually don't. What happened after that?"

"He was having a lot of trouble, Tsunade-sama. His chakra control hasn't improved much over the years. He can create a Rasengan or go into Sage mode without a problem, but I think that has more to do with muscle memory than anything else. He still has trouble actively controlling it."

"When you have as much chakra as he does, that's harder than you think." Tsunade reminded her student. "Imagine the difference between damming a small creek to trying to stop a tsunami from reaching land."

"He told me something similar…" Sakura grumbled to herself. She would have to remember, if Tsunade continued to let her teach, to be more mindful of the difference between her and Naruto's skill sets.

"After he got a little frustrated with it, I asked if he wanted to give it one more go. This time, it actually looked like he was getting the hang of it, but then…"

She stopped. How was she supposed to explain what had happened to Tsunade? It was like nothing Sakura had ever seen before. Perhaps only the greatest medic in the shinobi could help her.

"But then, something started to happen to Naruto's medicinal chakra. It started to glow red, and the fish he was healing started to die. The wound he was trying to close up was instead decaying away, like some kind of necrosis."

Tsunade sat back in her seat, fingers interlaced. She turned away from Sakura, and watched the clouds from her window.

"What does Naruto think?' she asked quietly.

"Naruto doesn't know _what_ to think," Sakura said. "He's just as lost as I am. Tsunade-sama…do you have any idea what happened?"

"It's something I've never heard of before," Tsunade observed, scratching under her chin. "But then again, Naruto is unlike most people. He has 'special' circumstances."

Sakura's blood ran cold. "You don't think this has to do with the Kyūbi, do you?"

"I'm saying it's a possibility. Very few people in this world possess two sources of chakra. But just the same, it could be his lack of chakra control, or his Uzumaki heritage. In any case, it would be best for Naruto not to practice medical ninjutsu until we can figure out what happened. Is he busy today?"

"He and Hinata are spending the day together, I think. Do you want me to go get him?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade nodded. "I hate to interrupt, but it's for the best. We should figure this out as quickly as possible. Naruto's probation is almost up, and I don't want him going on another mission when this is out in the open and unresolved. Tell Naruto to come back to the training room. He can bring Hinata if he chooses."

"Right away, Tsunade-sama." Sakura bowed low, and exited the room. Meanwhile, Tsunade pulled out a blank piece of paper, and started a new report. She had a gut feeling that _something_ would come out of this.

* * *

><p>In the heat of mid-day, Naruto and Hinata had decided that being cramped up in the apartment was not how they wanted to spend their day. But at the same time, they didn't really feel like wandering around the village. Hinata was afraid she might run into another clan member, and Naruto did not want to force her through that kind of stress.<p>

So, since they wanted to be outside without traveling through the village, Naruto had suggested they go up to the roof of his apartment complex. There was more than ample space up there, he had told her, and they could get enjoy some peace and quiet since foot traffic wasn't really heavy up there.

Naruto had insisted Hinata stay at home while he ran off to get them something to eat, and returned a few minutes later with enough snacks to last them the entire day. Or for five minutes should Naruto get hungry.

They sat in the shadow of one of the A/C units. Naruto would toss a ball towards the chain-link fence that surrounded the rooftop, and Miso would hobble as fast as his legs would carry him. Naruto learned very quickly that the pup did not like to be treated as though he had a handicap, silently insisting he was just the same as any dog. Naruto felt proud of his little companion, and was happy to oblige.

Hinata sat directly in front of him, leaning into his chest, and letting his left arm drape over her shoulder to gently hold her hand. In the other, she held a large glass with two straws; a drink for them to share.

"Is he ever going to run out of energy?" she asked. Hinata was talking about Miso, who had scarcely stopped chasing after the ball since they had gotten up there.

"Maybe by the time the sun goes down," Naruto joked. "I don't even know where he gets all that energy from!"

Hinata giggled. "He reminds me of someone I know."

Naruto feigned ignorance. "And whom, my dear Hinata-hime, could you be talking about? Would I know this person?"

"Oh, you know him very well," Hinata replied matter-of-factly. "He's a warm, kind, generous human being who loves to be with others. He's always looking out for them. He's always trying to be their friend."

"Sounds like a stud." Naruto blew on his knuckles, and pumped his chest out. "You're not gonna leave me for him, are you?"

Hinata laughed. Naruto loved that sound. It reminded him of the bells they would put in doorways during the winter, oddly enough. They would ring when someone stepped in from the cold, and alert the shopkeeper that they had a customer waiting. A soft, beautiful sound, and an inviting warmth.

"If every day were like this, I think I could get used to being on probation," Naruto said, sighing. "I'd have to keep aggravating Bā-chan, though." He chuckled quietly. "Come to think of it, that sounds like it could be fun!"

"Naruto-kun, I think Tsunade-sama is a little smarter than that," Hinata scolded. She smiled anyway. "But I appreciate the thought."

It was nothing but a fantasy, but Hinata wished she and Naruto could spend every day like this, without having to worry about money or missions or anything else in the world. It would give her more time to decide when she wanted to spring the question on Naruto. The question Ino and Tenten had posed to her.

Hinata bit her lip. It was constantly on her mind, and being with Naruto all the time wasn't helping. Taking that kind of step in their relationship would be big to say the least; Hinata knew Naruto enjoyed being with her, but she was scared. Naruto had stopped each and every moment they had had up until now. Maybe he couldn't decide if he wanted to go through with that.

But this fear felt foreign to her now. Her body wanted to reject this fear, and cast it aside. A stronger part of her, a more aggressive part, was telling her to heed Ino's words. Hinata needed to talk to him about this, regardless of whether or not he believed he was ready. Hinata thought she was, and that was enough for her.

"Hey, Hinata…" she heard Naruto's voice coo in her ear. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Hinata craned her neck to see his face. Naruto had stopped throwing the ball towards the fence, and Miso lay a short distance away, panting heavily with the ball still trapped between his jaws. There was a far-off look in Naruto's eyes. It made Hinata's heart flutter.

"About what happened this morning…I'm sorry I reacted the way I did."

She pushed up a little to properly face him. "But Naruto-kun, you have nothing to be sorry for! This what happens when two people…well, when they…"

A dark blush crept across her cheeks, and she cursed it away. Even after all this time, she was as nervous as a schoolgirl with a crush.

"That's not what I meant," Naruto insisted. "What I was going to say is that I'm sorry I stopped. I-I know it was sudden, but it didn't feel strange like it had all those times before. I didn't feel like Ero-sennin. It felt _natural_."

Hinata could feel his body tense up. "I'm sorry, you probably think I'm some kind of pervert now," she heard him say.

"I would never think that!" Hinata said quickly. "Besides…how would I know if you were like _that_ if we haven't…tried anything yet."

Naruto's face went from confusion, to surprise, all the way to coy. He had a look in his eyes that reminded Hinata very _much_ of Jiraiya.

"What have we here?" he said in a sing-song voice. "Is my Hinata-hime, member of the prestigious and regal Hyūga clan, trying to tell me she wants to get frisky?"

Hinata felt like a spotlight was shining down on here, and that all the world was listening to their conversation. Her shoulders tightened up, and she lowered her eyes. She felt timid and indecisive again.

But Naruto gently grabbed ahold of her shoulders, and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I didn't mean to make fun of you," she heard him say, as he rested his chin against the top of her head. "I was just surprised, that's all."

He pulled back. "Surprised…and happy! It makes me feel a lot better that I'm not the only half of this relationship who's been having those kinds of thoughts. And I'm flattered that you would, well…that you would want to—"

It was Naruto's turn to blush. He couldn't even finish his sentence; it came out a blubbering mess. Hinata laughed softly, and it calmed him down.

"Maybe…we could pick up where we left off?" Naruto asked quietly.

Hinata shook her head. She smiled when she saw the confusion in Naruto's eyes. It was helping her confidence.

A lot.

Maybe a little too much.

She brought a hand to his chest, and slowly walked her fingers towards his chin. Naruto watched her hand nervously. He didn't know what to do with his hands; he felt like putty in hers.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd let me have _my_ turn." Hinata's voice was laced with a sultry tone to it, maybe even sexy? Naruto shivered with excitement. A sexy Hinata; now _that_ would be a sight to see.

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked, playing the fool. "I don't think I understand."

Hinata liked this game. "I want to know what it's like to hold you. To kiss you…" She planted a soft kiss on the underside of Naruto's chin. She could feel the lump in his throat.

"To _touch_ you."

Naruto suddenly knew what to do with his hands. They flew to his crotch, and he pushed it down with all his might. Thank _any_ god who would listen that they were on a rooftop, and not somewhere other people might see.

But Hinata _did_ see, and she started to laugh. It was quiet at first, but soon she was holding her sides, unable to breath. Hinata didn't know if she had ever laughed that hard in her life.

Naruto liked making her laugh, but he wasn't sure he liked the idea that having an erection made his girlfriend laugh. It felt like a low blow.

Heh. Low blow. Naruto would have laughed were it not his problem.

* * *

><p>"Naruto! Hinata! You in there!" a voice called out from below them. They both recognized Sakura's voice. Naruto quickly brought a finger to his lips. He would have told Sakura to go away, but getting her up on the roof with them was the <em>last<em> thing he wanted to do. Not when he…

Well, you know.

"Naruto, I know you're in there!" they heard Sakura yell. "Tsunade-sama needs to see you right away! You can bring Hinata if you want!"

"Why can't the old bag just leave me alone for today?" Naruto whispered. "I'm sure this can wait."

Hinata was giving Naruto her 'you-can't-just-avoid-Tsunade-sama-because-she'll-find-you-and-kill-you look. He grunted in frustration. Guess there was nothing he could do.

"We're up here, Sakura-chan!" he called out. Thankfully, his annoyance that Tsunade wanted to see him today of all days redirected his precious blood flow, and by the time Sakura leaped to the rooftop, he was safe from being _discovered_.

"What're you two doing up on a roof?" Sakura asked, looking around. Little Miso came bounding over to her, wagging his tail as fast as he could. He quickly learned that he could play as rough as he liked with Auntie Sakura; she could take whatever the pup could throw at her.

"The apartment felt a little stuffy, so we came up here," Naruto explained. "Hinata and I were just hanging out and playing with him to pass the time, before you showed up and told me I have to go see Bā-chan for who knows what. Thanks for that. by the way."

Sakura folded her arms. "Yeah, because it's _my_ fault Tsunade-sama wants to see you. Just get off your lazy ass and come on! You're gonna be interested in what she wants with you."

Naruto grumbled to himself, hoisting his body back to its feet. He held out a hand for Hinata to accept, and puller her up to join him.

"You said Hinata can come with me too, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, Tsunade-sama said that was fine. I think she'll be pretty interested in what's going on too."

Sakura leaped back down to the road, and waited for Naruto and Hinata to join her.

"This better be worth it," Naruto murmured to himself, jumping down. Hinata followed suit, leaving little Miso to his own devices.

The pup wasn't happy that playtime was already over, but a break might be just what he needed. With the grace and finesse hard to imagine for a pup of his size and limb count, he hopped from an antenna, to a small electrical box, to Naruto's open windowsill. He found his way to Naruto's bed, where he curled up on top of the pillow and drifted off to sleep in minutes.

* * *

><p>Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata found Tsunade waiting for them in the hospital, in the same room where Naruto had first practiced medical ninjutsu. Shizune had been writing everything Sakura had told them down onto the new report Tsunade had drawn up, and by the time they all got there, the report was already several pages long.<p>

The moment Tsunade saw Naruto, she reached an arm into the tank, and threw a fish out onto the table nearby.

"I want you to try healing it just like you and Sakura did a few days ago," she said briskly.

"Good to see you too, Bā-chan…" Naruto grumbled. Tsunade followed him up to the table, and quickly paralyzed the fish the same way Sakura had done earlier. She took a few steps back, and watched Naruto's hands intently.

Now that he was actually standing in front of a fish again, Naruto felt nervous. This wasn't going to happen again, was it? He had hoped it was just a one-time fluke, or something he'll be able work past after more practice. The fish was staring at him, wide-eyed. Did it know what was going to happen?

Tsunade tapped her foot impatiently, forcing Naruto out of his thoughts. He let his hands hover over the fish's body, and Tsunade made a small incision across the length of the fish's body.

He closed his eyes, and tried to remember what Sakura had told him. You just have to find that sweet spot with your chakra control; after that, everything gets easier.

Hinata stood nearby, completely lost. She didn't know the first thing about medical ninjutsu, and to see someone as skilled as Sakura get this flustered about Naruto's training didn't make Hinata feel any better. Naruto's hands began to glow, and Hinata watched closely, her heart pounding away at her chest.

It was easy to tell that Naruto was nervous. His chakra was being converted at a much slower rate than where he had been last time; he was afraid to hurt the fish again, to see it start to rot away before his very eyes.

And sure enough, the cut began to widen. The chakra surrounding Naruto's palms began to change color, just as it had before. He wanted to pull away, but Tsunade stood close behind him.

"Whatever happens, Naruto, keep going," she said firmly. "We need to see where this goes."

Torture was not something Naruto ever felt he could stomach, and this is what it felt like. The cut split wide open, all the way down the bone. Scales started to flake off of the rest of the fish's body, and the fins grew thinner and weaker with every passing second. Naruto wanted to shut his eyes or look away, but could not find the strength.

The fish, despite feeling nothing, began to grow scared. It knew something was wrong, and flopped against the table. Naruto felt his stomach churn.

"You can't stop, Naruto," Tsunade reminded him. "You have to keep going."

The necrosis grew worse. The cut had become a large hole directly in the fish's side, with pumping organs visible when you peered inside. Even the fish's bones started to vanish, with a loud and horrible hissing sound. Naruto started to breath heavy; his exhaustion had gone unnoticed until now.

The fish struggled even more. Sakura was forced to pin it to the table, keeping it still. After a few more minutes, she didn't need to anymore. The fish stopped on its own.

Naruto stared at his hands. He was supposed to be learning how to _help_ people, not kill them. The need to know what was going on became desperate.

Tsunade had watched everything with the eyes of a hawk. Shizune had been scribbling furiously into their report. They both examined their findings at once to try and make sense of it all, while Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata waited with bated breath.

Tsunade's eyes rose to meet Naruto's for a brief moment. She suddenly spun on her heels, grabbed another fish, and paralyzed it, just like the last one.

"We're going to do it again," she told Naruto. "Just to make sure."

"But nothing different happened!" Naruto argued. "I don't want to—"

Tsunade held her hand up. "I know it's hard, but we need you to do this, Naruto. It's better to be careful than reckless. Better a couple of fish die instead of another human being."

She turned to Hinata. "Hinata, I want you to use your Byakugan to observe Naruto's chakra network. Tell me if you notice anything strange, okay? This will help us come to a conclusion on what's going on."

Hinata nodded. She was glad to be of help.

Naruto sighed. Tsunade was right, no matter how much he wished she wasn't. Better to see what was wrong than risk doing this to someone Naruto actually cared about. He did his best to ignore the gross feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he tried again.

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, the second fish didn't fare much better than the first. It had started to rot away slower than the first one, a detail Tsunade found to be very interesting. Shizune actually ran out of ink, she had written down so much, and had to scurry off to get a new one.<p>

Hinata stayed close to Naruto. She had watched with anticipation as Naruto began his work on the second fish, and was shocked when she noticed the huge burst of chakra suddenly begin to worm its way through Naruto's chakra network, and from there, into the fish. Instead of the deep blue Hinata was accustomed to, this chakra burned red like fire, and seeped through Naruto like poison. It was uncomfortable to watch.

After he was done, Naruto had done nothing but stare at his hands, hopelessly confused. Hinata stayed by his side, and answered Tsunade's questions the best she could. Tsunade wrote down every detail.

"There's one last thing I want to try," she announced, just as Shizune returned. "After this, all of you are free to go."

She rolled up her sleeve past her shoulder, and held her arm out in front of Naruto. "Now, you're going to practice on me."

Naruto stared at her. "Are you crazy? You saw what happened to the fish! I'm not gonna do the same thing to you! Forget it!"

"I could _make_ you do it if I wanted," Tsunade said in a low voice. "I'm the Hokage, after all. Besides, you won't hurt me. You _do_ remember who you're talking to, right?"

Naruto made a face. "…I guess you _are_ the best medic-nin in the world for a reason."

"And don't you forget it," Tsunade grunted. She held out her arm again. "Now, hurry up will you? My arm is starting to cramp up."

Without moving a muscle, Tsunade made a long, deep cut into her own arm for Naruto to work with. Hinata felt light-headed as she watched the blood seep from the fresh wound. Naruto stepped forward, and his palms started to glow.

Everyone watched with vulgar curiosity as Naruto tried to seal the wound on Tsunade's arm. Naruto's face was covered with a thin sheet of sweat, and some of it was dripping into his eyes and stinging. He pressed on, ignoring the ache in his bones and the stinging in his eyes, doing his best to focus on the task at hand.

For several minutes, nothing happened. Sakura was afraid Naruto was too tired to continue, since he was not used to the physically taxing medical ninjutsu, but then, something started to happen. It was so small, that barely anyone noticed.

The wound began to close.

Naruto's chakra glowed with a red tinge to it, but Tsunade's cut did not fester or widen like it had with the fish. The process was achingly slow, but after a long while, the wound had fully healed.

"What is this? I don't even…" Naruto looked even more confused than he had been before. He wasn't the only one.

Tsunade tested out her arm, going through its range of motions, and even stretching her fingers. Shizune scribbled wildly onto their report, excitement shining in her eyes.

"What do you think, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked.

"I think this is the Kyūbi's chakra leaking through. Just as Hinata told us, the chakra seems to be originating from Naruto's seal; it couldn't be anything else."

That had crossed all their minds at one point or another, but none of them ever assumed it was the truth. Hearing Tsunade, the greatest medic in the shinobi world, agree that that was what happened, was very surprising.

"It's probably something involuntary, like a reflex," Tsunade continued. "Humans have bodies that are infinitely more complicated than that of a fish, namely because of our complex chakra networks as opposed to their relatively simple ones. This is why I wasn't harmed."

'You're saying the Kyūbi's chakra is being transferred into the medicinal chakra?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying. There have been cases like this before, where a Bijū's chakra has leaked into other people. It's kind of a Pseudo-jinchūriki."

"Pseudo-jinchūriki…" Naruto repeated, deep in thought. "Does that mean once the chakra's been given, it's gone?"

"Doubtful. It would have to be a sizeable amount of chakra in order to latch onto its new body, and even then it wouldn't be harmful, provided the sample wasn't _that _big. What you've given me isn't nearly enough. It'll dissipate back into Natural energy, and may even find its way back to you, Naruto."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. You had me worried for a second there, Bā-chan!"

"That being said, I don't want you practicing your medical ninjutsu."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed. "But we know what the problem is now! As long as I don't put too much of the Kyūbi's chakra into the technique, won't everything be fine?"

"In theory, but this is unprecedented. You're not going to go around healing people when we don't know all the facts. This could be dangerous. If I'm correct, if you can refine your chakra control enough to hold the Kyūbi's chakra at bay, this issue could be worked around, but there's too much we don't know. The Kyūbi could be purposely holding back its chakra, or this could just be a fluke. We don't know enough, and until we do, you're not going to be putting anyone at risk."

Naruto did not want to hear that, even if it was the truth. He had thought he was finally getting the hang of it, with or without the Kyūbi's involvement. To be told to put that training aside indefinitely…it was not something he was fond of.

Tsunade put a hand to his shoulder. "I know you want to help people. Believe me, I would love to have a medic with _your_ chakra reserves running around out there. But this is dangerous stuff, Naruto. Can you trust me to let you try again only when I know it's safe?"

Naruto nodded. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was what he had to take. Tsunade knew best, after all.

"I'll let you know as soon as Shizune and I find something of note," Tsunade said, walking for the door. "In the meantime, you'll just have to find something else to train for. I can't imagine it'd be too hard for you to find something else."

"You're probably right," Naruto said with a smile. There were plenty of other things he could train for, he was sure of it.

"And besides, you'll be going on missions again soon!" Sakura said. "I bet you've been missing those a _lot_."

Naruto shrugged. "I guess so. But being home hasn't been too bad. I've found ways to keep myself busy."

Hinata blushed.

"I think I know what that means," Sakura joked. "I was going to see if you two wanted to do something, but I forgot you were spending the day together. Naruto, try not to do anything that would make Neji want to kill you, okay?"

This time, Naruto blushed.

* * *

><p>Hinata felt a little more comfortable being outside than she had been earlier that day. She convinced herself that she was being paranoid about running into another clan member, and insisted she and Naruto go for a walk around the village.<p>

This was one of her favorite things to do. She never felt more at home than when she was lazily strolling through the village streets, listening to snippets of conversation, and watching everyone go about their business. Shopkeepers called out sales, children raced through the streets…it felt like paradise. Even better with the young man at her side, who was gently holding her hand.

Neither of them really knew where they were going; they were just kind of letting their feet choose. People would call out to the couple, congratulating or teasing them, and they always thanked them happily. Hinata was starting to get used to all the attention she got when she was with Naruto. It didn't feel as exposed as it used to. She felt comfortable, and at ease.

"Lady Hinata?"

Hinata knew it was Neji. No one else called her that. They hadn't seen each other since Neji had dropped off some of Hinata's belongings, and even though she held no ill feelings towards her cousin, hearing his voice reminded her of her father.

But she was not one to ignore courtesy, and she turned around to say hello. To her surprise, Hanabi was with him, but she did not acknowledge her older sister like Neji had.

"How have you been, Lady Hinata?" Neji asked, concerned. "It has been a while since I saw you last."

"I have been fine. Naruto-kun has been good company," Hinata replied with a smile. "And are you two well?"

Neji nodded. "Yes, Lady Hanabi and I are—" Hanabi suddenly stomped away from their group, disappearing into a nearby store.

"Lady Hanabi and I are here to replace her training grab," Neji continued. He hadn't stopped speaking, but he did look concerned for his younger cousin. "She tore a hole the size of Akamaru into it during this morning's spar. I am accompanying her to get a new one."

"She seems pissed," Naruto said, with the usual amount of social tact.

"I trust you've been taking care of my cousin, Naruto?" Neji asked gruffly. "You both look well, after all."

He was looking for any kind of foolishness, Naruto was sure of it. "You bet! It's been really nice having a permanent guest for a change!"

They made cordial conversation for a while, but Hinata had stopped paying attention. She had been watching Hanabi, who could be seen through the open doors of the shop, idly nosing through whatever caught her eye.

Hinata quietly excused herself, and went inside to talk to her sister. There was a look of discontent in her sister's eyes as she walked up that made Hinata very uncomfortable.

"Imōto…" she began nervously. "You seemed a little upset outside. Is there something wrong?"

Hanabi shrugged. "Not really. It's nothing you need to worry about." She turned around to go look at something else, and Hinata had to follow after her to keep talking.

"H-how have you been?" she asked. "You look well!"

"Will you stop it already?" Hanabi suddenly hissed, spinning on her heels. "You don't have to keep trying anymore! I get it!"

Before Hinata could ask what her sister was talking about, she ran over towards another end of the store. Hinata wanted to go to her and see what was bothering her sister so much, but her feet rooted her to the spot.

"Forgive me, Hinata-sama."

Neji stood behind her, with a solemn look in his eye.

"Lady Hanabi has not taken your absence well. I have tried speaking to her, but she has been stubborn. I think she misses you…a lot of us do."

It made Hinata want to run home right then and there, seeing there were those in her family so distraught with her leaving. But she needed to remain strong; she couldn't afford to show her father that she would come back home so easily, especially if he had said nothing akin to an apology.

"I will continue to speak with her, but until then, I hope you and Naruto remain well." Neji bowed lightly, and left Hinata to her thoughts. Naruto was waiting for her outside, whistling a happy tune. The tension between the Hyūga's had gone unnoticed by him, and Hinata didn't want to burden him with it.

"Is your sister doing okay?" he asked. "It's been a while since I've talked to her, yeah?"

"She is doing…alright," Hinata said weakly, forcing her feelings down into her belly. They could wait for later. This time with Naruto was special to her, and she did not want to throw it away with her mind elsewhere. "Can we go home? I'm suddenly in the mood for a nap."

Naruto's eyes lit up. "You read my mind! That sounds like exactly what I need right now!"

He excitedly pulled her down the street, back to his apartment. With every step Hinata felt better, but that disappointed look in Hanabi's eye refused to completely leave her mind. If she closed her eyes, it was all she could see.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> The plot thickens! What could be the truth behind Naruto and medical ninjutsu? Why can't Naruto and Hinata ever get some yum-yum time? What is Hanabi bitching at! All questions shall be answered soon enough!

-Next time, we'll see how our old friend Monzaemon is doing! I hope you guys are enjoying his character!

-Also, I have written _another_ story! Don't worry, it won't be interrupting the updates here, as it will only be updated when the mood strikes me, and will remain 'completed' until that day comes. If you like humor and parody, I hope you'll check out **Naruto: The Reruns****!** It parodies the story and plot Naruto fanfics have become all too familiar with, and I'm quite proud of it! I hope you'll check it out!

-Remember, I hope you'll take the time to thank **Solvdrage, Rose Tiger, Leaf Ranger, **and **Chewie Cookies **for their fantastic service to the site. When many people are content to read and remain silent, or even offer nothing but criticism, these four remind us that this is a community, and encouragement is priceless. Kudos to all of you!

Until next time!


	44. Infiltration into the Sand!

**Author's Note: **Here you guys go! Another chapter for your viewing pleasure!

-Part of me wants to write a Christmas fic, an itch many a writer wants to scratch this time of year, but I've decided I won't do so unless I really come up with a great idea for one. I try to think of things that aren't the same old song and dance for you guys, so if that means I don't get to share in the Christmas cheer, so be it.

-So get this: a reader and friend of mine actually composed a theme song for Monzaemon! I was really impressed when he sent it to me, and should I figure out how to turn the damn thing into a Youtube video, I can link it here for you guys to check out! It's really cool to see that kind of creativity, and although he has asked to remain Anonymous (Or A, for short) I can still thank him publicly here. Kudos to you!

-Thanks again to **OGAFazer89AC** for making sure I don't screw anything up! You're the best, man!

-Last but not least, I'm done with finals! I shit you not, I walked into my World History exam without a single minute of study, and got an A. :HappyDance: Haha, next semester is more than a month away, so that's LOTS of time to finish this Book up. We probably have around 7 chapters left to go, maybe more. After this one (which really is a stage-setter more than anything else), things are gonna get crazy!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 26 - Infiltration into the Sand! Monzaemon Reaches a Decision!<strong>

Tobi tapped his foot against the ground, anxious. He had been patient, as any man in his situation would be, but this was beginning to grow tiresome.

Monzaemon had wailed and grunted and bashed his fists against the wall, and nothing Tobi tried to say would get through to him. Speaking with him, or interacting with the puppeteer in any way he could had failed each time, and Tobi had been forced to sit back down, and wait out this temper tantrum.

He took a sip of his tea, lifting his mask while Monzaemon wasn't looking. Immediately he spat it back out. It tasted terrible. Because of his solitude, and lack of food or water in these past years, it seems Monzaemon had forgotten his sense of taste.

Patience was something Tobi had in massive stores, more than most people alive. But his patience was not endless, and he had finally reached his limit.

"Enough!" he commanded, getting to his feet. His voice bit through the stale air, penetrating it. Monzaemon was lying in the corner, and he dully raised his eyes to meet Tobi's.

"You are Monzaemon Chikamatsu, one of the most powerful shinobi in history!" Tobi said, lacing his tone with hints of respect and jealousy. "To accomplish what you had in your time would be impossible for most shinobi today. And you mean to tell me you're just going to lie here and do nothing? I would not have imagined you so cowardly, Monzaemon-_sama_."

The puppeteer rose to his feet, bristling. "Watch your tone, _boy_. Even at my age, I could cut you down like I was carving a cake!"

"Then why do you sit here in the dark, crying like a child? You were never the kind of man who would sit by and do nothing. You were better than that, _are_ better than that."

"They are still my people!" Monzaemon hissed. "You are asking me to betray everything I believe in. You are asking me to betray my ideals!"

Tobi took a step forward. "Because it is what needs to be done. You saw from the very beginning that I sought change in this world, Monzaemon-sama. I need your help to bring this change to Sunagakure. Without it, I am sure to fail!"

"I will create the perfect puppet!" Monzaemon said, his voice beginning to grow shrill. "When I do, I shall return to the village, and they will regress back to my old ways if they—"

"That is a fool's dream," Tobi interrupted, taking another step towards Monzaemon. "You cannot possibly believe that the people of the village will abandon that kind of power just because you ask."

"No….no…." The puppeteer had fallen against the wall, repeating the word over and over again. Tobi would not allow this man to fall apart.

"The 'tree' of Sunagakure has overstepped its boundaries, Puppet-Master. You yourself have said that when the tree stretches its branches where it doesn't belong, it must be burned."

He pulled something out his cloak, handing it over to Monzaemon. The puppeteer felt hot tears sting his face as he turned it over in his hand.

It was a very small puppet, much like the ones he had made for the children of the village many years ago. But if you pressed down on the head, a small blade would flick out of its stomach, sharp enough to kill any man should it pierce their flesh.

"You owe it to your people to _remind_ them what they have forgotten," Tobi said. "These puppeteers are no longer the men and women they once were. They have given up their humanity for this. They have become as lifeless as the puppets they seek to control. You are not killing them; merely taking the power of control away from them, so that they cannot harm anyone else with your art."

Monzaemon stared at the puppet in his hands, flicking the blade out and back in over and over again. What this man was telling him to do was murder. He was asking him to kill his own people, telling him to—

'_To do what needs to be done.'_

The words echoed in Monzaemon's mind again and again. If he did not act now, would puppetry become even crueler, more despicable? When there was little risk of being injured, what was stopping thieves and murderers from using his art? Innocents would be caught in the crossfire. More lives would be lost.

He couldn't let that happen. They were his children. They were his responsibility.

Monzaemon suddenly straightened. "Come with me, boy." He started for the door, and would not say another word as Tobi and Zetsu trailed after him.

* * *

><p>There were dozens of other rooms, rooms that Monzaemon had designed for a different purpose for a different puppet each time. Rooms to test abilities and hidden mechanisms and scenarios lined the hallway they walked down. A few of the doors sat open, and Tobi glanced inside to find some out the most outlandish and ingenious puppets ever designed. He had no mind for these puppets, but he could tell that they would be extremely dangerous, even without any offensive capabilities, should they be in the hands of a master.<p>

Monzaemon stopped at one of the smaller rooms. Inside, only a table and chair sat in the middle, and a single puppet upon that chair. While most of Monzaemon's massive collection were larger or of a similar size to a man, this puppet was no larger than an insect, exactly what it was meant to look like. He had painstakingly painted innumerable levels of detail onto the puppet; only a man with the eyes of a hawk could see that it was not a living creature.

The Puppet master pulled at one of the puppet's legs, and it's back opened to reveal a hollow inside. Monzaemon reached towards his own head, and plucked out his right eye, without a single cry of pain or a drop of blood. Clearly, he had replaced his true eye with something more complicated many years ago.

He dropped the artificial eye into the hollow space of the puppet, and sealed it with a wave of his hand. A single thread of chakra shot from his index finger, connecting with the puppet and bringing it to life.

"Regardless of what you have said and what you have shown me," Monzaemon explained as the puppet scurried to the floor. "I will need to see with my own eyes the state of my home. If I find it anything less than what you have described to me, I will not hesitate to kill you. I may be an old man now, but I am still sharp of mind. I will find someone who can show me the truth, and I will decide what to do from there."

Tobi bowed deeply. "Of course, Monzaemon-sama. I would not expect anything less."

* * *

><p>Ebizō rose from his bed, feeling every muscle and bone ache and creak. The respect from the village was pleasant, but he was not sure he preferred it over having such a fragile body.<p>

Sleep had eluded the other half of Suna's Honored Siblings for most of the night. There a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, and this time he was not sure if it was his digestive system disagreeing with him.

The elderly man hobbled into a small, but well-furnished kitchen. After the death of his sister, Ebizō was more inclined to involve himself in village affairs, and had been rewarded with a small home closer towards the center of the village, so he could attend meetings without having to walk as far. He liked it better here; all the space in his old home had made him feel a little lonely.

He watched a small insect, maybe a cockroach or other pest, scurry across his kitchen floor, but did not try to stop it. What comes with age is an appreciation of all life, big or small.

The little thing was wary of Ebizō, but curious. It scurried closer and closer to the ends of his robes.

"Don't be frightened, little thing," Ebizō croaked softly. "You're not bothering anybody tonight."

The roach seemed to hear his words, and crawled up the side of his robes, eager to explore this strange thing. He climbed higher and higher, and before long he was crawling across Ebizō's fingertips.

"You're a spry one, aren't you?" Ebizō said with amusement. He tossed it up into the air, and watched with surprise as the roach deftly landed on his other hand.

But in the brief moment the roach was in the air, Ebizō saw something catch in the moonlight; a sliver of glowing blue thread.

A chakra thread.

The roach leaped at his face. Ebizō tried to swat it away, but it was suddenly thrown to the left in midair, and it was able to evade. It landed directly on Ebizō's forehead, and his arms went to his side. The roach scurried into Ebizō's head wrap, and disappeared from sight.

Ebizō's body turned rigid for a brief moment, before going completely limp and falling into a chair behind him. His eyes flashed white.

The elderly man suddenly stood with much more gusto than usual, and stretched his limbs like it had been the first time in years.

"Yes, boy, I am now in control of his body," Ebizō said out loud to no one in particular. "Anything I say or do is redirected to this body for the time being. He will _not_ be harmed."

'Ebizō' strode out of his home, moving at a brisk pace towards the northern end of the village. However, after several minutes, he seemed to grow frustrated.

There was a guard on his patrol nearby, and with agility surprising for his age, Ebizō leapt up to the rooftop to meet him.

"Uhh…can I help you, Ebizō-sama?" said the guard, looking flustered.

"I could use your help, young man," Ebizō explained. "I'm looking for the Kazekage's office, but it seems that I've forgotten where it is. Could you point me in the right direction?"

The guard looked at Ebizō curiously, but shrugged it off. That's what happens when you get old, after all.

"Of course, Ebizō-sama. It's that large building off towards the south. Can you see it?"

Ebizō squinted, and snapped his fingers. "There it is! You've done an old man a kindness, one I won't soon forget. Thank you for your time."

The guard bowed out of respect, but as he raised his head to watch Ebizō leap back down to the street, he could have sworn he saw something scurrying around his head. The guard shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He must be getting tired.

Ebizō made it inside the Kazekage's building without any trouble. In fact two of the guards posted outside insisted they help direct him where he needed to go. Ebizō let them down as easily as he could, promising that he only needed to visit the records and check over some files. They didn't even bother asking which files he wanted.

"This village's security has waned immensely over the years," Ebizō muttered to himself. "This is absolutely pitiful!"

Even his complaining went unheard. Aside from a night-shift receptionist and the two guards posted outside, Ebizō hadn't run into anyone else.

* * *

><p>The records room was towards the back of the building, one floor underground. These were only the files available to the public; all files that needed to be protected were kept in a separate room known only to the Kazekage, and a few of the councilors.<p>

Ebizō pushed the door aside, and marveled at the size of the room. The number of files and records had grown much larger since his day.

An index for what was located where was tacked onto a board at the front of the room. Listed under 'P' was the 'Puppet Brigade', exactly what Ebizō was hoping to find.

He hobbled over to the correct section, and pulled out a large binder filled with reports on publically available information about its members. Things like addresses and names were the only thing available, but it was all Ebizō needed.

Near the top of the page, the current head of the Puppet Brigade caught Ebizō's eye.

"Kankurō…" he muttered to himself. "So this is the young man in charge of puppetry for Suna."

He suddenly got to his feet, and left the room without re-shelving the files. Ebizō wanted to speak with this Kankurō person, to find out what he could before he made his decision.

Perhaps in the middle of the night wasn't the best time for that kind of conversation, but then again, Ebizō wasn't exactly in complete control over his actions.

"Did you find everything you needed, sir?"

Ebizō spun around to face the receptionist. She was smiling at him, but something about her demeanor put Ebizō on edge.

"Yes…" he said quietly. "I found what I was looking for. Thank you for your help." He started to walk away, but the woman's voice stopped him.

"May I ask_ what _you were looking for sir? It just seems strange that you would need any information at this hour. You understand it's just for security reasons, of course."

Ebizō nodded. "Of course…that seems reasonable enough."

The woman produced a sheet of paper. "All citizens who have used the records simply need to tell us what they examined, and then they're free to go!"

Ebizō approached the women's desk. He reached for the pencil, and two kunai suddenly appeared in the woman's hands. She quickly pinned him to the desk with either of his sleeves, and had another one ready just in case.

"I don't know who you are or what you wanted in there," she said in a low, dangerous voice, "but you're not leaving. The Kazekage will want to—"

The roach hiding in Ebizō's head wraps suddenly appeared, and a chakra thread shot out of its mouth, connecting with the woman's skull. She struggled visibly for a few seconds before her muscles went limp. Her body may not have been able to move, but her eyes darted around the room, looking for a way to escape.

"I may not be able to control you completely," Ebizō explained, "But you won't be telling anyone what's going on until I've done what needs to be done. Until then, you'll stay right here and help anyone else who decides they need information at this ungodly hour. I'll know if someone else comes in, and you'll say whatever I want you to say."

He left the woman standing there, paralyzed. "Do you see what you have me doing, boy?" he hissed to himself. "This is the second member of my own village I have been forced to drag into this. This is spiraling out of control!"

Neither of the guards posted outside knew of anything that had gone on inside, much to 'Ebizō's' relief. He thanked them for their time and duty, and asked where he might find the home of Kankurō, puppet master of Sunagakure.

One of the guards looked at him curiously, but pointed him in the right direction. Ebizō thanked them once again, and left before they could ask him anything else.

The guard that had watched Ebizō the entire time continued to watch him until his was out of sight. "Did that seem a little strange to you why would Ebizō-sama need to speak with Kankurō-sama this time of night?"

The other guard shrugged. "I have no idea, but why should we be concerned with the whims of a senile old man? It's probably nothing."

"Probably doesn't mean for certain," the first guard insisted. "You stay here. I have a bad feeling about this."

The man left his post, leaving the other guard to watch over the administration building's front entrance himself, completely unaware of what had just transpired inside.

* * *

><p>Kankurō was another member of the Sand who got little sleep during the night time. Not that he was plagued with bad dreams or poor health; he simply chose to work on his puppets during this time. His brain could be free of the worries of the day, and he could concentrate all that mental energy into improving or innovating with his wooden creations.<p>

Currently he was devising a way for his Black Ant puppet to contract around his opponent, just in case Crow was too damaged to complete his technique, or if Black Ant's scythe blades were not working. He was designing a set of wooden panels that would lay on top of one another in a shingle pattern, and be able to fold up with a pull of his thread, omitting the need for Crow to impale the body of Black Ant in order to defeat his opponent.

It was mind-numbing work, meticulously measuring and sanding and making sure each piece of wood would slide over the next without much friction, but he didn't mind. It helped him forget how exhausted he could be on these long nights.

A stopping point had finally been reached, and although there were still a few hours left in the night, Kankurō decided it would be best to get a couple of hours of sleep instead of none. Temari would give him hell if she knew he had been up all night again.

He rose from his desk, stretched his arms and legs, and headed towards his bedroom, flicking off the light before he left.

It was not long before the light came back on.

Ebizō stood in the middle of the room, visibly upset. Arms and legs hung from the ceiling in various states of repair, and hundreds of mechanized weapons, finished or otherwise, outlined the walls. In one corner, plans for some very brutal weapons were scattered.

"This is disgusting," Ebizō remarked, looking over the room with disdain. "This fool calls himself a puppeteer?"

His anger grew with every passing second. This was not what he wanted to see. He was hoping the masked man had been lying to him the entire time, but this was not what he saw here. Everything he saw only proved that what the masked man had been telling him was the truth.

Ebizō approached Kankurō's desk. There were various tools and instruments, many of which Ebizō had never seen before. Curiosity got the better of him, and Ebizō sat down to get a closer look.

Most of these tools seemed to have basic purposes, namely hollowing out and sanding down wood. There other tools present, such as what appeared to be a mechanism that launched senbon on command, as well as a rotating conveyor belt that would reapply poison should the vial empty out.

Ebizō would not contest the expertise in the craftsmanship, but this was still his art this man was using, twisting it into a horrifying shadow of the noble work it once was.

But something caught his eye, sitting separated from everything else, protected in a glass case. It was a small puppet, simply designed with no other obvious other purpose than to entertain.

It was one of his own. He could even make out his seal, carved into the back of the puppet's neck. Perhaps things were not as bad as he first feared.

Beside the case, was a picture, framed in the same wood as Kankurō's puppets. The Puppet master himself was seated to the left, with two other people Ebizō did not recognize. One of them, the only women, had long blonde hair fashioned into four ponytails, and she wielded an absolutely massive war fan.

'_Most likely a wind-style user…'_ Ebizō thought to himself. It made sense, since the Land of Wind was famous for its wind-style users. The other person in the photo, however, intrigued Ebizō greatly.

He was a young man, clearly younger than Kankurō himself. But in his sea-green eyes, Ebizō saw wisdom and even great pain far beyond his years. He stood in the middle, unsmiling, with his arms folded. He did not look happy, but at the same time he seemed to enjoy being with the two other people in the photograph.

The wooden arms wrapped around him quickly, leaving him with no time to react. They tightened enough to prevent him from moving, but he still had enough room to breathe. Clearly Kankurō, who was now wide awake on the alert, wanted to see what 'Ebizō' wanted.

"What are you doing in my home, Ebizō-sama?" he demanded, his fingers alight with his chakra threads. "You better start explaining yourself."

Ebizō shrugged. "I wanted to see what has become of my art. And I am _very_ disappointed in what I have seen!"

Kankurō's confusion was not well-masked. "_Your_ art? What are you talking about? These are my puppets, not yours. Are you talking about your sister's, maybe?"

"No, I am not." Ebizō struggled against his bonds a little, gauging their strength. "You have a firm grasp on your puppetry skills. How long have you been learning?"

"Since I was old enough to mold chakra," Kankurō said. "But what's that got to do with you? Why do you care? You better start answering some of my questions."

"Not until you answer all of mine, _boy_." There was a caustic touch in 'Ebizō's' voice. Despite his capture, he still seemed quite confident in himself. "What made you want to try your hand at art of puppetry?" he asked. "Are you a coward, who sought to protect his own life? Or are you just the kind of man who is afraid to do the deed himself?"

"I do it to honor the memory of the man who created puppetry. If it weren't for him, Sunagakure could have never survived."

Ebizō was taken aback, but he hid this from Kankurō, allowing him to continue.

"When I was a little boy, I would stay with my father in his office, and if he wasn't paying attention, I would look around. One day, I came across a little puppet man on top of my father's desk. It had been there for years, but that was the first time I actually noticed it. He let me play with it for a little while, and when he got a few minutes free, he told me it's story."

Kankurō looked away for a moment, staring at the puppet in his glass case. "My father told me that the creator of the puppetry style of shinobi combat, Monzaemon Chikamatsu, had used many puppets such as that one to entertain children and adults alike, back when the tribes of the desert were folding into one another. He told me how many lives that great man had saved with his skills when he worked with the councilors to turn it into a unique style of combat, made to protect the user from harm's way."

"I knew from the very beginning that Monzaemon-sama was a different kind of man," Kankurō said with pride. "When I was in the academy, they told me of his overwhelming power, even using his personal collection of puppets to take down an entire castle, along with everyone inside. But I never believed them."

"Why would you not believe what you were taught?" Ebizō asked with caution.

"Because one day, I went further into my father's file than I was allowed to," Kankurō said gravely. "I found some of the first plans of Monzaemon-sama's puppets; even a few of the very first drafts and schematics of mechanisms we still use today. None of them were designed for offense, not a single one. If it wasn't a shield of some kind, it was a way to transfer chakra to someone injured, or cable with a hose of knockout gas installed into them. None of them were designed to kill anyone in any way. I knew the teachers at the academy were wrong."

"Then why have you mocked his name, creating these monstrosities!?" Ebizō demanded, his temper rising. "Why have you forsaken what Monzaemon always wanted, when you were someone who knew the truth?"

"That's what was needed of me, _Ebizō-sama_." Kankurō watched his guest carefully, taking in every muscle movement or facial twitch. "When I began to show promise, I was approached by my father. He insisted I redesign my puppets, to add offensive capabilities of their own. I didn't want to. I wanted to uphold the name of Monzaemon Chikamatsu and his work, but my father forced my hand. I created my puppets with their poison and hidden blades, and I never looked back."

He looked at his own hand, tracing the chakra threads from his fingertips to the wooden arms that ensnared Ebizō. "They've saved lives, even if it was different from how Monzaemon-sama would have done it. I killed people who would have killed others, including people close to me. If that's what it takes, so be it. I don't regret what I have done with them. This is true with any fighting style; it evolves and grows, and you can't expect it to stay the same way from when it was first conceived. One way or another, it will change."

Ebizō remained silent. His expression was completely blank.

* * *

><p>"What're you waiting for, Monzaemon-sama?" Tobi demanded. "This man has killed dozens of people with your own work? Do you mean to tell me you no longer care for your creations? For your legacy?"<p>

"It is precisely because of that, boy!" Monzaemon said. "You would not understand!"

He stared at his palm; there was a single thread of chakra extending from his hand, all the way to Sunagakure, and the puppet that currently had Ebizō under his control. He could easily kill this Kankurō child if he wanted…

"This young man…he is right," Monzaemon finally said, with conviction. "I may have started this, but it is not my place to dictate where it has goes. By nature I should be dead, and by extension not have any control over what the people of the village choose to do with my creations. It may disappoint me, it may even tear me apart, but I will not kill them just because you want me to. I refuse."

Tobi stared at Monzaemon from behind his mask, covering his anger. "This is what needs to be done, Puppet Master. If you do not stop it now—"

"What?" Monzaemon interrupted. "The world shall continue on killing one another? It has been that way since the very beginning! My legacy was that of saving and uniting people; I will not be a part of this any longer!"

He was about to disconnect the thread that held Ebizō in his control, but Tobi moved faster. His hand reached out and grabbed Monzaemon's own, and the puppet master felt a searing sensation in his arm. He tried to move it, but it would not obey his commands.

"You will help me with my goals, Monzaemon-_sama_." Tobi's voice had dropped all respect. Only spite and malice remained. "Whether or not you wanted to be a willing participant was up to you. If you do not wish to help me willingly…"

His other hand reached for Monzaemon's head. The Puppet Master tried to escape his grasp, but his entire body had become paralyzed. Even the many mechanisms he could have used to escape failed him. He could only watch. A seal glowed in Tobi's hand; the closer he got, the brighter it burned. Monzaemon also finally saw Tobi's Sharingan, glowing as brightly as the seal.

"The Sharingan?" he hissed. "Does this mean you are-"

"You lack the hatred necessary to what is necessary, Puppet Master," Tobi interrupted, as his hand grabbed a hold of Monzaemon's forehead. "I will have to give it to you myself."

There was a flash of light, and a bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

><p>Kankurō watched everything before him in horror. Ebizō talked with a man who Kankurō could not see, and he refused to take part in a plan Kankurō was not aware of. He had never seen anything like this before. What was going on?<p>

But then, Ebizō bent over, and began to scream. It was a horrible sound; it felt evil. Ebizō's body twitched and convulsed, before slumping to the ground, unconscious.

Kankurō watched as a small insect emerged from Ebizō's head wraps. But Kankurō knew better. He could see that it was only a puppet.

The roach's wings sprung open, revealing a seal painted upon each of them. Kankurō's eyes widened in horror; he recognized that seal.

There was a bright flash of light, and Kankurō needed to cover his eyes to keep from being blinded. The light quickly faded, and where the small puppet had stood, now stood a full-grown man. He was elderly, and his face was covered with thick whiskers, hiding a bulbous nose, and thin lips. Kankurō could have sworn that he recognized this man somewhat, but from where, he could not tell.

The elderly man dusted himself off. He acted as if he had just noticed Kankurō standing there, and smiled at him. Kankurō felt his skin crawl.

"Forgive me for the interruption, but I believe you have something of mine…" The man turned around, and stared at the small puppet Kankurō kept in the glass case.

"Someone like you does not deserve to keep such a precious memento," the elderly man said, breaking the glass and removing the puppet. "Someone like you does not deserve to take part in my work. You will pay for this. Yes, you will have to pay for it with your life!"

The man's hand suddenly extended towards Kankurō, connected by a thread of chakra. Kankurō no longer possessed any doubt of who this man was, but he was far too slow to stop the attack.

The window beside them shattered with a loud crash, and a tendril of sand shot through the open window, stopping Monzaemon's hand before it could reach Kankurō. It held them there, and slowly started to spread up his arm.

Gaara floated down, arms folded. The walls of Kankurō's home were made of sand, just as most of the buildings, so he was able to easily make a gap wide enough to come through. He stared at Monzaemon his expression blank.

"And who is this?" Monzaemon asked, amused. "Your protector?"

Kankurō smiled. "This the finest Kazekage Sunagakure has ever seen."

Monzaemon did not seem impressed. "This child? He is the one who was in that photo of yours! You are close to the Kazekage, are you?"

"He is my brother," Gaara answered, looking at Monzaemon with disdain. "You have made a grave mistake coming here. The village has been alerted to your presence; you will not be leaving this village alive."

Kankurō turned to his brother. "Gaara, this man is—"

"I know," Gaara interrupted. "This man is Monzaemon Chikamatsu, first Puppet Master of Sunagakure…" He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. As much as he wished this to be a dream, he knew it could not be the truth.

"…and the Shodai Kazekage of Sunagakure."

* * *

><p>"What do you plan to do now?" Zetsu asked, as he and Tobi left Monzaemon to his work. He still stood in that small room, but there was no trace of the mercy he had shown before. All that was left was the malice he felt towards his former village, for what they have done to his work.<p>

"Monzaemon is now a mad dog, let off the leash," Tobi explained. "He may do whatever he likes; it is of no concern of mine. We merely need to stay out of his way as we accomplish our own goals in Suna."

"**You mean the Uzumaki?"** Black Zetsu croaked.

Tobi nodded. A portal wide enough for the two of them to use emerged from Tobi's Sharingan, and he stepped through.

"Yes. It is time to collect Raiā Uzumaki."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Ohhhhh, I bet you didn't see THAT coming, did you? Monzaemon was actually the First Kazekage? Dropping dem secrets on you n' shit!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It may not be the most romantic or action packed, but it's still important. But have no fear, four days from now, the CRAZY shit is gonna go down, and it will only crescendo from there until the finale, which I am quite confident in saying that it will blow your mind.

Until next time! Thank you so much to those who take the time to review! You guys rock!


	45. Fight! Dance of the Wooden Men!

**Author's Note: **I don't really know why I keep typing stuff up here. You guys know the update is coming. I pride myself in making it like clockwork, something you can rely on every four days.

-So I have some news to share with you guys. I'm going to building a new, kick-ass PC for gaming something this week, and when it's done I want to try my hand at Live-Streaming. For those who don't know what that is, allow me to explain. Simply put, I'm connecting my computer screen to the internet, allowing anybody who tunes in to see what I see. Most people use this for playing their favorite games. My brother suggested I do so with one of my absolutely favorite games, because I play it often, and the resulting sessions are often crazy and fun to watch. If you guys would be interested in that sort of thing, all you have to do is tune in. We could chat during our sessions, and I may even have a webcam set up. It's loads of fun in my experience watching others, so I hope this is something you'll be interested in.

-Also, I imagine you guys are glad to see this update. I have a feeling last chapter wasn't the most interesting to read, but I promise this one has plenty of action in it. Now, you guys are aware of my past track record with action scenes. I'm going to do something I haven't done in a long time.

Kindly ask for reviews. I guess it would be better to call it 'feedback'. Whichever way you prefer, I would really really appreciate you guys telling me what you thought about the battle. I will gladly edit it here and now if it turns out to be below expectations. I'm happy with it, but I understand completely if you guys are not.

-Last but not least, I've decided to reintroduce the music. I loved finding themes that really really fit what I was writing, and a lot of you have told me the same. Some have said it ruins their immersion, so I will try make it as unobtrusive as possible. Still, with me, the majority wins.

Here's what we'll do. I'll have links posted up here at the top, with numbers next to them. Open them all up at once, but don't play them. When the time comes in the actual chapter, I'll put the correct number in the chapter. You follow me?

1:) /watch?v=HCgBKjy80Dg

2): /watch?v=8QxCn7p6nSY

On with the chapter then! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 45 - Fight! Dance of the Wooden Men!<strong>

Monzaemon frowned. "So, this is all it takes to become the Kazekage? I am sorely disappointed. Suna's standards have dipped considerably."

"What's going on? We were told the Shodai Kazekage was assassinated years ago!" A bead of sweat rolled down Kankurō's forehead. Was this the same man who had brought together an entire country?

"That was a lie!" Monzaemon spat. "The rulers of this village saw fit to claim I was murdered, so they could twist my art for their own needs! You have been lied to, boy. You have been lied to your entire life."

He looked at Gaara with distaste. "And you…you are nothing more than a reminder of this village has done to tarnish the good name of my art. You won't be alive much longer to make a fool of me."

"You're going to regret underestimating Gaara's abilities," Kankurō jeered.

Gaara brought his hand forward, fingers spread. A slow trickle of sand moved along his fingertips, adding to the amount that held Monzaemon's hand in place. It even traveled across the surface of Monzaemon's chakra thread, something the puppeteer watched with great interest.

"You truly are of the Sand, to possess such an ability." Monzaemon sneered. "Am I supposed to be impressed? The entirety of the Land of Wind was united under _my_ power, boy. Do you think I am afraid of the desert?"

"No, but you will be." The sand Gaara controlled sped up, quickly covering up Monzaemon's entire body. Gaara closed his eyes, and brought his hand together in a fist.

"Sabaku Sōsō."

The sand surrounding Monzaemon's body immediately collapsed in on itself. Bits of wood and metal scattered across Kankurō's workshop, littering the floor.

"Where is he?" Gaara murmured, his own eyes searching the room. He was no fool; Monzaemon was still alive.

"I don't know. I don't see him anywhere." Kankurō immediately looked for Monzaemon's chakra threads. No matter how much he suppressed them, a puppet master can always see another's chakra threads. But he could not find Monzaemon's.

"You call yourself a puppet master?" They heard Monzaemon say. The sand at their feet started to move, and they watched as little pieces of wood and metal fly towards where Gaara had crushed Monzaemon's puppet body. A broken, gnarled figure rose from the sand, and began to reassemble itself in front of them. Seconds later, Monzaemon stood before them again.

"You will have to try a lot harder if you wish to destroy this body, Kazekage Gaara," Monzaemon said, rotating his joints. They did not obey him.

He smiled. "Ahh, you think that filling the joints of this body will stop me from moving? How foolish."

A burst of chakra spewed forth from Monzaemon's body, pushing all of Gaara's chakra infused sand away from him. The sand immediately batted back, but Monzaemon retreated to the other side of the room, freeing himself from the Kazekage's grasp.

"These joints will be a little harder to freeze, I'm afraid," Monzaemon said tauntingly. He looked at Kankurō. "And you have been searching for my chakra threads. If you really want to know…"

There was a glint in the light, and Kankurō's eyes followed it out the window, and a great distance from the village rooftops. He had never seen such a long thread of chakra.

Monzaemon knew what they were thinking. "Yes, this is only a marionette. I would not be foolish enough to leave the safety of Sabakusentō and attack you directly. One of my spares will be enough for that."

"Sabakusentō?" Kankurō repeated in disbelief. "But that mountain is over 5km away from the village!"

"Surprised? You are speaking with Monzaemon Chikamatsu, greatest puppeteer that ever was or will be! If you are still blind to the true scope of your opponent, allow me to enlighten you!"

But instead of attacking, Monzaemon's body collapsed onto the floor. Behind him, a blade infused with Kankurō's chakra hovered in the air.

Kankurō grinned. "Any puppeteer is only as useful as his strings. If you cut them, it's nothing but a pile of wood."

"Wrong again!, stupid boy!"

Kankurō and Gaara searched the room for the source of Monzaemon's voice, and a small object rolled into view. It appeared to be an artificial eye of some kind, and it glared at the two of them.

"My own chakra is sealed within this eye of mine. I can see what it sees, as well as hear what it hears. I can be here, without being here. And an advantage to seeing from this great a distance…"

Kankurō saw another glint of light, and the body of Monzaemon immediately sprang back to life, the artificial eye disappearing into its body.

"My threads will reconnect the moment you sever them. You'll have to completely demolish this body if you want to win, and I've told you twice already how difficult that's going to be. Listen to me, sharing so many of my secrets! I suppose it doesn't matter when you are about to be ripped limb from limb!"

The puppet's arms spread apart. Two large shields made of some kind of metal unfolded from hidden compartments, protecting most of its body.

"I have never designed a puppet with offensive capabilities. That does not mean I do not have what is needed to take your life. What protects will be more than enough to kill."

The puppet charged, heading straight for Kankurō. He leaped backwards, hitting his back against the wall.

"Gaara!" he called out, shooting his own chakra thread across the room to grab ahold of a large scroll sitting in the corner.

Gaara understood immediately. He raised both palms above his head, and the building began to quake around them. It was nothing but sand, and sand was a tool Gaara could use.

Kankurō ducked underneath Monzaemon's shield attack, using more chakra threads to throw the attack off balance before he leaped out of the window to safety, taking Ebizō's unconscious body with him. Now that they was out of harm's way, Gaara brought the entire house down around himself and Monzaemon, his sand protecting himself from the massive attack. Gaara retreated to where Kankurō stood nearby, held up by a floating platform of his own special sand. They waited as the dust surrounding where Kankurō's house was cleared.

A figure burst from the sand, just as before.

(1)

"Did I not tell you that you must try harder than that if you wish to destroy this body, Kazekage-sama?" Monzaemon called out to himself. "All of my puppets are made from the minerals beneath Sabakusentō. They are much tougher than your average puppet. Perhaps a demonstration is in order…"

He threw his cloak aside, revealing the cogs and wheels that powered his body. The two shields on either arm grew even wider, and large constructs of chakra suddenly erupted from their sides.

"I can mold this chakra into any shape I want, concentrating it to the point of becoming solid," Monzaemon explained, as the chakra formed into two massive spikes on either shield. "Solid enough to pierce flesh."

"We'll see about that," Kankurō muttered to himself, throwing open the scroll he had grabbed. As he bit his thumb, Gaara formed another platform underneath Kankurō's feet, sending him high into the air. Monzaemon watched as billows of smoke exploded into the sky, and as another figure appeared in the cloud.

"I've decided I want to see just how much of a 'Puppet Master' you are Monzaemon-_sama_," Kankurō called out, his chakra threads connected to none other than Scorpion, the former body of Sasori.

Monzaemon threw his head back and laughed. "Is this what has become of that stupid boy? I knew he always overestimated himself!"

He suddenly launched himself into the air, flying towards Scorpion with immense speed. Kankurō quickly unfolded the propeller like blades installed into Scorpion's back, just before Monzaemon started to attack with his shields.

Metal clashed against metal as the two puppeteers fought in the sky above Sunagakure. Dozens of people heard the commotion from outside, and seeing their Kazekage embroiled in a battle, began to cry out in fear.

"That incessant wailing is tiresome!" Monzaemon shrieked, turning around. "Allow me to take care of that for you."

Gaara's sand shot after Monzaemon, but the puppeteer had already brutally cut down three civilians before it reached him. Gaara eye's widened in fear. This puppet's speed was incredible. He cursed himself for underestimating this man's abilities, if only for a moment.

The sand wrapped around Monzaemon's arms, hoping to stop him from butchering another civilian. But then, bursts of chakra spewed forth, pushing Gaara's own chakra infused sand away. Monzaemon laughed as he slaughtered a woman in front of him.

"A poor excuse for a Kazekage, if he cannot even protect his own people!" Monzaemon called out, mocking Gaara. "Perhaps I should come out of retirement!?"

A metal coil wrapped around his body, quickly tightening. Scorpion suddenly appeared in front of him, the scythe-like blades rapidly spinning behind his back. The puppet separated into two pieces, and the propeller sawed straight through Monzaemon's body, cleaving him in two.

"I can handle this, Gaara!" Kankurō roared to his brother. "You need to protect everyone else! That's your job as Kazekage."

Gaara wordlessly agreed, and with his hands reached out, began to collect a massive amount of sand. The frightened civilians raced towards the platform he was building, scrambling over their own feet to escape the battle. Gaara lifted the platform high into the air, and moved it slowly across to the other side of the village, before dropping it back down to a rooftop, safe from harm.

"I leave the rest to you, Kankurō." Gaara stared at his brother. His expression remained blank, but Kankurō could see the worry in the Kazekage's eyes. He knew his duty lied with his people, but he worried for his family.

Kankurō grinned at his brother. "Hey, I lived through one puppet master already. I can do the same thing again! You just worry about everyone else!"

He turned back to his opponent. Monzaemon watched Gaara leave carefully, but said nothing. The coil around his waist tightened even further.

"I'm your opponent from now on. It's just you, and me." Kankurō stood his ground.

"Oh, if only that were true!" the former Kazekage said, sneering. "We are two puppeteers, boy. There will always be others fighting our battles for us. Even I am not _truly _here."

He grabbed ahold of the metal coil. "But allow me to remedy this."

* * *

><p>(2)<p>

He pulled on the coil hard. It started to unwind in Scorpion's chest, but Monzaemon's puppet body could move far faster than Kankurō's own fingers. The coil was quickly stretched taut, before Monzaemon yanked it towards him. Kankurō tried to hold it back, but Monzaemon's own strength was enormous, and soon the entire puppet was in his grasp.

"This boy stole many of my secrets under the guise of a student of mine," Monzaemon explained, holding Scorpion in his hands. "It is only fitting he receive his punishment from me."

He effortlessly crushed Sasori's former body in his arms, splintering the wood in half, and releasing it from Kankurō's control. Monzaemon stopped before the puppet was completely destroyed, having thought of a better use.

"Actually, is it not better to kill a man with his own puppets? A far more fitting death, I think." Several chakra threads burst from Monzaemon's hands, connecting to Kankurō's former puppet.

He had never seen anything like this before. This man, who was over 5 kilometers away, was using a puppet under his control to manipulate _another _ puppet. This was a feat Kankurō would have otherwise deemed impossible.

Monzaemon noticed. "Impressed, boy? There are still many things you have yet to learn."

Both he and Scorpion, now under Monzaemon's control, shot after Kankurō. Scorpion's left arm extended out, flying towards him, while Monzaemon himself combined his shields together, thrusting them towards Kankurō's heart. He barely ducked out of the way, but felt Scorpion's metal coil wrap around his leg, throwing him to the ground below with great force. Thankfully, it had not pierced the skin, leaving Kankurō safe from Scorpion's poison.

He crashed into another rooftop, breaking through inside. Monzaemon wasted no time, turning around in midair. He dove straight after Kankurō, and this time he did not miss. The chakra pierced his flesh with a sickening noise. He cried out in pain.

"And you dare consider yourself a master of my work?" Monzaemon hissed. His smile had faded away. This was insulting to him. "You do not even deserve a quick death!"

He made to pierce Kankurō again, but the young man's arms suddenly extended around Monzaemon's own, holding him in place.

"Impressed, old man?" Kankurō asked, parroting the Shodai Kazekage's words to mock him. "There are still many things you have yet to learn."

Kankurō's entire body suddenly began to rattle, and that's when Monzaemon realized: he had been fighting a puppet controlling another puppet, just the same as he himself.

A corrosive acid shot out of Kankurō's mouth, quickly covering Monzaemon's entire body. It hadn't even begun to burn through Monzaemon's body before thousands of paper bombs flew from secret compartments scattered all across the puppet Kankurō's body, covering every inch of the both of them.

A flash and thunderous noise lit up the night sky, alerting the entire village to the intruder. The explosion was absolutely massive, decimating the home the two of them had been lying in. Barely any rubble remained, the rest of it reduced to dust, carried away by the desert winds.

The true Kankurō stood among the wreckage of his home, another scroll in hand. He had switched places with his puppet when Gaara had covered Monzaemon with sand, using those brief seconds to remove himself from harm's way until his could properly gauge Monzaemon's strength. Kankurō did not like what he saw. The first puppet master of Sunagakure, and the Shodai Kazekage, was every bit as dangerous as he had been taught in the academy.

A small object flung itself from the wreckage towards the now abandoned Scorpion Puppet. Kankurō did not need to be closer to know it was what was left of Monzaemon. He watched with a grim fascination as the only part of Monzaemon's humanity clung to the Scorpion puppet, fleshy tendrils slowly spreading across the puppet's body. The wormed through the cracks and openings, and the fine sheen of polished metal and sanded wood was replaced by rusty cogs and obtrusive cranks. Where the puppet Scorpion had stood, Monzaemon Chikamatsu took its place.

"You are better than I have given you credit for, boy," Monzaemon said, clapping for his opponent. "Perhaps you are not as much of an embarrassment to the art of Puppetry as I once thought."

Kankurō wiped some of his blood on the second scroll, and more smoke enveloped his body. "This won't be the last time you'll be surprised, old man. I've got just as many tricks up my sleeve as you do."

The smoke cleared, and Kankurō stood among the wreckage of his former home with Crow, Black Ant, and Salamander all surrounding him. His first puppets, and his best.

Monzaemon did not hide his excitement. "Wonderful! I had hoped you hadn't run out of puppets already; I was afraid this battle would end just as it was getting interesting! If you'll allow me…"

He spread his fingers apart, as a compartment in his chest revealed itself. A scroll popped out, and flew open in front of him. Ten chakra threads spindled from his fingers, as ten figures emerged from the scroll.

"Shirohigi: Jikki Chikamatsu no Shū!"

He smiled. It felt like old times, summoning his personal collection to battle once again. "Few people are allowed the pleasure of my personal collection of puppets, boy. I may have left the originals in the care of Suna, but I felt a little homesick, and decided to build these replicas. Consider yourself lucky that you have lived this long to see them."

Monzaemon looked at his collection. "These are different from the last time I have used them. Your village has torn them apart, having saw fit to outfit my own puppets with weapons. Unfortunately for you, this means I have more to work with."

Kankurō adjusted his hands, ready for an attack. "To me, that's just more chances for you to fail."

"Really?" Three of Monzaemon's puppets suddenly separated themselves from the group, splitting off in different directions. "Well, I certainly hope your brother the Kazekage is as confident as you are, otherwise he's going to have _quite_ a lot of blood on his hands."

Monzaemon suddenly unfurled a massive scroll hidden in the body of one of his remaining puppets. From the huge plumes of smoke came an enormous creature. The creature had large wings, and blew away the smoke and dust with one mighty push.

Kankurō stared at the creature. It was a large owl, large enough to be a summoning animal, but he knew from the start that this creature was no longer living. Its head twitched erratically, and Kankurō could hear the gears creaking and the wood rattling.

"He's been far more useful as a puppet than he ever was as a summon. But don't blame me; this is what he wanted: to be useful to his master for _eternity_." Monzaemon explained, sending the mechanical monstrosity after Gaara as well. "This will make sure your brother isn't let off too easily."

As the former Puppet Master laughed, Kankurō felt a chill loom over him. Gaara could handle this, right?

* * *

><p>Temari had been roused by the noise outside; her instincts told her something was wrong. Sure enough, the moment she had dressed herself, her former sensei Baki had come to her window, his face grim.<p>

"What's going on?" she demanded, as she grabbed her war fan. "Are we being attacked?"

Baki nodded. "Yes. Gaara is assisting the other jōnin in escorting the civilians in the safe-houses outside the village, and Kankurō is engaging the enemy."

'Who is it?" Temari asked. "The Akatsuki?"

A cold chill shot up and down her spine, as she saw the way Baki looked away in fear. "Baki-sensei…who's attacking us?"

Her former teacher took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Monzaemon Chikamatsu, former puppet master of Sunagakure, and Shodai Kazekage."

Temari stepped backwards. There must be some kind of mistake. This man had been assassinated years ago. But the look in Baki's eyes did not betray her trust; he was telling the truth.

"Take me to Kankurō. Now."

Baki averted his eyes. "I'm sorry, but Gaara-sama has asked me to escort you to the Kazekage's building. He has an important task for you to fulfill first. He insisted."

Temari bit her lip. Gaara wouldn't keep her away from either of them unless it was something important, so whatever Baki claimed Gaara's orders were, she couldn't abandon them. But if something was to happen to either of her brothers, and she wasn't there…

"Fine. Take me there. If there's anything else about this mission that I need to be aware of, tell me on the way."

Baki nodded. "Of course, Temari-sama. Please, do not worry about Gaara or Kankurō. They know how to handle themselves."

"It's a sister's job to worry about her brothers," Temari murmured, as they leaped out into the street, heading straight for the Kazekage's office with as much speed as they could muster.

* * *

><p>Raiā blinked several times. He could have sworn he had heard something akin to an explosion outside of his cell, the noise having woken him from a nap. But now that he was awake, he could hear nothing, and a sharp exhale hissed through his nostrils. He was not happy.<p>

The food he had been given was well-received; regardless, he took special care to ration it best he could. A hard feat, considering his arms and legs were still bound to his chair, and his chakra suppressed. This game of words he had been trading with the Kazekage was starting to grate on his nerves, but there was nothing he could do about it.

But then he heard another sound from the outside, and this time there was no mistaking it; a battle was raging outside.

His body and mind were filled with dread. What if the Uchiha brat had returned, with some unknown forces that would steal him away from the relative safety of the village, and take him back to _him_? There was not much Raiā could think of that could be worse.

He could hear footsteps, and his blood ran cold. Surely they had not already breached through Suna's defenses, weak as they were? He forced his body up against a wall, slowly dragging himself upright until he was sitting back on the legs of the chair he was tied to.

The door flew open, with Temari and Baki bursting into the room, breathing heavily.

Raiā put on a face. "Sounds like something's going on outside. This might not be the best time to say I told you so, but I _did_ tell you—"

"Shut up." Temari stared at Raiā, anger flaring in her eyes. "Not another word out of you, traitor. If I so much as hear you breathe, you'll be another corpse left to rot in the desert, and picked clean by the vultures."

Raiā yawned. He could see it in her eyes; she would not kill him. "As relaxing as that sounds, I think I'll pass. So are you going to tell me what's going on outside, or aren't you?"

"Something that doesn't concern you," Temari hissed. "I'm here on the Kazekage's orders. If this is what he wants, so be it. Personally, I think you're scum, and should be given a _slow _death, but then again, I'm not the Kazekage."

She drew a kunai from her leg pouch, twirling it into the air to catch it blade-side down. Without another word, she had Baki guard the door, and approached Raiā.

He did his best to mask his fear, but that was harder than you think when you've soiled yourself.

* * *

><p>Gaara was being pushed like he had never been before. His sand rushed back and forth across the village, protecting civilians from Monzaemon's ruthless and indiscriminate attacks against those who could not defend themselves. His chakra-infused sand had been infused with the normal sand all around him, granting him the ability to manipulate Sunagakure itself. He lifted as many civilians as he could into the air, quickly throwing them to where more of his sand would be waiting to catch them, where they would then be moved into one of the village's safe-houses, spread out across the village.<p>

He heard an unspeakable howling, and barely ducked as the massive animal attempted to carry him off with its sharp talons.

The beast turned around to come back, and Gaara got a good luck at the monster as it lunged back at him. It had been an owl at some point, maybe even a part of a summoning contract. But nothing living remained; only the corpse that held all the gears and joints together.

The puppet's talons suddenly extended, meaning to ensnare him by surprise. His sand easily blocked them, but a burst of chakra loosened his hold, and Gaara was forced to remove himself from the puppet's path.

His concentration waned, if only for a second, and a man trying to get to one of the safe-houses paid the price; he was monstrously cut down before he could make it, and Gaara watched his blood seep into the sand.

The Kazekage didn't say a word, but the air around him changed drastically. It was a cold, empty feeling.

The bird came back for a third time, and this time, Gaara was ready. The moment the bird tried to push his sand out of the way with another burst of chakra, Gaara brought forth even more sand from underneath, which grabbed onto the puppet's legs. The creature flapped wildly, trying to escape, but Gaara's hold was too strong. He forced the creature down to the ground, and began to bury it.

"Gokusa Maisō." (Prison Sand Burial)

The massive puppet disappeared into the ground, forced deeper and deeper by Gaara's sand. At over two hundred meters, it wouldn't be able to move at all, even with Monzaemon controlling it.

But before he could crush the sand on top of the puppet, the three puppets Gaara had been defending the civilians from suddenly switched targets, launching themselves after Gaara. The first two were swatted away with ease, but Monzaemon must have concentrated on the third, because when it moved behind him, it had become far faster than it had been before. Even Gaara's reflexive sand was too slow, and the puppet delivered a cruel kick to Gaara's hand, leaping away before Gaara could retaliate.

The puppet placed its two palms together, as did the other two. Beams of chakra connected their hands, and from the portal that formed, the massive owl puppet reappeared, freed from its sand prison.

Gaara was growing tired of this. He closed his eyes, granting as much concentration to his sand shield as possible whilst he prepared. Thankfully, the four puppets concentrated on trying to breach through his defense, leaving the dwindling number of civilians unharmed.

Bringing the hardest minerals he could find up to the surface, Gaara collected them into a dense ball, before splitting it into 3 different pieces, one for each of the smaller puppets. This sand moved slower than his usual sand, but the puppets were trapped. A small tendril of sand had ensnared each of them whilst they had been trying to attack him, and only now had Gaara tightened his hold.

The balls of mineral sand collided with the three puppets with astounding force, slamming them into the earth below. The sand wasted no time, and spread out into the puppet's bodies, filling into their joints, and restricting their movements as much as possible. They would still be able to move as long as Monzaemon had control over them, but they would be far easier to handle.

But Gaara was not done. As the three puppets struggled to free themselves, Gaara used those precious seconds to trap them underground, just as he had tried to do with the larger owl puppet. He focused more chakra into this attack, burying them over four hundred meters underground. Gaara waited for the owl puppet to try and disrupt him, and he moved out of the way, giving him the time he needed.

"Sabaku Sōsō."

There was a dull, crushing sound, and Gaara knew the puppets had been completely demolished. He could focus on the larger puppet now—

A puppet burst through the earth. It was heavily damaged, and shaking uncontrollably, but it was still working. Unfortunately for Gaara, his last attack had unearthed a family hiding in their home, paralyzed with fear. The puppet shot after them, and Gaara was too slow to stop him.

The puppet's blade pierced through the heart of the father, and watched with unblinking eyes as they all turned to sand. The puppet had no time to react before Gaara's sand was upon, crushing what little remained into dust.

Gaara turned back to face his only remaining opponent, the large owl puppet. Its head turned all the way around on top of its body, faster and faster. A vacuum formed above its head, and pointing it at Gaara, the bird dove towards him.

* * *

><p>(2)<p>

The sound of wood meeting wood, metal meeting metal, was deafening. Monzaemon's and Kankurō's puppets clashed viciously, one always trying to sneak past the other.

"Your skill with these puppets is something to be admired!" Monzaemon called out to his opponent, launching four of his puppets at once.

Kankurō pulled Salamander in between them at the last possible second, and his great iron frill tossed Monzaemon's puppets away like they were nothing.

"Clever lad!" Monzaemon cackled. "I hadn't noticed that shield hiding underneath that puppet's cloak. I promise I won't make the same mistake twice."

Another puppet went after Salamander, but Kankurō used crow to intercept him. One of its arms turned into a massive saw blade, and tried to cut Monzaemon's puppet's head off. But the head joint was meant to be detached, and Monzaemon separated the puppet in two before Crow could decapitate it. The puppet grabbed onto two of Crow's arms, and ripped them apart before Kankurō could pull him back.

Kankurō was breathing heavily. He did not have the infinite amount of stamina Monzaemon possessed, and this battle was beginning to wear down on him.

"Getting tired, boy?" Monzaemon mocked from afar. "Perhaps you should toss aside that pitiful body of yours, and become a true puppet master!"

"You're telling me to throw away my humanity!" Kankurō angrily called back. "You're no better than any of the puppets you control!"

Monzaemon's face contorted in great anger. "Watch your tongue, boy! I sacrificed everything you this village! Do you hear me? EVERYTHING! And how do you repay me? By turning my beautiful works of art into tools of death? How do you like these weapons being used against you?"

'_What's happened to him…earlier he seemed so calm.'_ Kankurō was right; Monzaemon had grown increasingly unstable, ever since their confrontation in Kankurō's workshop. If only for a second, Kankurō would swear he could see a red glint in Monzaemon's eyes, gleaming dangerously in the moonlight above.

Two puppets suddenly appeared on either side of Black Ant, and several cables launched in between them, caught in the other's hands. They circled Black Ant multiple times, until the puppet could no longer move. Monzaemon twitched two of his fingers, and Kankurō's puppet was completely demolished, splintering into thousands of pieces.

Kankurō swore underneath his breath. Crow was heavily damaged, and Black Ant was now completely out of commission. Things were getting bad.

He launched what remained of Black Ant towards one of Monzaemon's puppets. The puppet's fingers opened to reveal paper bombs wrapped around its joints, and it swung high, trying to smash what was left of Black Ant into dust.

But Kankurō was clever. He released the thread attached to Black Ant's head at the last second, letting it fall limp. Monzaemon's puppet's attack swooped above it, missing.

Two additional threads replaced those he had used to control Black Ant, connecting with the limbs of Crow Monzaemon had torn off. They flew towards the puppet, trapping it. Kankurō didn't let up, placing Salamander in front of the puppet. It opened its great jaws, and immense flames poured from the mouth. A special chemical, specifically designed to burn hot enough to melt steel and rock, burning through Monzaemon's puppet instantly, turning it into molten scrap.

Monzaemon tried to force what was left of the burning puppet into Crow, but Kankurō pulled him away. Monzaemon only had 6 puppets left, but Kankurō only had 2.

"Why are you still trying, boy?" Monzaemon asked, getting ready to attack again. "These puppets were designed to work together, more than your own wooden toys ever could. You have proved yourself to be a great puppeteer, but you are outclassed. If you surrender now, I may just let you live."

"You attack our village, killed our people, and you expect me to surrender?" Kankurō spat to the ground. "Over my dead body."

Monzaemon laughed. "If that's what it takes, boy…"

The two launched towards each other with their remaining puppets, parrying and dodging and striking. Kankurō was pushing himself further than he had ever gone; every time one of Monzaemon's puppets would get close, Kankurō would use Salamander to swat them away. He knew Monzaemon would try to focus on that puppet next. Monzaemon may be extremely skilled, but he was still a puppeteer.

Suddenly, two rolls of cloth shot from either side of Kankurō wrapping up two of Monzaemon's puppets before they could move out of the way. Kankurō turned around to see two Suna shinobi, helping him dwindle the number of puppets Monzaemon could control.

It was the Nunoshibari no Jutsu, or the Cloth Binding Technique, a specialty of Sunagakure's. The two shinobi formed the necessary hand seals, and completely immobilized two of Monzaemon's puppets. To tighten their hold even further, they leapt up to the puppets, and placed a paper seal upon them, cutting off any chakra supply Monzaemon might have given them.

Monzaemon scowled, and did not waste any time turning two more of his puppets against the shinobi. They didn't stand a chance against their assault, and were ruthlessly killed in front of Kankurō, falling to the ground.

Kankurō thanked them silently for their help; now only 4 puppets remained. He would make sure their sacrifice would not go in vain.

"I've had enough of this madness!" Monzaemon yelled. Three of his remaining puppets crowded together, one standing atop the other two's shoulders. Their mouths opened, revealing a seal carved into their tongues.

"Sanbō Kyūkai!"

A terrible wind started to blow behind Kankurō, before he released that it was not the wind; the puppets had created an immense vacuum in the middle of their formation, threatening to take Kankurō and his puppets into it.

He had Salamander plant his feet into the ground as best he could, but the powerful suction was too much for the puppet. As he flew into the torrent, Kankurō was struck with an idea.

He pulled on another string, and Salamander suddenly separated into two parts, head and body. The head was thrown into the vacuum, but its powerful iron jaws clamped onto the puppet at the top of the formation, dragging it into the destructive winds as well. Both puppets were immediately obliterated.

Kankurō acted fast. He used what was left of Crow to distract Monzaemon, going after the puppeteer himself. The second he noticed a hole in Monzaemon's defenses, he formed a seal with his free hand.

The body of Salamander suddenly opened, extending around the two remaining puppets that had formed the suction. It quickly trapped them inside its body, and a multilayered seal snaked across Salamander's body, before the seal lit on fire, taking all three puppets with it.

Kankurō wiped the grime and sweat away from his eyes, and grinned triumphantly. Only one puppet remained in Monzaemon's arsenal, and Kankurō had received multiple other shinobi as back up. He could actually win this, and help Gaara if needed.

But Monzaemon started to laugh, and felt a horrible feeling the pit of his stomach. The laughter was of confidence; The Shodai Kazekage believed the battle to be won.

"You truly are a fool!" he cackled loudly. "I admit I was impressed by your skills for a while, but this game has gone on long enough. Tell me, what do you expect to do with your _back-up?_"

Kankurō suddenly realized that none of the shinobi had said a word since their arrival, watching the battle in complete silence. They didn't even bother to help the civilians racing to escape.

He took a closer look, and his eyes widened in horror. The shinobi were nothing more than puppets themselves, dressed in the attire of fallen Suna shinobi. His terror only grew worse when he realized that even the civilians themselves with puppets; Monzaemon had been fooling him all along, making him believe that chaos existed around them, when all it truly was, was an army of clattering wooden men.

Hundreds of chakra threads suddenly revealed themselves as Monzaemon's laughter grew more shrill and unreserved. This man could control even more puppets than Sasori had been able to; Kankurō worried that the puppeteer's power was infinite.

Monzaemon grinned in the moonlight. "This battle no longer interests me. You have been an amusing opponent, but I don't have the time to play with you any longer, boy. There is work to be done!"

"What are you talking about?" Kankurō asked, but his question went unanswered. Instead, Monzaemon pulled all his strings at once, forcing dozens of puppets straight towards Kankurō.

* * *

><p>Tobi watched the chaos unfold from afar. He was intrigued by Monzaemon's ferocity, but he could not watch as long as he wished. He and Zetsu had come here for a reason, and he must hurry if they were to succeed.<p>

"The puppeteer is quite the fierce fighter," White Zetsu remarked, as they descended into the bowels of Suna. "Tell me, what do you plan to do with him now?"

"What happens to that man and to the village is no longer my concern," Tobi replied. "Raiā is my only priority. He will tell us where the rest of those accursed people hide away, even if it takes years to force it out of him."

The stairs stopped in front of a doorway, and Tobi kicked it open. This was the room Raiā had been interrogated in, only now…

It was empty.

"**You were too late,"** Black Zetsu observed, doing little to hide his mocking tone.

Tobi did not answer, but slammed his fist against the wall, demolishing it. He stood in the middle of the room, staring at the spot where Raiā was supposed to be.

"That child of a Kazekage is smarter than I thought," he finally said, quietly. "This is a large setback to our plan. We will need…time, to recover."

"Do you want me to kill him?" White Zetsu asked.

"No, the Puppet Master will take care of this pitiful village his own way." Tobi slowly started to disappear, sucked into a portal. "We will leave the destruction of the Sand Village to him. For now, we must find a new way to learn where the rest of the Uzumaki are hiding."

The two left without another word, leaving the Sand at the mercy of Monzaemon Chikamatsu, Shodai Kazekage of Sunakagure.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So what did you think? Did you like it? Hate it? LOVE it? I hope you let me know!

-Also, my next update will probably include more information about the live-streaming stuff I mentioned above, if you guys give a shit, that is.

-Also let me know how you liked the new format for the music, if that's alright with you. I think this works better. Credit to **OGAFazer89AC **for the suggestion!

Until next time!


	46. The Heir's Frustration!

**Author's Note: **As I write to you now, I have been awake all night hanging out with some friends of mine. I don't know what's keep my eyes open, but hopefully it'll last long enough to get this new chapter to you guys!

-I'm really happy with this one. The opening scene is all the more poignant if the recent manga chapters are anything to consider, and there's plenty of juicy NaruHina ahead! I think this might even be one of your favorite chapters in Book Two, if I say so myself!

-So hey; remember when I told you guys about live-streaming? Well, I got my kick-ass new computer up and running, as well as my streaming software! I've decided to try it out tonight, so I'll hope you'll stop by and watch for a while! It's great fun, and completely free! You can find me at /codaram at 9pm Eastern Standard Time, and I'll include a link it on my profile as well. I'll be glad to share any details you might want to know, and I really hope to see you there! Type your username in the chat so I recognize you! (Seriously, I hope I find one or two of you tuning in, even if it's only in the background of your computer activities!)

-Thanks for the feedback regarding Monzy's (Haha, I love that nickname. **Chewie Cookies** came up with that one!) fight with Kankuro! I'm glad to know everything was balanced and exciting. As always, I deeply appreciate you awesome people who take the time to review; your words of kindness or criticism are of great importance to me.

Blah blah, enough chatter! Here is the only song you need to worry about: **(1):** /watch?v=AkQXZSQqFag

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 28 - The Heir's Frustration! Hinata's Absence Had Left It's Mark!<strong>

"Again!"

Hanabi angrily wiped the sweat from her brow, and charged. Her hands aimed low, hoping to use her height (or lack thereof) as an advantage, but Neji saw through her deception, and sidestepped the attack, roughly pushing Hanabi backwards.

"Again!" he barked, stepping back into his stance. Hanabi had failed to even graze him all morning.

She rushed towards him and leapt high into the air, extending her right arm towards Neji's shoulder. He blocked with his left, and spun her around in midair, before throwing her to the floor.

"Your form is starting to falter! I could have killed you five times over by now." Neji kept his voice civil, but it was obvious he was just as frustrated as Hanabi was. For the past few days, her performance had rapidly declined.

Hanabi growled in annoyance, and pushed herself to her feet. There was blood in the corner of her mouth, but she ignored it. This time, she didn't even bother holding her stance, and charged at her cousin with reckless abandon. Kicks and punches and wide sweeps with her elbows…Hanabi just wanted to hit something.

Neji evaded all of them without a drop of effort. In fact, he made it a point to show how sloppy Hanabi had become, feinting an attack of his own every time she missed. She grew angrier and angrier, until finally it became too much for the girl; she snapped, and simply tried to kick Neji where it would hurt the most.

But he grabbed onto her foot, inches before it connected with his _region_, and he held it there, his grip strong and unforgiving.

"I am disappointed in you, Lady Hanabi." He stared at his cousin disapprovingly, while she struggled against his hold.

"Let me go!" she shouted, hopping on one foot. "I said, let me go!"

And so he did, and Hanabi went tumbling to the floor headfirst. She sat up, both hands clutching where her most recent bruise would soon come in.

"What is the matter with you?" Neji demanded, kneeling in front of her. "You had been performing so admirably until a few days ago. It's as if we took one step forward and ten steps back."

Hanabi snorted, and looked away, holding her knees to her chest. She would sit and listen to Neji's scolding, just as she had before. When he finally shut up, she could leave.

Neji took his knee out from underneath him, and sat down in front of her. It was no secret he was just trying to get a reaction out of her, but Hanabi was too angry to try and control herself.

"What do you want?" she hissed, glaring at him. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I'm waiting for you to tell me what's wrong, Lady Hanabi."

The youngest Hyūga was surprised by the gentleness in Neji's voice, and she stole a glance in his direction. Gone was the hard, cold gaze he set upon most people, replaced by something softer and kinder. It reminded her of Hinata.

"Why did she have to leave us?" Hanabi suddenly shouted, far louder than she had intended. "Why did Nee-san have to go?"

Neji did not reply. He watched as his younger cousin grew more and more distraught, but said nothing.

Hanabi wiped her eyes, trying to pass it off as wiping the sweat away from her brow. "Father barely speaks to me, even less than he did before. You've been training me to the bone for hours and hours. All the Elders are whispering to each other, and no one will tell me why! I have no idea what's going on!"

She started to cry. She hated crying. Her father had told her hundreds of times that it was a sign of weakness, and that is why her sister cried all the time. It made her feel vulnerable, like a flower in the path of a storm, and Neji's presence did nothing to console her.

"Why did Nee-chan leave everyone?" She repeated this over and over again, burying her head in her lap. "Why did Nee-chan leave me…?"

And then she felt them. A pair of arms around her. Strong and comforting, they lifted her into Neji's lap, where he held there, firmly.

It felt awkward, for the both of them. Hanabi felt like a helpless child, sitting there in Neji's arms, and the elder Hyūga looked so lost on what to do, he might as well have been Hiashi.

"Lady Hinata and Oji-sama are…they are having difficulties. Oji-sama saw fit to remove Lady Hinata from the compound, for a period of time he did not specify."

Hanabi felt the tinge of fear. "What happened? Did they have a fight?"

Neji's lips drew thin. Hanabi was a smart girl, and she did not deserve to have this kept from her any longer. If Hiashi sought to punish himself as well, so be it.

"Yes, they had a very large fight, actually, and it was physical in nature. Oji-sama won, and ordered her away."

"Why would Father do something like that?" Hanabi demanded, she stared at the ground, and could feel her temper bubbling to the surface again. "What did they fight about?"

"They fought over Naruto."

Hanabi craned her neck to look at her cousin. He was telling the truth; there was no doubt or falsehood in his eyes.

"O-over Naruto? What does this have to do with him?"

Neji thought it over for a moment. "Well, what do _you_ think of Naruto?"

Hanabi folded her arms. "I think he's dumber than the Inuzuka's dogs most of the time, and about half as polite."

Her frown faded. "But…he makes Nee-chan so happy. So maybe he's not as stupid as he acts?"

Her body jostled around a bit as Neji shook with gentle laughter. "Very good, Lady Hanabi. No, Naruto is not as stupid as he looks. He is one of the smartest people I know, at least when it comes to people. Lady Hinata saw that in him when no one else did."

"Nee-chan really likes him, huh?"

"Yes, she likes him in a way you can only begin to understand. Lady Hinata _loves_ Naruto, with all her heart." Neji lifted her up again, and when he rose to his feet, he placed her on top of his shoulders, allowing her hands to grip his hair for balance. Normally Hanabi would have objected to being handled like a child, but she could not find the will to complain.

"It's something every man and woman claims to understand, but they truly cannot until they have felt it for themselves," Neji said.

"Like you and Tenten-san?"

Neji blushed a bright red, silently grateful Hanabi could not see his face. "Uhhh…yes, like Tenten and I. But to Lady Hinata, Naruto is everything. He was responsible for transforming Lady Hinata into who she has become today. He's—"

"I get it already!" Hanabi grumbled, tugging at his scalp. "You don't have to try and convince me anymore. Nee-chan and Naruto really like each other, I get that."

Neji breathed deeply. He had not realized they had walked out into the garden until the fresh air filled his lungs with their soft fragrances. The crisp air whipped at his clothing, but he was not bothered by the chill.

"Very well, you understand. Oji-sama was not as accepting to this idea as you were. He protested against Lady Hinata's and Naruto's growing relationship."

"Why? Naruto is a hero to the village, and everyone seems to really like him. Father would love to bring that kind of attention to the clan." There was no joy in Hanabi's voice; the clan's worry over their public appearance held no special place in her heart.

"Through no fault of his own, Naruto harmed Lady Hinata during a mission in the Land of Wind. You would remember the bandages covering your sister's shoulder."

Hanabi gasped. "That was Naruto? But…what do you mean by 'through no fault of his—" She stopped. A terrible feeling surrounded her, like the cold winds that slashed across her face and arms.

Neji nodded. "Yes. I have not asked the details of Lady Hinata, as it is not a subject she was happy to discuss. I will not say I completely agree or disagree; only Naruto is aware of how hard it is to keep it inside himself. Only Naruto, and no one else."

He set her down in the grass, letting the blades of soft green tickle her feet. "Oji-sama was afraid of losing Lady Hinata, just as he is afraid of losing you. His fear became distrust, and distrust became anger. Lady Hinata is old enough to make her own decisions, but Oji-sama has struggled with this. This is why he has been short with you for the past few—"

"He's been short with me for my entire life."

Neji was surprised with the acid in Hanabi's tone, but he did not stop her. The cold grew deeper around him, and his clothing did little to help.

"All I've ever known is that disappointing stare of his. I was better than Nee-chan was, but even that wasn't good enough for him! All I ever knew was that I didn't work hard enough, or act mature enough. All I've ever known is _him_."

She let herself fall to the ground, watching the thick, grey clouds of winter roll over one another across the sky.

"It's not fair. Nee-chan got to be with Mother long enough for her to remember," she said. Her voice had fallen flat, and lost all emotion. "Even when I close my eyes, I can't picture her face."

She looked at Neji, and he was pained to see the hurt in her eyes. "Nee-chan was the only person who made me feel like I had a mother, and now she's gone! She's gone, and I don't know if she's coming back!"

Bitter tears stung at her eyes, but she did not have the strength to hold them back this time. They dribbled down her cheeks, and fell onto her legs.

"Why does she have to be so selfish?" Hanabi growled, pulling at the ground beneath her. "Why does she only think of herself?"

Neji tried to stop her, but she leapt to her feet, and raced back inside the compound. Her tears trailed after her all the way to her room, where Neji heard the crash of her slamming the door shut.

The winds had stopped, but Neji did not feel any warmer. Hinata's absence had transformed the entire compound in a matter of days; courtesy felt stiff and shallow, instead of warm and polite, and the clan was restless. Even the sun seemed dull as it shined through their windows during the day.

A stone bench lay nearby, something Neji had failed to see until now. He did not come out here nearly as often as Hinata did. He was content to let her have this as a sanctuary, a private haven she could call her own.

Neji sat down. The stone was rough, and worn, but he felt comfortable sitting there. The gravestone , upon which Hinata's mother's name was inscribed, stood in front of him, solemn and silent.

"Hinata…" he said softly, "your sister misses you. I miss you, the clan misses you…and I am certain even Oji-sama misses you. I hope you are happy with Naruto; I would not wish anything but happiness and joy for the both of you. But I hope you will not forget us, just as I hope for your safety and your health."

No other words came to him, and Neji fell silent. He could feel a warmth on his cheek, and his eyes rose to the sky. Breaking up the cold and the grey, was the shining rays of the sun. The warmth comforted him, brought him solace, but it was not long before the clouds swallowed it back up, and the sky was grey again.

He rose to his feet, and walked inside. He didn't even notice Hiashi standing by the doorway. If he had, he might not have cared.

* * *

><p>Hinata lay huddled beneath the sheets of Naruto's bed, warm and happy. Just as she had suggested on their way home, Hinata took a long, restful nap, and while she was no longer asleep, she remained hidden under all the blankets and pillows.<p>

She heard a rustling sound around her, but she did not stir. It was probably Naruto getting up himself, unusual since he was usually the one who slept longer. But there was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, almost as if someone was about to—

"TICKLE FIGHT!"

The covers were thrown from the bed, and Hinata shrieked in surprise as she was assaulted by Naruto and several of his clones. Four of them grabbed onto her arms and legs, while Naruto himself stood above her, grinning like a madman.

"I have you now, my precious, _vulnerable _little Hinata-hime…" he murmured viciously, flexing his fingers for dramatic effect. He loved the way Hinata squirmed, trying to escape.

"Naruto-kun, please!" she said, trying to hide her fear. But his hands inched closer and closer to her body. "N-no! Don't!"

He ignored her pleas for mercy, and his hands dove into her sides, his laughter drowned out by her own. She kicked and squealed, but Naruto's clones held her fast.

"S-stop, p-please, Naruto-kun!" she cried out in between fits of giggles. He lifted up her jacket, and she felt his fingers brush against bare skin. "N-no, not there!"

It was maddening. She was at his mercy as he tickled her relentlessly. Under her arms, on the bottoms of her feet, down her sides…Naruto left no spot un-tickled, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Or so he thought.

One of the clones holding her left foot lost his control for only a second, but it was enough time for her to take advantage of. A swift kick to the clone holding her right leg, and both her feet were free. With a little more strength than she had intended, Hinata launched Naruto off of her, sending him crashing to the floor.

To her surprise, all three of the remaining Narutos disappeared. All three of them had been clones.

"Na-Naruto-kun?" Her voice sounded small. Had she been alone this entire time? If those five were clones, where was the original Naruto?

Her feet felt cold against the bare floor, and she wrapped a blanket around her shoulders to keep the rest of her warm. She didn't need to look far; Naruto was outside, leaning against the balcony.

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing out here?" she asked. He jumped a little in surprise, before he realized that it was only Hinata.

"I guess my clone plan didn't work out the way I hoped," he said with a nervous smile. "I had woken up a lot earlier than you, but I didn't want to worry you, so I had those guys try to distract you."

Hinata almost rolled her eyes. "You…tried to keep me inside by tickling me? I w-would have stayed in bed if I hadn't been _attacked_."

"Wasn't one of my better ideas, was it?" Naruto looked away, back towards the sky. It had grown even darker outside, as the days grew shorter. The clouds tumbled violently against one another, but neither of them was expecting rain.

"Is something wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. "You look worried."

He glanced down at his hands, and Hinata knew. "Is this about what happened today at the hospital?"

Naruto nodded.

"Naruto-kun, you don't need to worry about that right now! Tsunade-sama said to just forget about it until she and Shizune-san worked out with what happened."

"But what if when they figure it out, they tell me I can't ever use medical ninjutsu again?" Naruto ran a calloused hand through his hair. "That could have been something that would save lives. I could use a shadow clone to heal people, or I could—"

"It's nothing to dwell upon," Hinata insisted. "Tsunade-sama told you not to try anymore, and you need to listen to what she says. That's all that matters right now."

She gave him a little hug from behind, interlacing his fingers around his stomach. "I know how much you want to h-help people, Naruto-kun, but we can't always do everything at once. What if you couldn't concentrate and something terrible happened?"

Hinata felt Naruto's body tense up. "What do you mean by that?" she heard him say. "Do you think I would make it worse?" He thought of her scar, and his eyes grew hard.

"I'm saying Sakura-san has years of experience over you, and _you_ have a competitive streak. I'm afraid you might want to catch up to her faster than what Tsunade-sama would consider safe." Hinata did not deny her own words, but she could not shake the feeling of shame. She was actually talking _down_ to Naruto, something she never would have thought possible. But here it was, and she suddenly felt very afraid of what Naruto might think or say.

He turned around, and stared at her. For a few horrible seconds, Hinata thought she saw anger in those depthless blue eyes, but he gave her a soft smile, and pulled her close.

"I almost got a little angry, but…you're right. Even if I don't want to admit it, you're right. I'd probably get in the way if Sakura-chan needed to heal someone."

Hinata squirmed against him. "I'm n-not saying you'd be bad at it! Just that we don't know a lot of what's going on. I'm sorry; I've always been such a cautious person. I didn't mean to insult you."

Naruto laughed softly. "It's okay. I think it might be me being reckless more than you being cautious, you know? I don't have to like it for now, but I think I can live with it!"

His arms fell back to his sides, and Naruto pulled Hinata back into the apartment. The chill was starting to get to him, and he had just remembered that along with her possessions, Hinata had brought along some tea.

"How about we make some of that tea you brought along?" he asked, leaving for the kitchen. "It can't be much harder than making ramen, right? Just boil the water, and dip the tea a couple times."

"It's a _bit_ more complicated than that," Hinata protested, scurrying after him. "I brought along a couple of extra ingredients that I think you w-would really like!"

Naruto moved in front of her, pushing her backwards with his rump. "Nah, I think I can handle it! You can go back to the bedroom and play with Miso! He's been aching for a little run around time for a while now."

But Hinata was insistent. "It's really okay, Naruto-kun. Why don't you let me handle it?" she pouted.

"Don't' worry! I'm sure I'll get it right the first or second time!"

"B-but, Naruto-kun, it's really no trouble…"

Naruto suddenly spun around, bending down until their faces were inches apart. There was a cheeky grin plastered all over his face.

"Are you telling me you can make it better than I can?"

Hinata bit her lip. It sounded rude now that she thought about it. But still…"Y-yes, I think I can."

And then she was swept up into Naruto's arms once again, spinning around the room faster than her stomach would have preferred. She heard his laughter, and became confused.

"You know, I think I like this new Hinata," he joked, setting her back down. "Calling me reckless, telling she's better than me…"

"Y-you make it sound worse than it is!" Hinata said, stuttering. Her cheeks burned red. "You k-know I don't mean it like that!"

Naruto shrugged. "So what if you do? I was on the same team as _Sakura-chan_, Hinata—trust me, it doesn't bother me. In fact, I think it's kind of sexy."

Hinata muttered something about the tea, turning around so Naruto couldn't see her embarrassment. But she heard him laugh again, and kiss her on the back of the head. He was aware.

"Okay, _I'll_ wait with Miso. But don't be too long! He's not as _warm_ as you are." He laughed again, able to see the goosebumps crawling up his girlfriend's arm even as he left her to go play with his pup. Hinata almost dropped the kettle; her palms had gotten _very_ sweaty _very _fast.

* * *

><p>And to Hinata's great amusement, as she came back with two cups of piping hot tea in hand, she found Naruto and Miso in a tug of war, a spare bit of rope between their teeth. Miso was holding his ground far better than Naruto was; must be genetics.<p>

Naruto let go when he saw Hinata had returned, and little Miso went tumbling head over tail towards the edge of the bed, yipping angrily when he righted himself.

"Ahhh, you'll get over it!" Naruto said, patting the side of the bed for Hinata to join him. Miso threw his nose into the air, and haughtily trotted towards the window. He clamped his little teeth down onto the lock, lifted it up, and pushed the window open just enough to squeeze through. Off for a nighttime stroll through the village.

"Is he going to be okay?" Hinata asked, worried. "What if he gets lost?"

Naruto waved the apprehension away. "Don't worry about him! In the short time he's been here, I've learned he can take care of himself. He'll probably come back with a treat or two in his belly. He's a shameless flirt, you know."

Hinata giggled, and she scooted closer to her boyfriend against the backboard.

"Naruto-kun, I w-want you to know that I agree with what you said earlier…" she began, blowing on her tea to cool it down. "If it could be like this every day, I don't think I'd mind not going on missions anymore."

"Get a nice cushy desk job or something— maybe handle Bā-chan's paperwork?" Naruto took a sip of his tea, yelping when it burned his tongue. Looks like he might have to wait a little bit longer.

"But you'll have to go back home eventually, won't you?" he asked, putting his arm around her.

Hinata nearly pushed it off. "I don't really want to think about 'home' right now. I think I'd be fine if I never saw 'home' again…"

"You know you don't mean that."

Hinata set her drink down. "And what if I do? Naruto-kun, I can barely remember a time when I was happy there. Truly, entirely happy—like I am with you."

"What about with your mom?" Naruto asked gently. "She can't be a bad memory, could she?"

"That was a long time ago." Hinata put her hands in her lap, watching her fingers roll over one another. "I'm grateful for my mother, but she's gone now. I can't go and see her."

Naruto shrugged. "You can, in a way. But I wasn't thinking about your mom at first. I was thinking of Neji and Hanabi. They miss you, don't they?"

Hinata sighed. "Yes…yes, okay! Maybe _they_ miss me, but the rest of the clan wouldn't care if I never came back, least of all my father!"

"Two people seem like enough to me."

"What do you want me to do?" Hinata suddenly asked. "Go b-back to my father and ask for his forgiveness? Have you forgotten what he did to me? What he's done to me my entire life?" She was visibly upset, with bulging eyes and flaring nostrils.

But Naruto remained calm. "Sometimes you need to show them that you can be the bigger person. Maybe it won't work, but do you really want to go through your life without trying?"

Hinata considered what he was saying. Naruto would know better than anyone else what it was like to forgive people who had done you wrong, especially those who never apologized for it. Hanabi's and Neji's faces leapt out at her, and fond memories of them rose to the surface; Neji praising her progress after their training together, and showing Hanabi how to cook or press flowers. There _were_ good memories of them, buried beneath all the scorn and disappointment of her father.

"I just…don't know if I can be as strong as you," Hinata finally said, keeping her eyes in her lap. "I don't know if I have the strength to look him in the eye, and forgive him for what happened if he's n-not even going to apologize."

She felt a hand clasp her chin, and her eyes met Naruto's. "I _know_ you have it in you, Hinata. But you won't know unless you try."

He kissed her forehead, and smiled. "Maybe it'll be another few weeks, or even a few months, but I know you can do it. You're the kindest, most forgiving, gentlest person I've ever known. I mean it!"

Hinata smiled back at him. His enthusiasm could be infectious, she had to admit. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. You always know how to cheer me up." Her tea sat beside her, and she took it back into her hands, downing the entire cup in almost one gulp. Something else had popped into sweet, 'innocent' Hinata's head, and she didn't want to have _any_ distractions.

Rising to her feet, Hinata closed the window Miso had left open, closing the latch with a decisive _snap_. She moved to the door leading to his balcony, and closed that one too.

"Uhh, Hinata?" Naruto murmured, finishing off his own cup. "What are you doing? You getting cold or something?"

His girlfriend did not answer, and Naruto felt a distinct change in the air in his room. He shifted awkwardly on the bed, clearing his throat.

"Naruto-kun?" he heard her say. "Do you remember what I told you earlier today? When we were on the roof?"

He was so busy trying to think of what she had said that he paid no attention in how she was staring at him, at the downright _devious_ look in her eyes. Her hips swayed from side to side suggestively. There was a radio on the other side of the room, and only when she turned it on, and the sound of gentle music filled the room, did Naruto become aware of what was going on.

"Y-yeah…" he stuttered, unable to look her in the eye. "You said you were going to—"

"Hold you," Hinata finished. She took another step closer.

Naruto nodded far too many times. "Yeah, and that you were going to—"

"Kiss you." Hinata was even closer now. Naruto could have sworn he saw her lick her lips hungrily. His chest tightened, and the air in his lungs felt extremely hot all of a sudden. It had _really_ gotten warm in here all of a sudden.

"A-and you s-said you were going to—"

"_Touch_ you."

**(1)**

And then she was upon him. Hinata put one knee on the bed, then the other, and she crawled towards Naruto, inching towards him until he could no longer stand it. He grabbed onto Hinata's arm, and pulled her on top of him. Their lips met in an instant.

Hinata took no chances this time. Her arms were around his neck, holding him to her body with all the strength she could muster. Naruto's hands caressed her, up and down and all over, exploring the contours of her body.

So help her, if Naruto or anyone else tried to interrupt them, Hinata would put them in the hospital.

Fingertips grazed exposed flesh, and Naruto felt a bolt of thunder electrify his entire body. One hand pushed against the back of his head firmly, and the other traced small, random patterns into the lower part of his neck. It felt incredible; it was something that deserved a reward.

Naruto pushed Hinata's tongue out of the way, and sucked on her lower lip, relishing the noises he received afterwards. The hand massaging his scalp grabbed a fistful of golden hair, and squeezed.

But they had done all this before. To Hinata, in the mood she was in, it was the same old song and dance. It felt good, it _was_ good, but Hinata wanted more tonight. There was one sixteen year old, five feet four inch tall Naruto Uzumaki beneath her, and she was not about to let him go.

She pulled back, giggling when Naruto lurched forward, eyes closed. He must not have expected her to do that. His eyes questioned her silently, but the lower her hands got, the more he understood.

"Hinata, I—"

"Shhhh…" Hinata pushed a finger to his lips. "Not another word out of you."

Her hands closed around the fabric of Naruto's shirt, and she pulled up. Naruto hesitated to help her, but the soft look in Hinata's eyes calmed him down, and he allowed her to pull his shirt over his head, and toss it aside.

Hinata practically drank in the sight in front of her. Naruto felt a surge of confidence from the way her eyes danced across his bare chest, and with one move, reversed their positions.

He leaned down, and started to press light, almost weightless kisses all over her face. He kissed both eyes, the tip of her nose, and of course, her soft lips.

"Naruto-kun…" her voice was barely above a whisper, but Naruto silenced her with another kiss. Their tongues twirled and wrapped around each other in a battle for dominance, and Hinata felt a familiar heat creep up her body. Her hands were eager to touch every spot on Naruto's bare body she could, and she could feel him shiver from the contact. They traced alongside his toned muscles, committing every bump and curve to memory. She moved to his chest, rotating her palms into the areas just below his pectorals. Naruto groaned into her mouth. Her hands felt so warm.

He took to her neck, nibbling on the pale flesh with just enough teeth put into it to make her squeal and fidget underneath his body. He grinned into her; it was payback time.

The pressure on her neck grew larger, and Hinata was beginning to feel light headed. She no longer had the concentration for her intricate patterns and teasing fingers. She clamped onto his back like it was the very thing keeping her alive. His body weighed heavily on her own tiny frame, but she did not even notice.

Naruto, however, did. He sat backwards, dipping one strong arm behind Hinata's back. With one pull, he was sitting on the bed, with her in his lap. The confidence drained from her in an instant; the look in Naruto's eyes made her feel like the only girl in the entire world. And to him, right now, she was.

Their lips met once again, and Hinata moaned loudly into his mouth when she felt his hands sneak up the back of her shirt, gently rubbing her back, and pulling her closer to him.

"Hinata…I want to touch you, too…" he said, in between butterfly kisses against the nape of her neck. The words tumbled awkwardly from his mouth, but she felt elated to hear him say those words. Hinata didn't have the mental capacity to properly answer him, however; a soft groan would have to suffice.

But when she felt Naruto's hand grab onto the zipper of her jacket, her bearings came rushing back. She grabbed onto his hand, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, averting his eyes. He felt ashamed. "I didn't know you didn't want me to."

The sound of her laughing, that beautiful sound, sucked Naruto back in. He watched her intently, waiting to see what she would say.

"No, it's not that," she teased, letting her slender arms drape across his shoulders. "You just have other things to worry about."

Naruto did not get the chance to ask what she meant. For the third time, their lips collided, and Hinata would not let go until she knew he wouldn't try anything. Satisfied, Hinata leaned back; not enough to separate the two of them, but enough to give her some room.

She grabbed the zipper of her jacket herself, and pulled it down achingly slow. Waves of pleasure rolled across her as Naruto deepened their kiss; the sound of that zipper was driving him crazy, and she loved it.

His pain finally came to an end, when there were no more clasps holding her jacket together, it fell apart, and Naruto broke their kiss so he could look at her.

Piercing blue eyes darted across her body, like it might disappear should he fail to give it enough attention.

"Beautiful…" she heard him mutter in a low voice. He meant to pull her back, but she pushed away. Puzzled, he looked at her.

"I'm not done yet," she said, her hot breath tickling Naruto's ear. Hinata watched with devilish glee as her boyfriend turned into a blubbering mess when she reached for her mesh shirt.

"Hi-HI-Hinata...are you s-sure?" he managed to stammer out, a familiar tightness creeping up in his pants.

Hinata smiled, and nodded. "I've never been so sure of anything in my life."

With mouth agape, Naruto watched his girlfriend slowly, seductively, remove her shirt. One of the most beautiful things he had ever laid eyes on, was clad only in a pair of undersized sweatpants, and a bra.

His pants threatened to rip right then and there.

Hinata laughed as Naruto lost all control of greater brain function. He let himself fall back onto the bed, kissing her again and again. Their lips were red and started to ache, but neither of them even noticed. He brushed some of Hinata's hair behind her ear, letting his hand get lost in the dark blue tangles. It was like trying to grasp smoke, and he delighted in the feeling of letting it slip between his fingers. His other hand massaged the small of her back, pushing her body closer into him.

Hinata wasn't sure what she liked best: Naruto's arms holding her close, the wetness of his tongue clashing against her own, or the warmth that electrified her entire body as it grinded against Naruto's own. Paradise paled in comparison.

Perhaps the heat of passion grew too strong, the fire too great. Simultaneously, Hinata reached for Naruto's pants, and Naruto towards the clasp holding Hinata's bra together. The separated immediately, panting and sweating.

Neither of them said a word; they just sat there, staring at one another. Slowly, Hinata's hands left Naruto's waistband, and reached back to touch his own.

"Maybe…maybe that's enough for tonight," she said quietly, cheeks flushed red. The fire was beginning to fade away. She loved this feeling they had shared, but the fear within her stomach would not be quelled. They had been very close to taking a large step forward, and Hinata was unsure she was ready.

Naruto's eyes betrayed him. Hinata could see he wanted more, and it pained her to gently tug his hands away from her bra, but she knew he understood. His hands left her own, holding her on either side of her waist. He was willing to push out his own desires for what she wanted, and for that, Hinata was eternally grateful.

He smiled. "As you wish, Hinata-hime."

Hinata giggled as he pulled her down to his side, cuddling up behind her back. He may not have gone as far as he would have liked, but that didn't mean he had to stop completely. Naruto nibbled at her neck for a good 10 minutes, poking and rubbing her stomach no matter how much Hinata complained that he was tickling her. She was starting to believe he would keep it up all night, but thankfully, a scratching at the window gave her the chance to escape her boyfriend's loving embrace.

Little Miso had returned from his nighttime journey, and pawed at the window, yearning for the warmth Naruto's apartment provided. Hinata pulled away from a clingy Naruto, shivering when she felt the wet pop of his lips on her neck. She scurried over to the window, hoping to jump back into the bed before she got too cold, and when she had let Miso in and turned around, Naruto had fallen fast asleep.

She held a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter. Miso jumped up onto the bed, crawling over in between Naruto's arms, where he plopped down for the night, while Hinata scooted up behind him, petting him until he was asleep as well.

Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. This couldn't possibly get any better. If she fell asleep and drifted off to a land of blissful dreams, it would have been no different that the reality she had been blessed with.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: That song's pretty much been what I listen to whenever I write NaruHina 'bow-chicka-wow-wow' stuff. More Game of Thrones stuff? I must be becoming an addict. NOT THAT THAT'S A BAD THING. It _really_ sets the tone, anyway.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Like I said, I have a really good feeling about this one! I also hope to see you tonight at my live-stream, if only for a few minutes! Remember, 9pm EST, and you'll find a proper link in my profile!

Until next time! I'm gonna go pass out for a while!


	47. Naruto's Success! Dark Secret Revealed!

**Author's Note: **New chapter, new stuff to talk about!

-I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas, a wonderful Hanukkah, or just a damn fine December-based holiday. I myself received some funds for my Steam wallet, and I have been indulging myself with new games over the past few days (Mass Effect 1 & 2, and Rayman Origins! Hurray!).

-I'll be live-streaming again tonight! I'm thinking 10pm EST this time, and tonight (provided you stop by), you'll watch me play (and die. a lot) a little Fallout: New Vegas, as I attempt to take down some of the Mojave's most vicious creatures, with maybe a little more Team Fortress 2 tonight! Big thanks to **soliciana **and **daijonhope** for tuning in and subscribing! You can find the web address on my profile, and I truly hope some of you will stop by! If we reach a certain review count for this here chapter, I may even be tempted to add a Face-Cam!

-Which brings me to my next point. Over the past few days, I went back and read each and every review I ever received for Book One. It's a wonderful thing to see how much support you guys have given me, but I noticed something. As with every story, there were people who reviewed who no longer subscribe to the story. Maybe it's because they're bound to see it 4 days later on the NaruHina page, but most likely it's because the story no longer held their interest.

I want and NEED for you guys to be more vocal about this. I'm not asking for more reviews; if anything, I am asking for more criticisms. For those who review each chapter and tell me what you like and don't like, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, but this is to those who do not: I need to know what you guys respond to and what you like or dislike, love or hate. I am extremely proud of what this has become, but how can I improve further if I don't hear what you want? I'm not making any money off of this, so it's not like I have any kind of reason to believe my ideas are better than yours. Some of this story's strongest ideas and future events have come from your suggestions or musings. Please, take the time to tell me what you think about each chapter, so I can make this story better for YOU, and so I can learn to write better, for myself. If you truly have nothing to say, that's fine and I'm glad because it means you were wholly satisfied, but I want you guys to have higher standards when it comes to this story. I hope that's not too much to ask.

**TL;DR** - I want this to be the best story it can be, and I need your help for that.

-Last, but not least, I have been toying with the idea of re-doing the summary again. Sure, it may be pretty to read, but it doesn't really hint at the story I want to tell. I'll be messing with it for a few days, and may randomly field you out to see what you think.

I hope you read and considered everything above. If not, I suppose it's best to just get to what you came for, no?

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 29 - Eureka! Naruto's Success, and A Dark Secret Revealed!<strong>

Two days passed. Naruto and Hinata had spent nearly every waking moment together, with some of their friends teasing that if they kept this up, they might join at the hip. In fact, everyone was surprised; neither of them seemed to tire of each other's company, even after they had long run out of things to say or do. They seemed to be just as comfortable sharing silence with another, a rare quality among couples.

In the brief moments they were apart, they were often thinking about each other. Naruto would repeatedly try (and repeatedly fail) to learn how to cook something other than ramen, so that he could surprise Hinata with a home-cooked meal. More often than not, it would turn out as a burned-up disaster, but Hinata would only laugh, and shoo Naruto out of the kitchen, though he often snuck back in to try and learn her secrets.

When Naruto was gone, visiting Iruka or training with Kakashi, she would train on her own, always eager to show Naruto her improvements, who lavished more praise upon her than she knew what to do with.

To their friends, they seemed like the perfect couple, the one who would never fight and would always be a role model for other couples to follow.

But all was not as it seemed.

She had only been a brief guest at the Uzumaki household, but Hinata had already caught Naruto's habit of sleeping in; Naruto even had to wake her up himself once or twice. Of course, this stemmed from their probation, and she assured Naruto that she would be back to normal once they started going on missions again. Naruto liked to tease her that she just might sleep through their first mission back.

This morning was no different. As Hinata laid face-down on Naruto's bed, even drooling a little on the pillow, she was blissfully unaware that she had the bed all to herself. Naruto was there, of course, but not the _real _Naruto. The real Naruto had already left, leaving behind a clone to entertain her should she wake up.

He strode into the middle of the woods, just outside the limits of one of the nearby training areas. Confident he was alone, he summoned two shadow clones.

"What's the big idea, dragging us out of bed so early?" one clone asked, picking at his ear. "Why couldn't we sleep in like Hinata-hime?"

The other nodded several times. "Yeah, that sounds a lot better than coming out here just to train! What are we doing way out here, anyway?"

Naruto held a finger to his lips. "Keep it down, would ya? I don't want anyone to know we're out here."

The first clone rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because _we're_ good at keeping quiet. Maybe if you'd actually tell us what's going on—"

"I'll tell you if you shut up!" Naruto hissed, pointing an accusing finger at the annoying clone. He took a deep breath. "We're going to try working on our medical ninjutsu again."

The second clone folded his arms. "But you heard Bā-chan! She didn't want us going anywhere near that stuff until she figured out what the heck happened with our chakra!"

"She said it was because of our chakra control!" the original Naruto insisted. "If we master that, we won't have to worry about hurting anyone! Sakura-chan can keep teaching us stuff, and we can become a medic too!"

The second clone didn't seem convinced. "But Hinata didn't want us thinking about it either. Do you want her to worry?"

"There's nothing to worry about!" Naruto was growing frustrated. "That's why I have you two here. We can't very well make Hinata worried if all we do is practice on some shadow clones, can we? If you guys get hurt or something like that, you just disappear!"

The first clone scowled. "Oh, so you woke us up to use us as guinea pigs for your sick experiments? Real classy, boss."

"Quit complaining! It's not like you have to deal with it for long, you know!"

He turned to the second clone. "Okay, while I practice, I may not be able to watch every little thing that goes on, so can you watch over this clone for me, and look for stuff I might not notice?"

The second clone nodded reluctantly, as Naruto rolled up his sleeves. "Alrighty then. Let's get to it!"

He had brought along a kunai, and after he had calmed down a very feisty clone, made a long cut down its arm. Putting his arm on the clone's shoulder, Naruto was able to pump more chakra into the clone to keep it from dispersing from the injury.

"Okay, that looks about the same as what Bā-chan did," Naruto remarked, as he had the clone lie down while he got to his knees. "If something starts to hurt, just disappear, okay?"

The clone nodded nervously, and the other clone watched on as Naruto's palms began to glow. He did his best to ignore the morning chill, and focus on the task at hand.

But luck was not on his side this morning. Almost immediately, the foul chakra started to seep into Naruto's medicinal chakra, despite his best efforts to halt the flow of the Kyūbi's chakra. The cut quickly widened before the original Naruto could do anything about it, and seconds later the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto cursed under his breath. He looked at the second clone. "Alright, you're up next."

"What? This has gotta be cruel and unusual punishment or something!"

The original Naruto rolled his eyes at the theatrics. "Oh, come on! Maybe it stings a little for like, two seconds! You're not the one who feels his _bones_ stinging all the time, okay? Now get on the ground, and let me try to heal you."

The second clone grumbled something under his breath, but relented to the boss' request. He lied down onto the ground, and Naruto made the same incision as he had on the first clone.

This clone did not last much longer than the first, before doubling over in pain and disappearing in a puff of smoke. Naruto felt a little guilty, but only a little. After all, they were only part of him, and a temporary one at that.

* * *

><p>Naruto tried again and again, growing more and more frustrated with every clone that disappeared in a puff of smoke, like a reminder of his failure. How was he not getting this? He had mastered a technique even his father, a naturally gifted genius shinobi could not complete. He had mastered gathering together natural energy, a feat so rare only one other had accomplished it, and Naruto had done it perfectly. Yet every time he tried to heal a minor wound on a shadow clone's arm, he felt like he was back in the academy, unable to make even a normal clone.<p>

"Dammit!" he grunted in frustration, as another clone puffed away. "What am I doing wrong?"

"**PERHAPS IT IS JUST NOT FOR YOU."**

Naruto was brought in front of the Kyūbi's cage. The beast was watching him, not with malice, but curiosity. Naruto might have noticed it were he not in such a foul mood.

'This is all your fault!" Naruto complained, pointing an accusing finger. "If I didn't have to deal with you, I could have gotten this down by now!"

The Kyūbi rolled its eyes. **"DO NOT FLATTER YOURSELF, BOY. YOU HAVE ACHIEVED SOME **_**MODERATE**_** SUCCESS, THAT I WILL NOT DENY, BUT I WOULD SOONER CALL IT LUCK THAN SKILL. PERHAPS YOU HAVE FINALLY FOUND SOMETHING YOU CANNOT MASTER."**

"But my chakra control isn't _that_ bad!" Naruto insisted. "I mastered the Rasenshuriken, didn't I? And Sage mode too!"

"**AND YOU THINK THIS MEANS YOUR CONTROL OVER YOUR CHAKRA IS NOT A COMPLETE TRAVESTY? ANY MAN CAN LAY SEIGE TO A CASTLE IF HE THROWS ENOUGH MEN AT THE GATE."**

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Yeah, you're gonna need to do better than that."

"**YOU SIMPLY USE SO MUCH CHAKRA, YOUR LACK OF CONTROL IS SUBSTITUED BY THE SHEER AMOUNT. IF YOU HAD ANY IDEA HOW MUCH CHAKRA YOU WASTE WITH EVERY ONE OF YOUR PATHETIC ATTACKS…"**

"Oh, and I suppose _you_ know?" Naruto taunted.

The Kyūbi nodded. **"YES, I DO. I HAVE A BETTER AWARENESS OF YOUR CHAKRA THAN YOU DO YOURSELF, BOY. PITIFUL."**

"Why are you telling me all this?" Naruto had become impatient. "This isn't helping me get any better at it."

"**I AM TELLING YOU TO GIVE UP. THIS IS NOTHING OF MY DOING. YOU ARE STEALING MY CHAKRA, AND YOUR CONTROL WILL NEVER REFINE ENOUGH TO STOP THE FLOW OF IT. MY CHAKRA WILL NOT BE USED TO HEAL A HUMAN, LEAST OF ALL THAT PITIFUL EXCUSE OF A HUMAN YOU PINE AFTER."**

"Who says you get to be the boss of your chakra anymore?" Naruto asked, smiling wickedly. "You're in _my_ body, after all. I bet I can get my improve my chakra control to the point where your chakra won't show up anymore! I bet you a million bowls of ramen!"

"**IF YOU EVEN THINK I'D ACCEPT SUCH A CHILDISH BET—"**

Naruto threw his fist into the air. "It's settled then!" he interrupted. "You're not gonna get the best of me! I'm not gonna give up, and I'll master this medical ninjutsu thing today!"

Filled with determination, Naruto returned to reality. He did not notice the vile sneer in the darkness of the cage.

"Right, let's get back to work!" he summoned another clone, and ordered him to get on the ground. He would get this down. He was sure of it.

Another hour passed, and Naruto had not made any progress. He was able to keep his temper in check, knowing the Kyūbi would be watching for him to fail, but he was starting to doubt his own words. Even when he had been learning to apply his elemental nature to his chakra, he had at least made some progress in a few hours. But Naruto seemed to gain no experience from all this practice. He would have already attempted to use more clones to speed up the process, but he was cautious. Maybe he wasn't willing to completely stop trying, but Tsunade _did _warn him that using shadow clones might hurt his own body, something Naruto didn't want to risk.

But his chakra reserves were starting to run low, and the sun was rising higher in the sky. In maybe another half hour, Hinata might wake up. Naruto's clones were just as dense as he was, if not even more so, and his cover would likely be blown within a few minutes.

The clock was ticking.

He forced a little more chakra out of his system, and another clone appeared beside him. It already knew what he wanted, grabbing kunai from Naruto's hand, and quickly cutting down its arm. Naruto's hands began to glow, and he tried to heal the wound.

Every time he thought he had been close, it would slip away from him. He would not let that happen again.

His palms glowed brighter as he focused all his energy into healing that cut. He thought of the balance needed to gather natural energy, and he thought of everything Sakura had told him. Just needed to find that sweet spot. He could do this. He had to do this.

Perhaps his concentration paid off, or maybe he just got lucky like the Kyūbi had said, but to Naruto's amazement, and subsequent joy, the cut slowly started to fade away. The clone seemed incredibly relieved he had been the winning attempt, and when the cut was fully healed away, he and the original Naruto did a happy dance in the middle of the woods, cheering and whooping.

"Great work!" Naruto said excitedly. "But we have to make sure this isn't a one-time thing. Let's try again!"

The clone was in such a good mood as well, he readily agreed. And to Naruto's increasing satisfaction, it worked again! He had done it!

"You see that Kyūbi?" he yelled out loud. "I told you I could do it! Looks like you owe me a million bowls of ramen!"

The demon did not answer. Naruto assumed it was licking his wounds or something. He wanted to rush home and tell Hinata, and Tsunade, and Sakura, but quickly realized that would be the last thing he should do. Definitely did not want to let them know what he had been up to, that's for sure.

He dispelled the clone, and went all the way home, whistling a happy tune. When he got another chance, he would practice some more. Maybe even by the time he started going on missions again, which would be very soon, he could start acting as a field medic like Sakura!

Naruto's intentions were pure. The thought of being able to save people during a battle with his ample chakra and shadow clones appealed to him greatly. He had always been a fighter, a brawler who was always on the offensive side. What if someone close to him got hurt, and Sakura couldn't help? The thought was scary, but now that he was finally starting to learn medical ninjutsu, he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore!

His mind was filled to the brim with possibilities of all the chances he would get to help someone, and they distracted him long enough that he did not even notice the walk home. Only until he was standing outside his door, and he remembered that Hinata was inside sleeping, did he remember where he was and what he needed to do.

With as much stealth as he could muster, Naruto gently pushed the front door aside. Fate had decided Naruto had collected his fair share of luck, and it creaked incredibly loudly, and Naruto made a mental note to get some grease for the rusty hinges.

He stepped inside, and shut the door behind him much faster, to lessen the chance of more squeaking. Taking an actual look around his apartment, he realized what a dump it was. Empty ramen containers everywhere, dust collected in the corners of every room. There was a smell coming from his fridge that he knew Hinata was too polite to point out. There was work to be done. If his girlfriend was going to be staying with him any longer, he wanted to make this place as clean as the Hyūga compound!

Okay, maybe not _as_ clean as the Hyūga compound. Naruto was only human, after all.

But that could wait. Right now, all Naruto wanted to do was crawl back in the bed with his girlfriend and laze around for a while. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, not when their earlier 'activities' had been on his mind near constantly.

What he had felt was…well, it was odd, but 'indescribable' was honestly the best way to describe his feelings. Naruto had never been much of a physical person when it came to his friends. Even when he had pined after Sakura, he had never really thought that far ahead past them going on dates. But what he had experienced with Hinata…it felt incredible, like nothing Jiraiya or Kakashi or Iruka could ever help him with.

After a quick shower (of which he tried to make as quiet as possible, via stuffing spare towels under the doorway to muffle the sound), Naruto's legs carried him to the bedroom, where Hinata lie on the covers, curled up into a ball with Miso huddled in the middle. Flashes of her skin grazing against his, and the feeling of her touch electrified his body. He almost wanted to wake her up and see if she would be willing to start their day like that.

But another feeling overpowered it, one Naruto could not describe. It felt like a basking glow, warming every ounce of his body. He knew what he wanted himself, but even more than that, he wanted her not to want him. Strange as it sounded, he wanted her to go against what he wanted, just so he could prove that he cared more about her happiness than he did his own selfish desires.

These feelings were all very confusing, and frankly, Naruto did not have the mental capacity to think about them much longer. He slogged over to the bed, and fell over, nearly bumping skulls with the still-snoozing Hinata.

He felt her stir for a moment, and froze in fear. What if she suspected he had been gone? Thankfully, he was in a new set of clothes, and had washed the stink of sweat and the outdoors from his body as quickly, yet thoroughly as he could.

"Na-Naruto-kun?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Naruto rolled over to face her, mushing his face against her own. "Yeah, just rolled the wrong way I guess. I didn't wake you, did I? I'm sorry."

Hinata yawned. "I was only dreaming a little. Naruto-kun?"

"Hmm?" Naruto grunted, burying his nose in her hair.

She hid her eyes from him, staring at the wall. "I th-think I'll talk to Father today. You were right…I should be the bigger person. Also, it w-would be nice to see Hanabi-chan and Neji-niisan again." She looked back at him, and Naruto pulled her closer.

Naruto grinned into her forehead. "I'm proud of you, Hinata-hime. I don't think anyone will ever fully realize what a great person you are."

"You finally did, didn't you?"

Naruto didn't even have a proper comeback to that one. He could only laugh, and throw the sheets over their heads, trying to block out the light of the coming day.

Naruto was able to grab a couple more hours of sleep, since he had progressed in his medical ninjutsu training faster than he had been expecting. Still, when Hinata finally roused herself awake, and trudged into the kitchen to find something to eat, Naruto decided he didn't want anymore. He wanted to be with Hinata.

"You have anything in mind for breakfast?" Hinata asked sweetly, digging through the cupboards. "I think we still have some cereal left, if you're not in the mood for anything else."

Naruto really wasn't paying attention to what she was saying. He was in a trance, watching one of the most beautiful women in the world treat him like royalty. Was this a dream? Was he going to wake up in a few minutes, and find out that everything was just an illusion?

That strange feeling crept back into Naruto's heart. A torrent of emotions, he felt everything from unbridled bliss, to unparalleled fear. There was a knot in his stomach, and nothing he thought about could make it go away. But strangest of all, was that Naruto didn't mind these feelings. If he had to feel like this every time Hinata was with him, he'd choose it in a heartbeat, for the rest of his life.

Was it...love?

He had come to ponder this question now and again, whenever he and Hinata had spent a particularly intimate moment with one another. He loved every second, every minute, and every hour he spent with her, and it was starting to become hard (if not impossible) to imagine himself feeling this way about anyone else. Would other people tell him otherwise, or would they agree that Naruto Uzumaki had fallen head over heels in love with Hinata Hyūga?

Hinata hadn't noticed his internal debate with himself, chattering to herself about what they wanted to eat that morning. As she popped some toast into a brand new toaster she had received from Kurenai as a gift, she turned around. She began to twiddle with her fingers, as she so often used to do.

"Naruto-kun…" she began. "Would it be alright if you came with me today? I think I would b-be more comfortable if you were there. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

Her boyfriend gave her a winning smile. "That's okay, Hinata. We'll decide if I need to say anything when we get there."

Hinata's face lit up. "You'll go with me?" she asked.

Naruto nodded.

"Oh, thank you, Naruto-kun! This makes me feel so much better about this!"

The toast popped back up the surface, and Hinata buttered it while Naruto poured some cereal. He had neglected to wash the dishes (again) so instead, he just poured twice as much into a bigger bowl, and they shared it between them.

"What do you think I should say?" Hinata asked. "I want him to know that even though I can forgive him, I won't go home unless he accepts that I want to be with you."

Naruto chewed it over. "Well…" he said, with a mouthful of cereal. "Why overthink it? If that's what you want to say, you should just say that!"

"But, I d-don't want to make him angry. If he gets upset, than he won't listen to a word I say. He's terrible about that."

"Then don't give him the chance to say anything back, if you have to." Naruto took her hand. "I can't say I'm an expert in the field of parenting, but I have a feeling that he'll listen to what his daughter will have to say if she's willing to come back home and forgive him. Call it a gut feeling, but I have a hunch he really misses you, just like everyone else does."

Hinata almost snorted. "I don't think the elders would be that upset if I didn't come home. As long as I behaved myself, they wouldn't really mind who I do."

"Uhhh, Hinata? Don't you mean _what_ you do?" Naruto asked, gaping at her.

Hinata flushed red. "Of course…that's definitely what I meant to say!" She quickly lowered her eyes back to their meal, and within a matter of seconds she and Naruto were embroiled in a fierce battle over who would get the last spoonful of cereal. Naruto was more aggressive, but Hinata's natural flexibility and grace gave her the advantage, and she tried not to giggle as Naruto looked on, pouting, as she triumphantly claimed her prize morsel.

* * *

><p>They each took a quick shower (Naruto, so his morning activities would be hidden), changing into some casual clothes before departing for the Hyūga compound. Their walk was blessed by a gorgeous day, a spot of warmer weather in the coming winter. It was now mid-October, and the last of autumn was fading away, bit by bit as the leaves fell to the cold earth.<p>

Hinata's heart pounded in her chest. Several times she had suggested they go back, or wait another day, but each time Naruto held her until she calmed down, assuring her that if anything was wrong, he would be there if she needed him. His words gave her comfort, and her anxiety took it away.

The compound drew near. Hinata could see it peeking through the trees and alleyways.

"Maybe its best we wait another day—" she started to say, before Naruto held a hand in front of him.

"Come on, Hinata! You know you can do this! You said yourself this morning that you wanted to do this, and I'm sure that no matter what, at least everybody will be happy to see you again."

He didn't look like he was going to take no for an answer. Hinata sighed, knowing he was right. This was something she needed to do, no matter what happened.

Her knuckles rapped on her front door. It felt strange, knocking on a door that technically still belonged to her, but since it was because she felt so at home with Naruto, it was a good feeling as well.

They didn't have to wait long. They could see a silhouette approaching the door, and from the shape of her body, Hinata guessed it to be one of the maids.

"Hi-Hinata-sama!" she squeaked, taken completely by surprise. "You're back!"

Hinata nodded, smiling. "Yes. I came to speak with my father, and Neji-niisan and Hanabi-chan if they'll see me. Are they here?"

The maid nodded, stepping aside. "Of course! Oh, it's so good to see you, Hinata-sama. The compound just didn't feel as happy a place without you here."

It was a touching sentiment, one Hinata thanked the maid earnestly for. It did feel good to step back inside, despite knowing what lie ahead of her. With what seemed like the rest of her clan at her back, Hinata felt like she could face her father with confidence.

But it was not Hiashi that Hinata encountered first. They had not been back at the compound 10 seconds before Hinata nearly ran straight into her younger sister, who had just come from the kitchen.

Hanabi stared at her sister for several seconds, trying to make sure she wasn't just seeing things. When she decided that Hinata was in fact here, her face turned sour.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded quietly. She noticed Naruto. "And what's he doing here?"

"Imōto, I came to see you and Neji-niisan…and Father. I need to speak with him about what happened. But before I do, I would like to talk to you too."

Hanabi tried to walk away. "There's nothing left to say. Neji told me everything. I get it. You don't need to try and convince me."

Her tone betrayed what she truly wanted, and Hinata saw that right away. "Please, Hanabi-chan… I want to make things right between us."

Her younger sister stared back at her, defiant. Her eyes softened, and for a moment, Hinata could see the scared girl she had left behind. Hanabi quickly covered those feelings as best she could.

"Fine. But I want to talk in private. Meaning _he_," she said, pointing at Naruto, "will need to stay here."

Hinata turned around, silently asking Naruto to stay put in the kitchen. He smiled at them, and took a seat at the table. He didn't say anything, but Hinata knew he wished them well.

Hanabi grabbed onto Hinata's hand, and dragged her down the hallway, towards her room. Immediately after the door had been locked behind them, Hanabi turned on her sister.

"Why did you have to leave?" she shouted, her face red. Privacy didn't seem to matter to her anymore; she needed to vent these feelings. "Why did you have to be so selfish?"

Hinata held her ground. "If Neji-niisan told you everything, you would know that I am not being selfish. I cannot call this place home if Father wants to keep me from Naruto-kun. I love him, and I want to be with him. If Father doesn't want that, than he doesn't have to deal with me anymore."

"But I still do!" Hanabi growled. "Ever since you left, he's been paying even less attention to me than he usually does! You're lucky; you have someone like Naruto who really likes you and wants to spend all his time with you. All I have is Neji and Father, and neither of them—"

She stopped speaking, taking several deep breaths. "You left me behind. Just like Mother, and just like Father. It made me feel like I wasn't wanted by anyone other than the council, and all they want me for is the next head of the clan."

Hinata was in shock. She had never seen her sister like this, never in her life. The aloof, teasing relationship they had shared was completely absent.

Hanabi fell backwards onto her bed, pushing back tears that threatened to fall. "You were always the lucky one. Everybody always treated you nicer and paid more attention to you, and you got to be with Mother, if only for a few years. I can't even picture what she looks like."

"Hanabi-chan…" Hinata reached out to her sister, but she slapped the hand away.

"I told you not to call me that!" Hanabi hissed. "I don't get to be a child! I never got to be a child! If I wasn't being trained until I couldn't feel my arms and legs, I was being lectured that I would be the head of the clan someday! You got to run around and chase after your stupid Naruto-kun!"

It became too much for Hanabi. She brought her knees to her chest, and began to cry. All the world had been pressed down upon her, and the only person who had held her up had gone.

Hinata rushed to her sister's side, wrapping her arms around her, cradling her head and whispering soft words in her ear.

"You were the only person who didn't treat me like I was nothing more than a trophy member of the clan. You treated me like a little sister…I miss that. I never got the chance to be with Mother, I don't get it with Father, and Neji-niisan is more than a bodyguard than anything else…you were the only one…"

They fell silent for a time. Hinata held her sister close as a _lifetime_ of frustration and pent-up anger let fly. Her sister kicked and wailed, wailed and sobbed in her jacket, whispering hateful things one second, and apologizing for them another. Eventually the words would no longer come, and Hanabi fell to crying softly next to her sister, as Hinata cooed to her, apologizing again and again.

"I'm sorry, Hanabi-chan…" she found herself calling her sister by her nickname again, but this time Hanabi remained silent on the matter. "I'm so sorry…you have every right to be angry with me. Perhaps…perhaps I was being selfish…" Hinata did not truly believe she was in the wrong, but Hanabi did not need to hear an argument. She needed to hear her sister.

Hanabi shook her head. "I don't r-really think you were being selfish," she said, in between lingering sobs. "I think I w-was just angry with you. Nee-san…you were the closest thing to a mother that I had. I don't have to think about what's expected of me wh-when I'm with you; I can just be myself."

Hinata didn't reply. How could she have not seen it before? Through all the attitude and stubbornness, was a scared little girl crying out for attention. The right kind of attention, not the kind that puts you on a pedestal and forgets you're just another human being. The kind you give to family.

"I remember when Father used to say crying was a sign of weakness," Hanabi joked weakly, wiping her eyes. "But I feel a lot better now. I'm sorry I got so angry with you."

Hinata kneeled in front of her sister, taking her by the hands. "No, Hanabi-chan, you mustn't think like that! You have every right to be upset with me. I…never knew you felt this way. I should have seen it before now. I'm sorry to have neglected you like this."

"But you have every right to be happy, just like I do!" Hanabi protested, an opinion rare for a child her age. "I don't want to take Naruto away from you just so you can go home. I know that's not fair."

"Naruto-kun and I are here to talk with Father, Hanabi-chan," Hinata said firmly, kissing her sister's forehead. "I have loved my time spent with Naruto-kun, but we will be going on missions again soon, and we will see each other less. I'm going to talk with Father. I can forgive him, but he has to understand that I love Naruto-kun, and nothing he says can change that. He's scared for my safety, I understand that, but it is part of our duty as shinobi, and Naruto-kun will protect me with his life, just as I would do the same."

Hanabi smiled a little. "You really like that idiot, don't you?"

"More than you can imagine," Hinata replied. "You might not understand it now, but he means so much to me."

"Yeah yeah, Neji-niisan told me that once before," Hanabi said, reverting back to her old self. "I think I get that I don't get it yet."

Hinata laughed softly. "Are you feeling better? Would you like me to stay with you for a little longer?"

Hanabi shook her head. "I think I'll be okay. Maybe I just needed you to hear that, or maybe I just needed to tell _someone_, but I feel a lot better. I still hope you'll come home, but I won't be mad if you don't. I hope Father comes around."

"I hope Father comes around as well, Hanabi-chan." Hinata stood up, taking her sister up with her. Once more, she wrapped her into a delicate hug, and gently squeezed her.

"I love you too, Hanabi-chan. I want you to know that. Whatever happens, if I stay with Naruto-kun or if I come home, I will love you."

Hanabi hugged back. "I love you too, Nee-san."

* * *

><p>Hinata found her father sitting in one of the clan's meeting rooms, alone. The shades had been drawn, leaving very little light left in the room.<p>

At first, Hinata did not reveal her presence, and watched her father for a few moments. He moved sluggishly, lacking the grave sternness that usually accompanied him. Perhaps what everyone else had been saying was true; perhaps Hiashi truly regretted what had happened between him and his eldest daughter.

"Otō-san…" she said quietly, attracting his attention. He jolted up in surprise, and stared at her, trying to see if she was real.

"Hinata?" he murmured, blinking several times. "Is that you?" He reached out towards her, but Hinata stepped back.

She nodded. "Yes, Otō-san, it's me. Naruto-kun and I came here together."

Hiashi's face darkened for a moment, but it quickly disappeared. "Hinata, I—"

"You will let me speak." Hinata's voice was firm, and unyielding. "You will hear what I have to say."

She took a deep breath. "Otō-san…I am still upset about what happened between us. That you would have done such a thing to your own daughter…I am disappointed. But you are still my father, and I want to let you know that I forgive you. I do not want to let this go unresolved."

Hiashi stared at his daughter, wide-eyed. His mouth refused to obey him, despite the many things he wanted to tell her, to say to her. Broken and lost, Hiashi was amazed his daughter was still willing to forgive him, without any prior action on his part.

"But I cannot call this place home if you refuse to accept my feelings for Naruto-kun. I cannot live somewhere that thinks of him as someone to be feared. Naruto-kun has never hurt me, nor will he ever hurt me in the future. If you are willing to accept this, I will come home."

Hiashi stood. His posture was lopsided, and he looked like he hadn't shaved in days as he approached his daughter. "Hinata…my daughter…you've grown so much in the short time you have been gone. Truly, someone who the Hyūga clan would be proud of."

"I do not care if I make the clan proud," Hinata said coldly. "That has never mattered to me."

Hiashi's mouth drew into a thin line. "I am sorry if I chose the wrong words, my daughter. I do not know where to begin…"

He clasped his hands around each other. "I am scared, scared to lose my daughter just as I had lost your mother. You remind me so much of her—it is painful to imagine."

"You cannot think this way," Hinata insisted. "I am a shinobi, the same as you. It is something you must learn to deal with. Dragging Naruto-kun into this because of something that was not his fault was a horrible thing to do."

Hiashi frowned. "But Hinata, if only you knew—" He stopped himself, holding back his words. "If…only you knew how much you meant to me."

"Then perhaps it is time you _show_ me. Please, do not blame Naruto-kun anymore. He will protect me with his life, just as I will do the same for him."

Her father's expression was blank, despite the whirlwind of emotion hiding behind his cold, tired eyes. Hinata stared back defiantly. She was going to do what she wanted, no matter what he said, that much Hiashi knew. It was true; she truly had grown so much during her absence from the compound, more than he could have ever done for her.

"Despite what has happened between us, Otō-san…I still love you." Hinata reached out with a tiny hand, and took Hiashi's own for a brief moment.

Hiashi nearly fell apart. He had not heard Hinata's voice; he had heard Hanako's, his beloved wife's voice. Instead of his daughter, he was staring at his wife. It took every ounce of strength he had not to collapse then and there. As he watched Hinata start to leave, it felt like that night all over again.

"Hinata!" he called out suddenly, reaching out towards her hand. "Could you send in Naruto? There is something I would like to speak with him about. I promise you, here and now, I do not mean him any harm."

Hinata eyed her father cautiously, but nodded. She pulled away from his hands, and went to collect Naruto, who was still waiting patiently in the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"What? He wants to talk to me? About what?" Naruto was worried why Hiashi would want to speak with him alone.<p>

"I do not know, but he did not seem angry," Hinata replied. "Naruto-kun, I think you should go."

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked. "I mean, I know you forgave him and all, but I don't know if _I_ can."

"It would mean a lot to me," Hinata said. "Please, Naruto-kun. Maybe this will be what he needs to see you for who you are."

Naruto contemplated it for a moment, and nodded. He would do this for Hinata. After asking where he could find him, Naruto went to Hiashi.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Naruto…" Hiashi said quietly, before Naruto had even announced his arrival. "I trust you are well?"<p>

Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess. What's this about?"

Hiashi almost laughed. "Straight to the point. Admirable. Please, have a seat."

Naruto did as he was asked, sitting down at the opposite end of the table. He rapped his knuckles nervously against the hardwood, while Hiashi collected his thoughts.

"Naruto…do you remember why I was so afraid for my daughter?" Hiashi asked quietly.

He did. "Yeah, you said you were worried that Hinata might die, just like her mom."

"I think it is time you hear what happened that night, Naruto."

The blonde threw his hands up in defense. "I don't really think I should hear this before Hinata, Pops. It's not my place."

But Hiashi turned around, and Naruto could see the hurt in his eyes. "Please. I beg this of you."

Despite every part of his brain screaming at him to leave, Naruto remained in his seat. He couldn't leave Hiashi like this, he just couldn't.

"She died on a mission, Naruto," Hiashi began, "just like many shinobi do. But this was no ordinary mission. She was summoned in the middle of the night, sent out on an urgent rescue. Someone had been kidnapped from the village, and she was one of the finest trackers in the entire Hyūga clan. Her eyes were unparalleled."

Hiashi sat back down. "She was to help three others recover the missing person, to help locate the enemy, and eliminate them if need be. But she did not come back. No one did."

Naruto leaned forward anxiously. "What happened?" A part of him, deep down inside, did not want to know the answer, but the urge to know the truth hounded his thoughts.

"No one truly knows; there were no survivors. When another team was sent out to find them, they only found the bodies, and the evidence of a great power unleashed around them. Trees were uprooted, boulders reduced to dust. My wife's body could not be found."

His eyes turned hard, and they looked straight at Naruto, boring deep inside him to his very soul. "They only found a little boy, sitting among the corpses, and covered in blood. That blood was the only evidence that my wife had even been there."

Naruto's blood ran cold. "…who was the little boy?" he asked, his entire body trembling. Hiashi turned around, and he looked more like a corpse than a man. His lips drew into a thin line, and his entire body went rigid.

"You."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I don't think I've left you on such an evil cliffhanger in a long time. I figured you were due for one, yes? Mua. Ha. Ha.

-Don't forget to tune into my live-stream tonight at 10:00pm EST! I hope to see you there!

Until next time.


	48. Blood on My Hands? Back to the Sand!

**Author's Note: **And here we are! A new chapter, to soothe your aching hearts! I left you with quite the cliffy, no?

-I'd like to take a minute and thank all of you who reviewed last time, after I asked more of you to be vocal. Like I said then, I'm not asking for more reviews. I'm asking for more of you to tell me what you like, and especially what you would like to see or dislike. There is ALWAYS room for improvement, and this chapter is a great example. I did some major heavy editing last night, because after I had some very helpful discussions with **OGAFazer89AC **and **Magnato**, I realized what a PIECE OF SHIT this chapter was. Seriously, I would have been ashamed I had put out something so bad. There were some ideas that were just ridiculous and silly, and I was idiotic not to realize that. They are the perfect example of what I hoped to see more of. We had an earnest discussion about what I did and didn't do, and what I could and couldn't do. It was incredibly helpful, and I hope many of you will follow suit. Let your voices be heard!

-Uhhhh, I really can't think of anything else I want to say, which is weird, since I'm usually such a talkative sunuvabitch. I guess we should just get to it, then.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 30 - Blood on Naruto's Hands? Back to the Sand!<strong>

"Wh-what did you just say?" Naruto asked, in a shaking voice. His knees suddenly felt very weak, and he had to lean against a chair to keep his balance. Was there a mistake? Had he…had he misheard Hiashi.

But the Hyūga head did not move. His body was as stiff as a board, and he stared at Naruto with a look so intense, Naruto felt a heat in his chest. He did not seem entirely angry; he seemed confused as well.

"You were the only one they found alive, Naruto. You were covered in blood and grime, and you were unconscious. No one knew what happened, and when you awoke, you could not remember anything. The Sandaime refused to reopen the case, since you were recovered safe and sound. There were those of us who…_protested_ this, but he never told us anything more."

Hiashi turned to Naruto. Never before had he felt so uncomfortable looking into the eyes of a Hyūga until now. Hiashi seemed entirely lost, like a man plucked from his time and dropped wherever it suited those in power. The blank, white eyes searched Naruto's face for answers, but could find none.

"Do you see why I am scared now, boy?" he asked, stepping closer to Naruto. "I cannot bear to think that the same thing that has happened to Hanakō will happen to Hinata. She and Hanabi are all I have left."

"But what 'happened'?" Naruto asked. His palms were sweaty, and his heartbeat pounded in his throat. "What are you saying?"

"Are you so blind that you do not realize?" Hiashi asked, his voice terribly quiet. "You know as well as I do…what was done…what was _unleashed_."

And then it hit Naruto. He stumbled backwards, falling to the floor. Hiashi's face began to distort and convulse; his eyes glowed red, and a deep rumbling came from his stomach. He heard bloodcurdling screams, felt warm blood splash his face, and saw a pair of white eyes stare back at him. They mocked him, horrified him, and turned to jelly, dribbling down his cheeks like streams of bubbling pitch.

Naruto crawled backwards, overcome by a surge of fear. He told himself that what he saw was not real, but as Hiashi reached out to touch him, he recoiled in disgust.

"Please, Naruto—you know what must be done!" Hiashi said firmly, his face contorted as he tried to control himself. "Do what is necessary to protect my daughter. Leave her be, and let her go."

_Let her go._

_Let her go._

They echoed in Naruto's ears, until the sound was deafening. He could not breathe; he needed to get out of here. Naruto leaped to his feet, and he raced to the door as quickly as his legs could carry him. Anywhere but here, he told himself—he needed to get away.

But Hiashi was fast. He grabbed onto Naruto's wrist with great strength, and held him there.

"Please, you must not tell Hinata!" he pleaded. "If she were to find out, it would kill her to realize that you—"

"Shut up!" Naruto shouted, in a shrill voice. "Shut up, shut up!" The thought of Hinata learning what he had done…it was too much for the boy. He wrenched himself free from Hiashi's grasp, and ran.

Hiashi stood there, arm outstretched, like he still held onto Naruto. He look at his hand, flexed his fingers. What he had done…it was what was necessary to protect his daughter. So why did he feel like he had made a terrible mistake?

He walked to the window, and pushed aside some of the blinds, to let the sun in. He could see the garden from here; it looked beautiful drinking in the warmth of the sun. But a cloud moved in the way of the sun, covering everything in shadow.

"Hinata, my daughter…forgive me."

* * *

><p>The corridors of the Hyūga compound confused Naruto. He went left and right, back and forth, trying to find his way out before he lost his mind. In his haste, he stumbled out into the garden.<p>

The fresh air filled his lungs, and he felt his body begin to relax. That is, until he saw the memorial dedicated to Hinata's mother standing there, underneath the tree.

_Let her go_.

He saw Hinata standing in front of her mother's grave, crying hysterically. She turned around, and it was Hanakō herself that stared back him. He saw blood fall from her eyes, and watched as she grew into a monstrosity, with nine massive tails and red, evil eyes.

His eyes bulged, spittle drained from his mouth, and his muscles convulsed wildly. This could not be happening. Hiashi had made a mistake, or someone was lying. They had to be.

But no matter how many times he told himself over and over again that this could not be true, his heart refused to listen to him. A part of him, deep down, was afraid that was Hiashi had told him was the truth.

That he had been responsible for Hanako's death.

"Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun, are you alright?"

'_Let her go'_, he heard a voice say.

His eyes darted upwards, and he saw Hinata looking down at him, worried. He could not see her; he only saw a corpse, maggots wriggling in the pale flesh. He drew back in fear.

"What's the matter? Are you alright?" he heard Hinata ask. She sounded just as scared as he was. She was shaking him, her voice growing more and more strained. But he didn't hear anything she said; it all sounded like another language to him. He shook his head, confused.

What should he say? Should he even say anything at all. He was at a complete loss for words. There wasn't any time to think.

Hinata bit her lip. "Naruto-kun please, what's wrong? You're so cold, and you're sweating. What happened? Please, tell me!"

Naruto shook his head several times. He gently pushed her away from him. The touch of her skin on his fingertips felt like fire.

Finally, he found his voice. "I…I'm fine. Maybe I ate something bad. I d-don't know…"

There was nothing he could think of to do. How could he tell Hinata what Hiashi had told him? How could he look her in the eye, and watch her fall apart?

_Let her go._

That was what Hiashi had told him. Hinata would be safe, if he did as Hiashi had asked. Naruto could protect her, if he let her go.

'_No!'_ a voice in his head screamed. _'If you do that, you let him win! You'll lose the only person who's ever made you this happy! You'll lose her forever!"_

'_**And what if she dies?' **_another voice said. _**'Can he bear to face her death by his hands, when he can protect her? No one was meant to control this power. It must be kept away.'**_

Naruto wanted to bang his fists against his forehead, to drown out the voices shrieking in his mind. But he felt Hinata's tiny hands hold onto his, stroking them with smooth fingers, and he truly heard her voice for the first time, trying to calm him down.

He looked at her, and felt calm. Inside, his mind whirled and spun with confusion, but he pushed it away. It was hard, but he pushed it away. There would be time to deal with this later. If Hinata asked too many questions, he feared he would no longer have a choice for what he wanted to do.

Naruto took a deep breath, and smiled. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do up to that point. "Heh…I'm feeling much better, Hinata! Thanks!"

She was not convinced. "Naruto, you look horrible. Please, what happened between you and Father? Did he…did he tell you anything?"

Naruto froze. Hinata's searched bore holes into his body, and he dared not look back. "N-no…nothing really interesting. He just told me it would take time to get used to the idea. Haha, but that's a step in the right direction, right?"

"Naruto-kun…"

He shook himself free, getting to his feet. "I told you, I'm feeling much better now! Maybe I just needed some fresh air."

"You know you can tell me anything, right Naruto-kun? If there's _anything_ you need to tell me, I will listen."

Naruto struggled to keep his mask. Hinata looked so compassionate, and so willing to hear. Maybe—maybe she would understand…

And then he looked at her. She was ready to listen to him, ready to accept whatever it was he would tell her, and love him no matter what. She had no idea. He couldn't tell her. Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

He nodded, slowly. "I know, Hinata. Trust me, I'm fine, okay? Is there something you needed?"

Hinata did not look ready to let go of this, but Naruto put on his best happy face, and assured her that he felt much better, over and over. Maybe she believed him, or maybe she knew that he wouldn't tell her. Either way, she dropped it—for now.

She looked back towards the door. "Yes…Tsunade-sama has asked for us in her office, as soon as possible. It sounded urgent."

It was a god send. Naruto had some time to breathe, to think about what he should do. It did not matter to him what the mission was or where he might be going. He was grateful for the chance to sort this out.

But still, pit pained him greatly every time Hinata looked at him or smiled at him. She loved him and trusted him; it was maddening to keep this inside. But he had to. At least until he could find the truth, from whoever would be willing to tell him.

And there was only one who would know what had truly happened.

* * *

><p>Tsunade was waiting calmly in her office, when Naruto and Hinata arrived. Sakura and Kakashi were also there, talking in hushed tones, while Shikamaru stood against the wall, arms folded.<p>

"There was a hawk from Suna," Tsunade began immediately, holding up a small scroll for all to see. "It was a message requesting that any and all puppeteers that might be visiting other villages for whatever reason return to Suna as quickly as possible."

Sakura shrugged. "So what? That sounds normal enough."

"I have my doubts. We received a guest last night, and she has a very different story of what's going on in the Land of Wind. I will take you to her."

Tsunade stood from her desk. "All of you, follow me. Naruto and Hinata, you two are off probation. You have a new mission."

* * *

><p>Far beneath her office, down several corridors few people saw, she led them into a room Naruto had never seen before, small and unfurnished. The real Temari was waiting for them, battered and bruised, but alive. Shikamaru casually walked over to her, and watched her carefully. When she didn't move, or even acknowledge their presence, he lightly touched her shoulder. She jolted, and looked up at him. He didn't smile, but the look he gave her was comforting anyway.<p>

"Tell them what you told me," Tsunade said gently, addressing the shaken young woman. Temari rose unsteadily to her feet.

"The Sand has been attacked." Her mouth was dry. It was so hard to say those words. It meant they were true, that she wouldn't wake up, and that this wasn't just a bad dream.

Naruto gritted his teeth. "What? What happened? Is Gaara—"

"I don't know about Gaara, and I don't know about Kankurō either. It was in the middle of the night; no one even knew what was happening until they were already under attack. I was sent here with Baki and that prisoner you guys recovered the last time you were in the Land of Wind." Temari looked away angrily. Clearly, she was not happy.

Hinata glanced at Naruto. His brow was furrowed, and he was staring at the ground. Raiā was here, in the village? She was worried for Naruto, and reached out with a gentle hand to comfort him, but to her shock, Naruto pushed it away. There was a deep pain in his eyes. It scared her.

But she couldn't just take him away and demand to know what was wrong. They were both bound by their duty, and Tsunade did not look to be in the mood to be lenient about that sort of thing. So Hinata forced her eyes back to Temari, and tried to concentrate on her.

"Who attacked the village?" Kakashi asked. "Was it the Akatsuki again?"

Temari sighed. "You probably won't believe me when I tell you…" She took a deep breath. "It was Monzaemon Chikamatsu, the first Puppet Master of Sunagakure, and the Shodai Kazekage."

To the younger shinobi there, that didn't mean much to them, except that he should be dead. But Tsunade and Kakashi looked visibly surprised.

Tsunade shook her head several times, clearing her head. "How is that possible? If what you're saying is true, you're talking about a man who should be long dead!"

"If Sasori learned how to extend his life, who's to say other puppeteers haven't?" Temari replied. "I don't know why, but he just started attacking us, out of nowhere. We were all told in the Academy that he was assassinated a long time ago. Someone was lying, apparently."

"Then that hawk must have been sent by him," Tsunade told everyone. "He must want all the puppeteers he can find back at the village. Why, we don't know yet."

"But what about Baki?" Naruto asked, worried. "Didn't Temari say she was with him on their way here?"

Everyone looked to Temari. Her eyes were at the floor, and her hands clenched into fists.

"We were only a few dozen kilometers away from the village, right where the forest begins, when these _things_ attacked us. They had to be puppets, because every time we knocked one down or defeated another, they just got right back up."

"But the puppeteer had to have been somewhere nearby, right?" Sakura asked. "They were hiding in the trees or something."

Temari shook her head. "There was no one. I leveled the entire forest to try and find him. Baki told me he would hold them off while I escaped with Raiā, but…he…"

Shikamaru's grip on her shoulder tightened as she struggled to remain calm. Everyone else looked on, helpless.

Tsunade's eyes turned hard. "You four were at the Sand the last time. You four will be going back there and stopping this Monzaemon from whatever it is he wants to do."

"What about Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked. "He w-was with us as well."

"I'm sorry Hinata, but we need someone with more tactical prowess, which is why Shikamaru is here. If this man is a puppeteer as Temari says, you will be needed to help locate his chakra signature, wherever it might be. Sakura will be going to assist healing those injured, and Naruto and Kakashi will be the main attacking force."

She turned to Temari. "I wish we could send more people with you, but any more will make their movements too noticeable. Naruto and Kakashi should be enough to help Sunagakure, especially with a mind like Shikamaru's behind them."

"You will be going to back to the Sand, to free the village from Monzaemon Chikamatsu by any means necessary. Lethal force has been formally requested by Temari and Gaara themselves. The Sand has come to our aid many times, as have we to theirs. This is a relationship that must be preserved. The entire village is counting on you. Everyone meet at the front gate in exactly one hour."

Everyone else had been quick to leave, but Naruto lagged behind, watching Tsunade to wait until she was done with Temari.

"Hey..." his voice was quiet, so much so, that Tsunade didn't even realize it was his voice until she turned around. "I need to ask you a question," he said.

"Naruto, now's not the time-" Tsunade began.

"I need to know!"

Tsunade stiffened. Naruto sounded lost, and confused. He was not like this often. "...Fine. Maybe I can help you. What do you need?"

He struggled to find the words. "Was there ever a time when...well, I don't really know, this may just all be a stupid worry...but, did I ever-did I ever get kidnapped from the village or...something?"

Tsunade did well to hide what she thought. To Naruto, her face was completely blank. "Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"I dunno, I just have this bad feeling about it. Did something like that happen, and no one's told me? Shouldn't I be allowed to know?" Naruto asked with a shrug.

Tsunade turned around briskly. "There are some things no one was meant to know, Naruto. We'll discuss this when you get back, but not a moment sooner."

"But-"

"I don't want to hear any argument!" Tsunade said, angrily. "You have a mission to handle, and this is the last thing you need on your mind! Now, get out of here!"

Naruto turned around, and scowled. She had been of no help, as he had feared. That left only one person, or _thing_, who might know what had happened, and Naruto wasn't sure that he'd be willing to say anything about it. It would be hard, but Naruto wanted the truth more than he wanted to avoid conflict.

The Hokage watched him go. He even walked differently, like a heavy burden had been forced on his shoulders, and he no longer had the strength to lift it anymore. Tsunade sighed, deeply. Some days, she wished she had passed up the offer to be Hokage.

* * *

><p>This was what Naruto was waiting for. The quiet of his apartment was a welcome sight to see, and he stumbled inside, panting heavily.<p>

Little Miso had been waiting for him, wagging his tail faster and faster. But dogs are empathetic creatures by nature, and even he could see something was bothering him.

"What's happening to me?" Naruto asked out loud, as Miso hopped into his lap. "What Pops was talking about…he couldn't be telling the truth, could he?"

Miso tilted his head to one side. He was worried just the same as Naruto was.

"The only person who would know the truth, is the last person I want to talk about this," Naruto explained. "What if he just lies to me, and tells me that regardless of what actually happened? I wouldn't put it past him…"

He sighed. "But there's no other way I'm going to find out. It's a risk I have to take."

Naruto closed his eyes, drawing himself into his own mind. A familiar cage stood in front of him, and behind its bars, a familiar face stared down at him.

"I know you were listening…" Naruto muttered. "I need to know. Is what Hiashi said true? Did I…"

He had to take a few seconds to breathe and calm himself down. "Did I kill Hinata's mom?" his voice was pleading, and desperate. The Kyūbi found it pitiful.

But there was a strange look in the demon's eyes. Naruto could not discern what he was thinking, but he did not feel worried. At least, he did not until he realized the Kyūbi had said nothing

"Well?" he asked. "What happened? You know, don't you?"

"**WHY WOULD I TELL YOU? I RATHER LIKE WATCHING YOU SQUIRM, BOY. DOES IT HURT? DOES IT HURT THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW IF YOU SLAUGHTERED THAT WOMAN IN COLD BLOOD?"**

"I-I didn't do anything!" Naruto insisted. "Even if he was telling the truth, that was you, not me!"

"**AND YET YOU FEEL YOU ARE TO BLAME. WHAT USE IS TELLING **_**ME**_** THAT IT IS MY FAULT WHEN YOU YOURSELF DO NO BELIEVE IT?" **The Kyūbi smiled. **"I THINK DEEP DOWN, YOU KNOW YOU DID IT. **_**YOU**_** KILLED THE HYŪGA WOMAN."**

"How do I know you're not lying?" Naruto demanded. "You hate Hinata! You would tell me if that meant I left her alone, wouldn't you!"

"**WOULD I? I WONDER…" **The Kyūbi paced back and forth in his cage, watching Naruto carefully. **"BUT I **_**KNOW**_** YOU, BOY. PERHAPS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. I KNOW HOW YOU THINK, AND WHAT YOU BELIEVE, WHEN NO ONE ELSE DOES. YOU WILL LEAVE HER YOURSELF, WITH OR WITHOUT MY HELP. I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT?"**

He suddenly lurched forward, digging his claws through the spaces of the bars. **"YOU DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN, DON'T YOU? IT WOULD BE **_**SO**_** TRAGIC TO HAVE THE HYŪGA GIRL DIE THE SAME WAY AS HER MOTHER. WHAT DO YOU THINK? TELL ME NARUTO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?"**

The Kyūbi started to laugh, sneering in the darkness of his cave. He mocked Naruto again and again, roaring that he hoped he had ripped the flesh from her bones, forcing her through the most agonizing death possible.

But Naruto was not listening. He knew the Kyūbi would say whatever he could to drive him over the edge, and he knew he had to resist. The beast had been no help at all.

It would be harder to look Hinata in the eye, hard to do anything at all with her if he did not get some answers. When he came back, he would talk to Hiashi, Tsunade…anyone who could help him sort this out. It was paramount. He did not know if he could force Hinata to stay with him, as long as he had this doubt in his heart. He would not force her through that kind of pain.

No matter how much he cared for her.

Naruto mindlessly cobbled together his supplies. He left ample food for Miso to get into should he get hungry, as well as left the window open so he could come and go as he pleased. Before he left, he suddenly remembered Shino's gift to him. Those bugs that feed on pests and dirt and stuff could clean his apartment while he was gone! It was a small joy, but he took it anyway.

The insects buzzed angrily when Naruto opened the box. They were not happy to have been literally kept in the dark this entire time, but now that they had their freedom, they scurried away into the dusty corners and messy hallways of Naruto's apartment to begin their work. Naruto mumbled a hasty apology, and hurried out the door, with his gear packed and ready to go.

* * *

><p>Their camp had been set for the night. Under Tsunade's direction, they were not to travel too fast under the risk they tire themselves out. That decision had not sat well with Temari, but she knew it was the right thing to do. They couldn't very well attack Monzaemon if they were all exhausted.<p>

A fire had been started, and their group sat around the flames, watching them flitter away into the night sky. Everyone had their thoughts, and their worries.

Temari hugged her knees to her chest. She had never felt so…vulnerable, before. She hadn't been able to do anything when Gaara had been kidnapped, but this was even worse. Gaara had actively sent her away with Raiā while the whole village was under siege. She could not begin to understand why Gaara considered that man so valuable.

She looked at Naruto. Gaara had told her that there was the possibility they were related, both being of the Uzumaki clan. But neither of them was of the Sand. Temari admired and respected Naruto for all he had done for their village and for her brother, but the selfish side of her could not shake the feeling that she could have prevented this had she not been sent away with that Uzumaki traitor.

Naruto could not even concentrate on the mission at hand. Hinata sat near him, holding onto his hand and leaning against his shoulder. He did not know what to do. This kind of contact had felt so warm and comforting to him, but now it felt an alien and disgusting thing to do. He wanted to push her away, tell her that she deserved someone much better, but he couldn't. She would know something was wrong.

Little did he know, Hinata _was_ aware something was wrong.

Naruto had looked like a complete mess when she had found him in the garden. His eyes were bloodshot and wide, and he smelled of sweat and bile. It scared Hinata to death to see him like that. Her father had to have had a hand in this, that much she knew, but she had not had the time to bring this to him and demand of him what he had said to Naruto. Even once they returned, her father might be tempted to lie or say anything to put Hinata at ease.

She was starting to regret forgiving him. That sinking feeling that Hiashi was responsible for whatever was on Naruto's mind dogged after her relentlessly, plaguing her thoughts. She had tried to ask Naruto about it several times, but could never find the words. He would look away and mumble about something he suddenly needed to do, and would leave. She had stopped trying for now, since the mission was now what was most important, but she clung to him desperately, aching for him to know that she was there for him if he needed her.

Naruto sighed deeply. He had tried several other times to coerce more information out of the Kyūbi about what had happened, but the beast had remained decidedly tight-lipped about as many details as he could. The monster enjoyed watching Naruto squirm with all the doubt and sadness welling up inside him. Naruto did not even have the strength to push it down, to not give the Kyūbi the satisfaction. He could only let the demon have his fun, and hope that it would be willing to tell him more sometime in the future.

Kakashi leaned forward from the tree he was leaning against. "I suppose now would be a good time to discuss what we'll be doing." His voice surprised everyone there, having all been wrapped up in their own thoughts.

He walked over, and sat down in between Naruto and Shikamaru. "Temari used an old escape tunnel hidden in the Kazekage's building to flee the village without Monzaemon knowing. It was installed after his supposed 'assassination', which is probably why he didn't know about her escape until she was far from the village. If he's trying to gather all the other puppeteers back to the village for one purpose, he's at least keeping the people of Suna alive."

"Do we know why?" Sakura asked. "I don't know what it is, but I have this terrible feeling."

"You're not the only one," Shikamaru grunted. "But we won't know until we get there."

He sighed. "I just don't know about that message sent out to the other villages. To me, it seems like this guy was sending us a message, a message that he's confident in his strength and that he doesn't think we can stop him. Whatever this Monzaemon guy was like in the past, enough to be the first Kazekage, we have to assume he's even more dangerous by now."

Temari shivered in her seat. "Why would he want to attack his village, after all this time? It just doesn't make any sense! We've done nothing to warrant this kind of hatred."

"Every village has done _something_," Kakashi said quietly. "No village has a clean history. Something must have happened to set him off. If I had to take a guess, it probably has to do with Puppetry. Maybe it's become something he hates, or maybe he wants to unite all the puppeteers against the rest of the shinobi. Under his direction, if what you say about him is true, that would be a frightening scenario."

Naruto smashed his fist into his palm. Best to act normal when he could. "He doesn't sound so tough! Sakura-chan beat the crap out of the Sasori, so why couldn't all of us do the same?"

"Sakura won't be with us, Naruto," Kakashi informed him. "Everybody plays their part. Sakura will need to spend her time healing the other shinobi of Suna to get them back on their feet, and because Hinata specialized in close-combat, she will go with Sakura to watch out for her. Shikamaru will coordinate a strategy for both them and us, who will be going after Monzaemon himself once we find out where he's hiding, probably using Hinata's Byakugan. Whatever Temari does is either up to her, or up to Gaara, provided he's not—"

"Don't say that," Temari muttered, steel in her voice. "I don't ever want to hear that."

Kakashi would not relent. He knew better than to hold onto that kind of blind hope. "It's a real possibility, Temari. Gaara cares greatly for his people, and has lost his life once before defending them. It might happen again. I would be proud to have a brother like that."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Gaara's one of the best ninja I know. There's no way he'd let himself get beat by some guy with a bunch of stupid puppets! I bet he'll have them defeated before we even get there!"

Their words of support did little to console Temari. As she stared at the fire, horrible images flashed through her mind. She saw the village on fire, its people killed in the middle of the street. She saw Gaara hanging from strings, like another one of Monzaemon's puppets. Even when she squeezed her eyes shut, she could see those images. It became unbearable. She suddenly stood from the group, and asked to be dismissed, disappearing into the trees.

Shikamaru grunted. "I'll go take of her…troublesome woman." He started off after her, leaving everyone else to themselves by the warmth of the fire.

Temari felt more comfortable in the cold and the darkness, away from the camp. The desert nights could be freezing, all year round, and they reminded her of home. The home that she wanted to go back to, not the home she feared she would find when they came back.

"Moping about this isn't going to solve anything," she heard a voice from behind her say. The lazy drawl told her it was Shikamaru.

"You don't know what it's like," she said lowly. "You're village has some of the best shinobi I've ever seen. You guys have taken care of yourselves again and again, and we always have to ask for your help."

"I'll repeat what I said; moping about it isn't going to solve anything."

Temari spun around. Her eyes flashed with anger. "What the hell is your problem? Forgive me if I don't want to imagine my entire village burned to the ground, and my brothers, my _only_ living family, dead!"

Shikamaru didn't get any closer, but he kept his cool. "You may have forgotten, but I watched my sensei die in front of me, when I could do nothing to help him. I had to sit by and put all my hopes, the entire village's hopes, on the shoulders of Naruto when the village was under attack from the Akatsuki, and this was _after_ they demolished the entire village and killed most of its inhabitants. I learned a long time ago that you can't expect everything to be perfect and wonderful upon your return."

He sat down next to her. She scooted away a short distance, but at least she wasn't beating him senseless. That was a good sign.

"Everybody has skeletons in their closet. We all have doubts, and fears, and things we never want to see come to fruition. But our doubts, our fears…some of them are bound to come true, no matter what we do. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can move on to the next step."

Temari snorted. "And that is?"

"Making sure it never happens again."

"You're too smart for your own good, you know that?" Temari lightly jabbed him on the arm. Shikamaru didn't move.

"Not as smart as I could be. Maybe if I had been smarter, I could have saved Asuma-sensei. Maybe if I had been smarter, Naruto wouldn't have had to face Pain alone. But all of that is in the past, I've accepted that I was weak back then. And I promise myself now that I won't let that happen anymore."

He grunted to himself. Why he was spilling everything out in the middle of the woods with some pushy girl from another village, Shikamaru didn't know. He didn't bother any of his time thinking about it.

"Whatever's happened at the Sand while you've been gone was by no fault of your own; you had no control over what happened, because Gaara gave you a job, and you did it. You don't have to be plagued by thoughts of what you could have or might have done if you had been there; you're free from that. All you have to do is be ready to accept whatever's happened, and be ready to make sure it never happens again."

Shikamaru kicked a pebble away from his foot. It smacked against another one nearby, and that one toppled into a ditch. "See what just happened there? A million different things could have happened, and it just so happened to be a chain reaction."

Temari rolled her eyes. "I'll wait for when you get to the point, thank you."

"I've gone through every scenario I can possibly think of, every situation we could encounter when we get there. There are a million others that I'll never be able to see coming, and more than likely, what will happen will be one of those. You're not the only person worried."

"Am I supposed to be comforted by everyone else being worried?" Temari asked sarcastically.

"Yes, you are. It means you're not in this alone. Sakura, Hinata, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto most of all…they're just as worried about your village as you are. They all want to help the best they can, and they will."

A small smile cracked across Temari's exhausted features. "That…that actually helps a little. When did you become so empathetic?"

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulder. "I dunno. You can probably thank Naruto for that. He has a way of inspiring people, I guess."

"You're the luckiest village in the entire world to have a guy like him on your side," Temari said. "I haven't seen someone so powerful in—well, in my entire life. And I'm not talking about raw strength."

"I wish I could say the same about Naruto himself," Shikamaru replied. "He's put up with more shit from the world than most people have sanity for. I would have crumbled a long time ago under that kind of pressure. I don't even know how he does it most of the time. He smiled at the world that hated and despised him, and screams at it that he's going to change it for the better. I guess I've only just started to want to believe in that too."

"Like, I said—lucky." Temari scooted a little closer to Shikamaru. He pretended not to notice. "I wonder what he would have been like if he had been raised in the Sand. Someone with that kind of determination, with that kind of heart…"

"You already have someone like that," Shikamaru reminded her. "Gaara is more like Naruto than you realize. Sure, they got there by completely different paths, but Gaara reminds me a lot of Naruto. Both of them care about their people so much it hurts, and both are willing to give their lives for those people."

Temari looked to the ground, scared that what Shikamaru was saying what was waiting for her. But to her surprise, he reached under her chin, and gently forced her to look back at him.

"And both of them refuse to give up, as long as they can protect those people. Gaara's beaten death before. He'll beat it again."

He was shocked when Temari's arms flew around him, but he did not stop her. He had said he was going to make her feel better, and that was what he did. The hug lasted a little longer than he had expected, and he awkwardly patted her on the back.

"If you tell anyone what happened tonight," she whispered in his ear. "I'll take my fan, and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. Got it?"

Shikamaru had a witty comeback waiting, but as he had said earlier, there was always something that he couldn't expect. And he never could have expected for Temari to plant a quick kiss on his cheek, before getting up, and walking back to the camp.

He looked up at the moon. The clouds had just moved out of the way, and even though it was in the middle of the night, he felt a little warmer.

A small smile split across his face. "Troublesome woman."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Things are really cranking up, I tell you what. Remember, if there's something you don't like or are even a little confused about, let me know, in whatever way you want! I don't bite, I promise.

Also, Imagine Dragons - Radioactive. Holy SHIT that song is good.

Until next time, I suppose.


	49. Cut the Puppet Strings that Bind Suna!

**Author's Note:** Yes, the next chapter is one day early? Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

-I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out tomorrow. Joy. For those of you who are familiar with the process, you're not exactly in your right mind when you come home, nor are you for the next few days. I wanted to get this to you guys before that happens, so yeah.

-Like I said, I'm working on a new summary, but I'll probably keep this old one until Book Two is completed. I would have had it ready today, but I completely flaked on it. Oh well.

-I know I've told you otherwise in the past,** but I've been toying with the idea of getting a Beta.** I realize now that it's kind of hypocritical to say I want this to be the best it can be, when I don't even notice some of the grammar fails in every chapter, so I'm truly sorry for that. If you think you've got the grammar know-how to find and zap out every single issue, be my guest and tell me, and we'll talk. I'll want to test you out and make sure you'll be able to see the things I myself miss, and unless you're an absolute genius with it, English as your first language is preferred. Like I said, I'm just toying with the idea, since I'm not too fond of possibly working with another schedule, as that might make updates longer, but I wanted to put some feelers out anyway. If this sounds egotistical in any way, that's not my intention. After all, this is me admitting that I slip on grammar often enough.

-You'll probably be wondering why this chapter is so much longer. Well, it's because we're gearing up the finale, and I wanted to give you guys longer chapters until Book Two is over. I've been playing with the idea of going back to the longer chapters as well, since I've handled the 2,500 a day quota pretty well so far. Consider it a gift for you awesome people!

-We're less than a hundred reviews away from the big 1K. HOLY SHIT. I love you guys. Who know? Maybe we'll get there in the next two-three chapters wink wink hint hint NUDGE NUDGE. I'll have a bunch to say if we reach that before the end of Book Two, and maybe we can work out something special for that certain person who hits the 1,000 mark ;]

Here are the songs you'll need to have ready to go. Come the next chapter, we'll have more of these:

**(1): /watch?v=DkUkkt4Fid8 **

**(2): /watch?v=gqjdtR1Po-E**

On with the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 31 - Infiltrate! Cut the Puppet Strings that Bind Sunagakure!<strong>

"Wake up," a voice said, striking Raiā across the face. He jolted from unconscious by the sheer force of it.

The elderly man muttered something foul under his breath, smirking. When he was struck again, and his ears started to ring, he decided it was probably best that he didn't piss them off anymore. Whoever 'them' was.

He cracked open one eye, and looked at his newest captor. The piercing bronze eyes of Tsunade stared back at him, and he almost breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like we made it safe and sound," he said, taking a look at his new surroundings. They were certainly nicer than before, but to actually call them 'nice' would be a bit of a stretch. There was at least a bunk this time around, although the mattress looked like it held every disease and pest known to mankind hidden inside. Sleeping on the floor might not be such a bad idea.

Of course, there was also the Hokage standing in front of him, and he himself was tied down to a chair with several chakra suppression seals carved into the shackles that bound his wrists and ankles.

"Tsunade-sama…" he began. "I have to thank you. This is very much an upgrade from my old quarters. Tell me, where are those responsible for bringing me here? I would love to 'thank' them in person."

Tsunade scowled. "One of them died protecting you. That man's life was wasted on you, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you, as it were." Raiā eyed her carefully. "Which one was it? The girl, or the old man with the towel on his head? I bet you know which one I'd prefer to be dead, though both of them would have been even better."

"Watch your mouth, or I'll sew it shut," Tsunade threatened, leaning in close to his face. "That kind of disrespect won't be tolerated in Konoha."

Raiā rolled his eyes. "Oh, am I supposed to be grateful to my captors, for keeping me alive? For delaying the inevitable? Give me some pen and paper; I'll write them a lovely greeting card."

"The Sand has been invaded."

Raiā had not been expecting that. It was certainly an interesting development in the battle he had heard that night, but if he made any snarky comments here, he might not get any details. Better to keep quiet, and let her tell him as much as she wanted to.

"Naruto has been sent to liberate the village if they can," Tsunade explained. "We don't know many details, but the culprit, you'll be surprised to know, is Monzaemon Chikamatsu."

"Really now? I thought that old fool loved his village more than most," Raiā was well-versed in history, having lived through a great deal of it himself. He was familiar with the man that was Monzaemon Chikamatsu, Shodai Kazekage of Sunagakure. "Tell me, what drove their old Kazekage to attack the village instead of defending it?"

"That's your question?" Tsunade asked. "Not 'how is that man still alive'?"

Raiā laughed. "My Lady, I've lived quite a long time myself. That sort of thing just doesn't surprise me anymore. There are more ways than one to garner immortality. Maybe our Puppet Master figured out a way of his own. And you sent mere children to face him? You do realize that he united the entire Land of Wind underneath his power correct? You've sent Naruto to his death."

"Have I?" Tsunade asked. She circled him, watching every little tic or movement. The way he breathed, or his eyes darting around the room; his actions betrayed his thoughts. "You don't believe that, do you? You're confident in the Uzumaki clan. Maybe that's blind faith, or legitimate confidence in your fellow clan member, but no, I do not believe I have sent Naruto to his death. He's accomplished more in his youth than many have in their entire lives. Certainly more than you."

"I have done a lot more than you think, Hokage." Raiā was no longer smiling. "I have done things you would not even believe, things that would make your blood boil, and the bile spill from your stomach."

"Is this supposed to scare me?" Tsunade asked.

"No. We're simply getting to know each other," Raiā replied.

"You'll stay here until Naruto gets back," Tsunade explained. "You two will talk, with or without supervision. That's up to Naruto. No matter what you two talk about, you will stay here, for a very long time. Maybe, sometime far in the future, we'll give you a little breathing room, but only if you prove yourself."

Raiā snorted. "Prove myself? Tsunade-sama, I have no intention of groveling in front of a teenager. What on earth do you expect us to talk about? How sorry I am for betraying Suna, or maybe that I almost killed that Uchiha brat?"

"You owe it to Naruto to tell him about his clan. That couldn't be too hard, could it?"

Raiā's expression softened, if only for a split second. He looked down at the floor. "Naruto…does not need to know the history of the Uzumaki. It would be better if he did not."

"My own grandmother was an Uzumaki," Tsunade explained. "She was a wonderful woman, but she never said much about her clan or her family. You're telling me that the Uzumaki's past is something to be afraid of, and I agree with you. But…"

She strode over to the bed, sitting down and shrugging. "Shouldn't you leave that up to him? I imagine Gaara's told you himself, but Naruto has quite the power about him. He can see through to what no one else can, and change people in ways they thought lost to themselves forever. Did you know that I never even wanted the post of Hokage before he talked me into believing in the power of the Hokage?"

Raiā raised an eyebrow. "Two Kage from this boy? It's a wonder he's not the Hokage himself yet."

Tsunade shook her head. "He's certainly taking the right steps, but he's too young at heart. He has not experience what the world can really be like, and that is what is most necessary for the post. Hopefully, he will not find out on this mission I have sent him on. If I had my way, he would find out from you. If you have done half these terrible things you claim you have, he could learn much from you."

Raiā scowled. Subtle, but she was still insulting him. "You have no idea what you're talking about. You have no idea what I had to go through, the decisions I had to make. Millions of men would have crumbled where I succeeded."

"Of course I don't know, you fool. And I have no intention of finding out. But Naruto deserves to know if he wants to because it's his past. For better or worse, you're family, and he'll want to talk to you. Maybe he'll be the person who can understand what you've gone through."

"Besides…" Tsunade said, as she turned towards the door. "It's not like you'll be going anywhere soon. Now don't worry, the most you'll have to wait for Naruto to get back is 10 days. Until then, you probably won't be getting many visitors."

She shut the door behind her, and left Raiā to his thoughts.

Raiā stretched his limbs as much as he could, before he realized that he could actually move. The shackles that bound his wrists and ankles remained, preventing him from using any chakra, but they were the only kind of binding left. Tsunade must have unbound him when they were talking, without him even noticing. Looks like he didn't give her enough credit.

He stood from his chair. It felt odd, to actually be able to move freely for the first time in weeks, but Raiā was grateful. He took another look around. There was a security camera in the top corner watching his every move, and there was a small slot in the heavy iron-bound door, where they could push whatever slop they were going to feed him. Anything would be better than what they fed him at Suna.

Raiā hobbled over to the bed, sat against the wall, and began whistling a happy tune.

"Don't keep me waiting for too long, Naruto Uzumaki…there's so much I could share with you, if you're willing to listen."

* * *

><p>Tsunade had just gotten back to her office, having made several stops before she got back to her office. Shizune needed her on the first floor to settle a property dispute, there was a message that needed to be delivered to the Land of Stone, and dozens of papers that needed her stamp of approval. By the time she actually threw shut her door, she wasn't in a very good mood.<p>

There were stomping sounds from outside, and she could tell someone else was in a foul mood. She also heard Shizune trying to calm them down from outside, and wasn't that surprised when she heard his name.

Kiba burst into the room, growling more than Akamaru would.

"What the hell?" was all he could say, as he stared at her, wide-eyed and angry.

"What do you want, Kiba?" Tsunade asked calmly. "I don't remember calling for you."

"You're damn right you didn't! You didn't call me at all!" Kiba waved his arms in front of him, while Akamaru whined quietly in the back. He tried pawing at Kiba's backside, but he ignored him.

"Why wasn't I told about the mission going back into Sand?" Kiba demanded. "Everyone else that had gone the first time went back, except for me!"

"I have my reasons for sending them and not you. If you think for even a moment I have to actually explain them to you…" Tsunade raised an eyebrow in his direction. Kiba was hotheaded, yes, but even this was a little much for him. She folded her hands together, and waited to see what he had to say.

"Are you trying to make sure I never get any better?" Kiba asked. "I've been training my ass off every day since we got back the first time. I'd be a lot more help now! They can use me, they really can!"

"And what makes you think you'd even get there in time?" Tsunade brought to him. "It's a three day trip at a decent pace. Even if you had Naruto's stamina, you'd only get there after the fighting had died down, by my guess. Wait, how did you even hear about this in the first place?"

Kiba dodged Tsunade's accusing stare. "I…I ran into Hinata on the way there. She let it slip out."

Tsunade swore under her breath. She had changed a great deal over the past few months, but Hinata could still be too nice for her own good. "Look, Kiba, they're already gone, and there's nothing you can do about it. I'm proud that you've been training this hard, I really am, but we needed people with more combat ability. Your tracking skills are unmatched, but you know as well as I do that Kakashi and Naruto are our village's two strongest fighters. If I sent too many people, they'd end up getting in the way."

Kiba scowled. "So I guess that's where you draw the line, huh? When it comes to me, it's 'you'll get in the way."

Tsunade frowned. Kiba's stubbornness was starting to wear on her. "Kiba, you know that's not what I meant. That's foolish to think that I'm singling you out for anything—"

"You don't have to explain it anymore! I get it!" Kiba growled, and started to storm out of the office. "I guess I'll always be useless, then!"

Tsunade stood from her desk. "You think that not getting sent on certain missions makes you useless… are you really that stupid?" Her nostrils flared open, and she had knocked the chair from her back onto the floor.

"Sometimes, it just takes a gut feeling to know what you're capable of, and my gut tells me that you'll stay here. Go ahead and cry about no getting to go on the big mission with your friends, but don't you dare think a shinobi's skill is measured entirely by the missions they go on. There is much more to each and every one of you that cannot be revealed through B-rank or A-rank missions. If you think about doing anything rash…"

"Forget it Grandma, I won't give you the satisfaction." Kiba turned back around, and left with Akamaru in an even worse mood. She could hear his fist hitting the wall all the way down the hallway.

Tsunade sighed again. Kiba could be more hot-tempered than Naruto sometimes, and half as patient. He had overstepped his boundaries here, that was for certain, but she didn't want to bring him any lower. He needed to sort this out, his own way.

* * *

><p>"Where does she get off?" Kiba roared to himself, stomping down the streets of Konoha. "So what, just because she's the Hokage, she gets to decide who goes on missions and who doesn't?"<p>

Akamaru whined. As if it wasn't obvious.

Kiba sighed. "Yeah…I don't know why I even said that in the first place. Maybe that's one of the reasons Tsunade-sama doesn't trust me."

He kicked a can out of the way, and trudged on his way back home. When he got there, his mother was waiting for him.

"We have a visitor," Tsume said, pointing to their ample backyard. Kiba looked through the glass doors, and had to smile a little.

Miso was embroiled in a tug of war with Tsume's own dog, Kuromaru, and was giving the bigger dog quite the battle, despite his young age and disadvantage. Eventually his strength gave out on him, and he flopped backwards, whimpering for some sympathy out of Kuromaru. The bigger dog was anything but sympathetic, but even he trotted over, and pushed the little dog back up to his feet with his snout. Miso yipped happily, playfully biting at Kuromaru's legs.

"He's healthy and happy. Naruto must be taking good care of him," Tsume said idly, washing some dishes by the sink. She wasn't very good at it, and they were often even dirtier than before, collecting all the grime and dirt she had underneath her fingernails. "Good thing to. If I had found out that he wasn't…"

"You and me both, Ma…" Kiba replied, heading for the door. "Well, I guess I'll go say hello."

"So your little meeting with the Hokage didn't go as you planned?"

Kiba was surprised. "How the hell did you know about that?"

Tsume turned around, hands on her hips. "I'm your mother, you idiot. I know about everything you do, if I care to. She said no, right?"

"Yeah, she said they needed people with more combat prowess. She uses big words, but I know what she means." Kiba sighed again.

"It makes sense. You're just too weak to go help the likes of Naruto and Kakashi," Tsume replied, turning her back on her son. "What are you going to do? Run off and prove them wrong?"

Kiba bristled with anger, but his mother acted like he wasn't even in the room anymore. He growled under his breath, and stormed outside, where Miso came bounding up to him, lapping at his outstretched hand. Kuromaru's greeting was much less outgoing; he nodded slowly, staring at Kiba with his one good eye. Kiba plopped in the grass, falling onto his back as he watched the clouds go by.

He had been telling Tsunade the truth. Nearly every waking hour, Kiba was hard at work training. Even on the few missions he had been on, he would get less and less sleep, sneaking away from the camp to train in the middle of the woods or wherever else they might be. There were more than a few nights where he had been too exhausted to even get to his feet, forcing Akamaru to drag him back to the camp before the others realized he was gone. In his eyes, he had worked harder than he ever had before, and to have the Hokage tell him that it still wasn't good enough…it was not something that was easy for Kiba to hear.

'What are you going to do? Run off and prove them wrong?'

'There is much more to each and every one of you that cannot be revealed through B-rank or A-rank missions. A shinobi's skills cannot be measured entirely by the missions they go on. Sometimes…it takes a gut feeling…'

'What are you going to do?'

Akamaru began to bark with excitement as Kiba rose to his feet. Miso tilted his head to one side, and Kuromaru didn't move. He only watched as Kiba turned towards the direction of the village gate.

* * *

><p>Naruto's group had made the rest of the journey back to the Sand in silence. The quiet could be stifling now and then, though this seemed to be an exclusive feeling to Hinata. Every step she took, every time she moved, she thought of nothing but Naruto. He was hurting, but he would not let her in. He had shut her out.<p>

Even not hearing his voice had started to wear on the Hyūga girl. It made her sick to her stomach. Naruto was the very definition of life and happiness, and seeing him down like this always made her just as bad. It was like a picture: it looked like him, but the joy and life that made Naruto who he was, was noticeably absent.

In the distance, past the endless dunes of the desert, they could make out the walls of Sunagakure. Kakashi, who had been at the lead, put his hand up in the air, signaling everyone to stop. The moon hung above them, gleaming in the cloudless night.

"Hinata, scout ahead, and tell us what you see," Kakashi asked, stepping back.

Hinata did as she was asked. Her Byakugan activated, she focused her vision as far she could let it. What appeared before her eyes shocked and appalled her.

There were corpses, hanging from rough wooden crosses embedded all around Suna's walls like puppets. A cruel joke to showcase who controlled the village. Hinata did not recognize their faces, and that only scared her even more. It was likely they were civilians, innocent of any wrongdoings, or shinobi that had been defeated.

She saw movement to the left, and focused her eyes even more. There were shinobi patrolling the walls of the village, and to most people, nothing would see out of the ordinary. But Hinata's eyes were anything but ordinary, and she saw the truth.

Their hearts did not beat, and their lungs did not expand. They were only more corpses, actively being controlled by an unknown puppeteer. If Hinata looked hard enough, she could see the thin threads of chakra connected to their limbs. The bodies of Suna's shinobi had become nothing more but unliving sentries.

Hinata saw nothing of Gaara and Kankurō, and it pained her greatly to admit this to the others. Temari struggled to remain composed, but it was obvious that she was failing. The grip of fear was taking her, fear for her brothers' lives. Hinata wanted to comfort the young woman, but she had a job to do. She watched the patrols of the 'guards' as carefully as she could, and took in any other details that might be considered important, relaying each and every one of them to Kakashi, who listened with grim concentration. Shikamaru listened in as well. His mind would be extremely useful.

"Is there anything else you can see, Hinata?" Kakashi asked.

Hinata shook her head. "No, Kakashi-sensei, nothing else is visible from this distance."

The Copy Ninja sighed. "Let's hope it will be enough to form a plan of attack. Shikamaru, what do you think?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes, calming himself. His hands formed into a circle, and his mind went to work. Everything they had been told, from Tsunade and Hinata and Temari, and even a few things Shikamaru himself was able to discern were considered in every possible way. They needed a way inside the village without alerting Monzaemon, and minimizing bloodshed while they looked for the origin of Monzaemon's techniques.

A few tense minutes passed. Temari would have spurred him on, hurrying him, but she knew better. She had seen that expression before, and it would be unwise to interrupt him. Still, the waiting grated on her nerves, and she paced back and forth.

Finally, Shikamaru opened his eyes, staring at the obstacle in front of him.

"If we're going to get back in the village, the best way would be for us to use the same passage Temari used to escape in the first place. If Monzaemon didn't know about it then, I doubt he'll know about it now. Neither Kankurō nor Gaara would tell him. Maybe one of the council members, but if I know Gaara, he got them to safety."

"It's an old tunnel, the remains of an underground river," Temari explained. "It crossed underneath the desert all the way to the village. If we suppress our chakra enough, Monzaemon shouldn't know we're coming."

"Let's assume he does," Shikamaru told her. "It'll be safer that way if we take the precautions as if he was expecting us. We won't be able to fight him off with who we have here. What we have to do is hold off on him figuring out it's us long enough to free anyone captured in the village, especially other Suna shinobi if there are any."

"What makes you say he took prisoners?" Temari asked, fearing the worst.

"If he wanted to bring together as many puppeteers as he can, killing everyone left and right would be a good way to scare everyone else off. Even if he hid the bodies, I doubt he could keep something like that a secret. Keeping Gaara and the other important members of the village is even more likely, since they could help maintain the illusion that nothing was wrong."

He turned to Naruto. "While we sneak back into the village using that passage, you can distract the gate any way you choose. Call it a gut feeling, but I'm betting you'll do a good job on keeping his attention elsewhere."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, I think a distraction is something I could handle."

Shikamaru did not smile back. "You need to be smart about this, Naruto. This guy is obviously smarter than we think. That's something we always have to assume. You're going to have to keep the attention on you in any way you can, as long as he doesn't know you're an enemy. If he figures that out, we're screwed."

The confident smile Naruto had disappeared, and he nodded grimly. Now was not the time to go rushing in, screaming. Stealth may not be his strong point, but he could do what needed to be done.

Shikamaru turned back to Temari. "You know the village best, so once we're inside, we'll defer to you. We'll play the rest of this by ear, as we go along. I have these radios for us to communicate if we need to, but keep it to a minimum. Naruto, you don't need to say anything, less Monzaemon hear you. I'll be listening in and adapting the plan should it need to be changed. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded. Shikamaru had a sound plan, but if there was anything that Shikamaru knew, it was that no plan survived the battlefield wholly intact. He just hoped his would last long enough before the ruse was up, and the Puppet Master of Sunagakure knew what was going on.

* * *

><p>Naruto felt like a fool, wearing these clothes. Shikamaru had the foresight to bring along a spare set of simple clothes sealed within a scroll he carried with him, and insisted Naruto wear them instead of his usual attire, as well as Temari's headband. He knew it was because he needed to look less noticeable, but Naruto could not shake that feeling of discomfort. It felt like wearing someone else's skin. His own headband was tucked safely away in his pouch. He felt odd without it. Naked, even.<p>

Not that this was the most important thing on his mind. Instead, he was very much concentrated on walking straight up to the front gate of Sunagakure, pretending to be completely unaware that this well might be a trap, set by one of the most powerful shinobi Suna has ever seen. It was akin to a fly diving straight into the spider's web.

The closer he got to the gate, the more he felt sick to his stomach. Even from this distance, his sense of smell was picking up the stench of the corpses reanimated by Monzaemon's chakra threads. They peered down at him with unblinking eyes. Monzaemon wasn't trying very hard with this illusion, but then again, maybe he was doing that on purpose.

With walls of sand and stone high above on either side of him, Naruto carefully walked through the gate to Suna. He didn't know what to expect on the other side.

"Who goes there? Give me your name boy!"

Naruto searched in vain for the source of the voice. "My name is Naruto. I'm here to accept the invitation of Kankurō of Sunagakure."

That sounded official enough, right?

An elderly man suddenly appeared beside him. He had a great white beard, and beady little eyes that watched Naruto with great interest.

"Another puppeteer? Oh, it's so lovely to meet you!" The man reached out a frail hand, and Naruto accepted with great caution.

The man grinned from ear to ear. "Tell me, may I see your puppet? I am so fascinated with the designs others have come up with! I simply must see your work!"

Naruto looked away. "Well, it's kind of in a scroll right now. Do you think I could—"

"Of course, of course! Let's leave it for a surprise! That sounds so much better, now that I consider it! Please, right this way! Kankurō is waiting for you!"

Naruto nodded with hesitation. The man seemed honest enough; Naruto could tell he was going to take him to Kankurō. What state the young man would be in once he got there, he could not tell.

**(1)**

As they drew deeper and deeper into the village, Naruto began to hear a sound. It almost sounded like there was fighting going on, but the man next to him seemed so calm.

It struck Naruto. This must be Monzaemon himself, escorting Naruto through the village. Had he seen through Naruto's trick? Was he walking him into a trap? Naruto struggled with what he should do. If he attacked now, he would blow his cover, maybe too early. But if he waited, there could be deadly consequences.

In the end, Naruto felt being patient was his best option. He had lived through more dangerous situations before. He could live through this.

The sounds grew louder, and Monzaemon seemed to grow giddier with every passing step. It was disturbing to watch.

They turned a corner, and Naruto was exposed to a horrific sight.

Large, bulky puppets were everywhere, guarding every nook and cranny of the village, crawling over every street and every building. Their arms and legs were large and stocky, but their torsos were completely hollow. Inside these hollow bodies, Naruto could see civilians, cowering in fear. They were trapped in moving, walking prisons. If Naruto were to attack any of them, he could endanger their lives as well.

That was not all he saw. In the middle of the village, many buildings had been completely demolished, the open space filled in with what looked like a make-shift arena of sorts, cobbled together with pieces of metal and sand and stone.

Naruto could not hold his tongue. "What…is this?"

Monzaemon cackled beside him. "Your grave, my dear boy!"

Before he could react, Naruto was surrounded by the puppet guards. He had to force his reflexes to relax, lest one of the civilians be caught in the crossfire. With extreme restraint, he allowed them to capture him, holding him fast while he struggled against them.

"You'll be joining the others," Monzaemon explained, pointing towards the other side of the arena. As the puppets marched him over there, Naruto got a better look at what he had heard earlier.

Two men stood in the middle of the arena, panting heavily, and bleeding. They were other puppeteers, men who had either fallen into Monzaemon's trap, or had already been in the village at the time. One of the men screamed, throwing his puppet towards the other. The clash was violent, and bits of wood flew into the air, almost close enough for Naruto to reach out and touch.

The second man had been smarter than the first. He allowed his puppet to be destroyed, leaping through the wreckage to surprise the other man. Before he could react, the man had a kunai to his throat.

"Well done, well done!" Monzaemon shouted, having risen into the air to get a better view of the mayhem. "You two have fought bravely, and truly impressed me with your skills in puppetry!"

Neither man looked happy to be receiving such praise. Their eyes were cold and lifeless, not unlike the puppets that surrounded them. Naruto shivered to imagine what they had seen.

Monzaemon laughed again. "But alas, there can only be one winner! Gaara-sama, Lord Kazekage of the Sand, if you would be so kind?"

Naruto craned his neck in surprise. There stood the Kazekage, stoic as ever. His eyes had never left the battle in front of him. As he approached the arena, his eyes met with Naruto's, for only a brief moment. That instant spoke volumes.

He turned to the man that had won the battle, lifting him into the air with a platform of sand. The man was set down into a building, the same one Naruto was headed towards himself. Gaara turned to the other man, but Naruto could not see what happened to him. He only heard the scream.

A rough wooden door lay before him, and one of the puppets opened it, and shoved Naruto inside. His eyes adjusted to the dark in seconds, and it pained him to see how many other people were inside.

Puppeteers from dozens of villages sat hunched around in the darkness. Naruto recognized some of the headbands, some of them he did not. They kept their eyes low, and their mouths shut.

"What's going on?" Naruto muttered to the person next to him, an older man from the Land of Snow. "Where are all the villagers?"

"The Kazekage was able to get most of them to safety, I heard," one man said, from the corner. "The ones you saw, they weren't so lucky."

"The old man forces us to fight," another said bluntly. "The winner gets to live a little longer. The Kazekage kills the loser."

Naruto lost control of his emotions for a split second. "Gaara wouldn't do that!" he yelled.

He heard a joyless laugh from behind him. An older man stepped forward, shaking his head.

"You're right. Gaara-sama would never do this. But he has no choice. If he doesn't kill the loser, that crazy old fool kills two civilians. The first fight, Gaara-sama refused to kill the guy who lost. This Monzaemon guy killed 10 people to force Gaara-sama to do it. He hasn't resisted since."

Naruto felt sick to his stomach. Everything made sense now. Gaara could not rise up against Monzaemon if innocent lives were at stake. It was a choice no Kage should be forced to make, but Gaara had been forced to make it anyways, and the look in his eyes when he had seen Naruto filled him with such a rage, Naruto's entire body began to quiver. He did not see the strong, determined Kazekage Naruto had befriended. Instead, he saw a weak, broken little boy; he saw Gaara's past, and by extension, his own. There was nothing he could do, nothing but sit back and wish it was all a nightmare.

Everything rested on Naruto and the others now. He needed to save Gaara from this, save Sunagakure from this. And he would. He had to.

Another door opened nearby, flooding the dark room with moonlight. The door opened further, giving Naruto a good look into the arena. The man he had seen lose the fight was not there, but there was a generous amount of blood staining the sand in the arena. Gaara had his eyes closed.

Monzaemon descended into the center of the arena, spreading his arms for all to see. Many of the puppets clapped together hands of wood; false applause, echoing in the dark.

"We have some new visitors!" Monzaemon announced to everyone present, civilians and prisoners alike. "Because they might not be aware of what's going on, allow me to enlighten them!"

Two puppets appeared in the middle of the arena; a demonstration by Monzaemon.

"I take two of you, two disgusting, pitiful, worthless rats who have destroyed my art, and force you to fight!" Monzaemon's voice was shrill, and erratic. "A tournament, if you will! The winner will move on, the loser…not so lucky. Isn't that right, oh Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara said nothing. Monzaemon laughed cruelly.

"Rightly so! If any of you try to escape, you die. You try to free any of the prisoners, you die. If you refuse to fight your opponent, you…well, I think you get the idea!"

He turned towards the other puppeteers, looking over them with disdain. "Now, which two of you scum shall be next? Oh, don't be shy! How about some volunteers?"

Two chakra threads leapt from Monzaemon's fingertips, attaching themselves to the arms of two of the prisoners. In a cruel joke, Monzaemon forced their arms upwards. He had his 'volunteers'.

"Wonderful! It's nice to see such willing young shinobi! It makes an old man happy to be alive." His smile disappeared. "If only I were actually 'alive', so to speak. Enough with all these useless banter. It's time to move on!"

The two shinobi were forced into the arena. One of the captive civilians nearby suddenly cried out in terror.

"Please, that's my son!" she called out. "Spare him, please!"

Monzaemon turned to the woman. "How could I do that, my dear lady? How could I spare this boy's life, when he has so ruthlessly taken the lives of others? With my work, my art! He has become a savage, a monster, a shell of a man! He is no more alive than his puppet, and will be treated as such!"

There was a wild look on his face. "How dare you suggest the notion I spare his pathetic life! Tell me, if I was not spared the horror of living to see my work become such a monstrosity, is that fair? Is allowing this trash to live fair?"

The woman could not answer. She began to wail in fear, and Monzaemon frowned with contempt. He turned to her son. "There will be an extra rule in place for this duel, boy. Should you lose, your mother will lose her life as well. That might spur you onto victory, don't you think?"

"You bastard!"

Everyone turned to Naruto. He had forgotten his place once again, and Monzaemon stared at him with great interest. Gaara watched him carefully as well, silently begging Naruto to wait until the opportune moment. Naruto boldly returned the gaze of the former Kazekage. For a moment, Naruto saw something strange in the Puppet Master's eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"You will learn to watch your tongue in time, boy," Monzaemon said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Speak out of turn again, and I will kill you so slowly and painfully, there will be no memories of yours to hold onto besides the memory of the pain."

Naruto scowled, and stepped back into the darkness. The look on Monzaemon's face, and on Gaara's face, and on everyone's faces, living or dead, disgusted him. He struggled to remain still, to not leap to their aid. He knew it would mean the death of him. His chance must come soon, Shikamaru and the others needed to gather a strategy, or there would be no one else to save.

* * *

><p>The night dragged on. The sounds of battle and death dogged at Naruto's senses, plaguing his thoughts. The stench of death grew larger with every defeat, and the remaining prisoners grew more restless, Naruto especially. He had been waiting for his turn, for Monzaemon to pick him to throw into the arena. It might not have been the best time to strike, but it would force Naruto's hand. That was starting to sound better to him than waiting for the right time, as at least Naruto could do something, instead of sit here and watch people fight to the death.<p>

But Monzaemon did not choose him, no matter how many times Naruto tried to anger him. He passed over him each and every time, choosing others to fight, and to die. The fights could range anywhere from mere minutes to what felt like an eternity. Skill did not matter here. Rookies were paired up with masters, and Monzaemon delighted in them all the same.

Naruto watched Monzaemon carefully, in the brief moments he was visible from inside. He was becoming so enraptured with his sick game, that Naruto could have sworn the other puppets surrounding the arena became still, if only for a few seconds. Monzaemon's concentration was great, but perhaps it was not endless.

In fact, Naruto had been watching so carefully, that he did not even notice that he was the only one remaining. The last two combatants had been forced into the arena long ago, and their battle still raged on. Perhaps they sought to extend their lives, by extending the length of their battle. A desperate plan, by desperate men.

Monzaemon's interest in their battle began to fade, as the trick became more and more obvious. Great anger flashed in his eyes, and he swooped down to interfere.

"Do you take me for a fool?!" he screamed, grabbing the two of them with extending arms. "Do you think I am blind to see what you are trying to do? I will not be made a mockery of, do you hear me? I am Monzaemon Chikamatsu, the greatest puppeteer who ever lived!"

One of the men struggled to find his breath, as Monzaemon's grip around his throat tightened. But through the pain, he actually smiled. "Go to hell."

In the blink of an eye, the two remaining men's puppets lurched forwards, wrapping themselves around Monzaemon's body in a tightly woven knot. Secret compartments all over their bodies appeared for all to see, and they were covered with paper bombs.

Monzaemon's eyes widened in surprise, before the flash of light overtook the entire arena. Naruto had to shield his eyes from the great light.

The smoke took ages to clear. The blast had taken away the wall blocking Naruto from the arena, and now he could see clearly, watching with bated breath.

A horrible sound emerged from the smoke; a sick, twisted sniggering. It turned into a malicious giggling, before erupting into raucous laughter.

Monzaemon stood in the middle of the ruined arena, completely unscathed. Beside him, the mangled corpses of the final two puppeteers. Despite his body being more than durable enough to withstand the blast, Monzaemon saw fit to use their bodies as a shield nonetheless.

"What a shock!" he squealed with delight. "I would have never expected those two to have that kind of courage in them! What a pity this courage was wasted on such pitiful excuses for shinobi!"

He casually dusted himself off, as two of his puppets removed the bodies from the arena. There was no one else, Naruto had to be chosen now. Only, if there was no other…who would be his opponent?

Monzaemon spread his arms once again. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached the end of our show! Such a pity I must say, but fear not, for I have saved the best for last!"

The Puppet Master turned to Naruto. Interest twinkled in his beady eyes. "This boy has quite the mouth, but I wonder if he is as loud with his hands? I am not certain of his skill, but I am sure it will be a show nonetheless!"

As he spoke, Naruto was dragged into the arena to await his duel. He looked to the civilians, hoping to give them strength in any way he could. They watched him carefully. Some recognized him, some did not, but none were foolish enough to say so.

But Naruto felt a deep fear rooted in his heart. Gaara could say nothing, but his body was rigid, and his eyes would not meet Naruto's.

"I shall bring out the challenger!" Monzaemon announced. "And who better to quell this boy's mouth than one of the greatest puppeteer's I have ever had the pleasure of beating to near-death! I give you, none other than—"

He had finished his sentence, announced the man's name, but Naruto had already seen him, as he was dragged into the arena himself. It would be a stretch to say that Monzaemon had not killed him, he was so battered and broken.

But still, Kankurō found the strength to look in Naruto's eyes, and smile. He wasn't dead.

Not yet.

* * *

><p>Naruto took a few steps backward, in shock. He barely recognized Kankurō; his face was bruised and bloodied all over, mixing with his face paint into a foul, darker color. His clothing could hardly stay on his body, ripped and torn in many places.<p>

Monzaemon clacked his tongue against his teeth. "Hmm, he was such a brave opponent; truly one of the better puppeteers this village has ever produced. But alas, his skills were not up to par with mine, and he has paid the price. He will be your opponent, boy."

"I'm not gonna fight him," Naruto growled defiantly. "You can't make me."

It was a horrible mistake. Monzaemon laughed into the night, and one of the puppet guards stepped forward into view. Naruto could not even blink before the elderly man inside was crushed. He didn't make a sound.

Monzaemon moved closer to Naruto, his gaze deathly calm. "You _will_ do as I say, or I'll slaughter every single one of these poor, '_innocent'_ civilians here, before I cut you down myself. Do I make myself clear?"

A terrible feeling began to well up inside Naruto's body. That foul chakra was unmistakable. But he pushed it down, with all his might. He could not lose control. Not here, not ever again.

Gaara was glaring at him. Kankurō as well, despite his pain, and Naruto felt ashamed. His emotions had gotten someone killed. It made him want to scream, but he kept his rage inside. He could not let Monzaemon know about this.

The Puppet Master sneered, backing off. "I think you're finally starting to realize the gravity of your situation, loud-mouth. That's good. Perhaps if you win this little duel, I'll allow you a quick and honorable death!"

Naruto scowled. "Or maybe I'll be the one to kill you."

Monzaemon was not amused. His smile disappeared, and he studied Naruto's face carefully, watching his blue eyes gleam with killing intent, and his mouth twitch as he tried to contain his anger. "We shall see, boy," he said quietly. "We shall see."

He floated down into the arena himself, behind where Kankurō was. The puppet's holding him up released their grip, just as several threads of chakra spun from Monzaemon's fingers, connecting to Kankurō's battered body.

Naruto understood what was happening. Kankurō was far too weak to fight himself; Monzaemon would be taking care of that for him.

"I didn't get much time to play with him, but I think I can replicate his fighting style relatively well," Monzaemon explained, testing out his newest human puppet. Kankurō grimaced in pain as his arms and legs forcibly moved around, aggravating his wounds.

Monzaemon looked at Naruto, excited. "I wonder what you can do, boy? Chances are good you won't be living much longer, but hopefully you have enough surprises hidden away to keep me entertained before I make the two of you a red stain on the ground."

Naruto dropped into a combative stance. There was a large scroll he had been keeping on his back, and it flung open in front of him, as he bit his thumb for the necessary blood. As the smoke surrounded his body, Monzaemon shook with excitement. He had been waiting for this. All his attention was focused on this.

But to his disappointment, one puppet appeared in front of Naruto. It was simply designed, and even resembled the boy somewhat. But he held it in front of his body with as much confidence as any puppeteer, and Monzaemon grew curious.

"I tell you, boy, that wasn't really what I was expecting," he said aloud, forcing Kankurō to fall into a combative stance as well. "But then again, I _do _love surprises."

Naruto grimaced. "Then you're gonna love me."

**(2)**

He threw down a smoke screen, filling the entire arena in seconds. From the sidelines and from where they could see, hope was filled in the hearts and minds of the Suna civilians, silently cheering Naruto on and praying for his success. They had a chance; a chance for their Kazekage to save them, and a chance to retake their village.

Monzaemon rolled his eyes. "Oh come now, you'll have to try a little harder than that!" A latch unlocked on his torso, flying open as a powerful suction pulled the smoke through his body, pumping it back out as clean air. The smoke screen was cleared before Naruto could complete his attack: his puppet diving after Monzaemon himself from behind. Monzaemon swatted at it with Kankurō's body, but Naruto pulled back on the puppet at the last second, just as Kankurō's fist was about to hit it.

Monzaemon didn't wait. He sent Kankurō flying after Naruto, kunai in hand, to try and decapitate his opponent. Naruto deftly dodged each and every swipe of Kankurō's arm. At first he was surprised by the ferocity in the attacks, forgetting that Kankurō was not in control over his own body. With every swing, he grunted in pain, and fought against Monzaemon's control with every ounce of strength he could muster. Gaara watched the battle unfold in silence, his eyes watching intently. Perhaps there was a moment he could strike, but he would not risk hurting Naruto or his brother, even if it meant staying on the sidelines. Shadows danced across the ground as the battle grew fiercer.

Naruto was toying with Monzaemon ducking and weaving, and removing both himself and his puppet with surprising skill. Monzaemon would have been impressed were he not so concentrated on reaching him, to teach this boy what it meant to interfere with his goal.

"Stop running, coward!" Monzaemon yelled, as Naruto pulled away just before Kankurō hit him. "You _will_ fight, or I'll slaughter every last one of these _innocent_ civilians. Do not try and test me anymore!"

One of the puppets holding a civilian stepped closer so Naruto could see. This time it was a pair of children, no older than 10. They shivered with fear, and Naruto felt his blood ran cold.

But he did not show them his concern. Instead, he smiled at them as wide as he could; as reassuringly as he could. "Everything's going to be alright," he told them. "I promise."

He ducked as Monzaemon threw Kankurō in his direction, but this time delivered a solid punch to Kankurō's gut. He had pulled back at the last second, minimizing the pain and internal damage, but Kankurō cried out in pain nonetheless, hoping to fool Monzaemon. It must have been convincing enough, because Monzaemon grunted in satisfaction.

"It's about time to you faced your death like a man, loud-mouth," Monzaemon said, pulling Kankurō back to him. "Don't disappoint me now."

Naruto smiled, but said nothing. Immediately, he and his puppet leaped forward on the offensive, hoping to catch Monzaemon by surprise. He sidestepped the attack, and threw Kankurō towards Naruto's puppet. Kankurō, who had been saving his strength, pulled back with all his strength just before his kick connected, making it seem like Naruto had narrowly avoided the attack.

Monzaemon growled in anger. He could have easily killed this brat a long time ago. Perhaps he was too intent on using Kankurō's body as his weapon, or maybe this blond boy was better than he had originally anticipated. Regardless, he was growing frustrated with every attack that was dodged or evaded.

"What's the matter old man?" Naruto taunted, sticking his tongue out. "Maybe you're not as good as you thought you were?"

Monzaemon howled at him, throwing Kankurō's nearly limp body towards Naruto. Naruto effortlessly got out of the way.

"Enough!" Monzaemon shouted, stomping his foot into the ground. "You will face me head-on, or I will kill every single one of these people here, right here, and right now." He gestured towards Kankurō. "I will finish him off last, before I burn this village to the ground."

Every one of the puppets stepped forward, holding their prisoners in wooden jaws. There were twenty or so puppets, with about 30 prisoners, of all ages, trapped inside. To make his point, Monzaemon had several of them reveal chakra shields hidden in their arms. They began to spin faster and faster, until it was a whirlwind of chakra, with frightening cutting power.

Naruto bit his lip. He looked into the eyes of each and every one of them, memorizing their faces. Monzaemon took advantage of the distraction, and threw Kankurō towards Naruto's puppet, Naruto barely managed to get it out of the way, before he retaliated with an attack of his own. Monzaemon didn't even bother pulling Kankurō out of the way, and Naruto's fist connected with a sickening crunching sound. Kankurō grunted in pain, and Naruto swore under his breath. Monzaemon didn't even stop before he went back on the offensive, using everything Kankurō had left in him to attack Naruto's own puppet. Every time Naruto looked like he might retreat instead of attacking head on, Monzaemon glared at him, making one of the other puppets step forward. Naruto would push down the awful feeling in his body, and hit Kankurō, who took every attack as well as any man in his condition could. It was admirable, but Naruto was worried that Kankurō didn't have much time left; he needed to do something, and fast. Dust flew around the arena from the savage trading of blows, clouding their movements from one another until they were oft right on top of each other.

And then it was a blur. The voices of everyone around him faded away, and a great hush fell over Suna, like a collective sigh. Naruto could hear nothing but his own heartbeat, and the sound of his heavy breathing. Monzaemon threw Kankurō towards Naruto for what seemed like the last time; it was too fast to get out of the way. There was the sound of metal piercing flesh.

Monzaemon stared in disbelief. "What…on…"

Naruto's puppet stood in front of Naruto, having taken the hit for him. Monzaemon was sure that Naruto's fingertips had not moved; the puppet had moved on its own. What's more, that was the sound of flesh, not wood or metal.

And then, the 'puppet' disappeared into a puff of smoke. Nothing but a shadow clone, meant to hold Monzaemon's attention for as long as Naruto could manage. This plan had survived the battlefield.

A deep rumbling began to erupt from underneath the ground, shaking Monzaemon off balance. He released Kankurō immediately, flying into the air to abandon him just as giant cracks split open in the earth's crust, and from those fissures, dozens of Naruto clones. Whenever he had gotten a second to spare, his movements masked by the dust and smoke, Naruto would send another clone underground, hiding it from everyone but himself.

Each of the clones held a blade in their hand, and Monzaemon's eyes widened when he realized they were chakra blades. Dozens of chakra blades, and they were heading straight for his prisoners.

Monzaemon reacted as fast as he could, but he had been out maneuvered. Naruto, and his clones, quickly cut as many of the chakra threads as they could find, even blindly hacking at the air to free the puppets holding the prisoners from Monzaemon's control. One by one, in rapid succession, each of the puppets fell to the ground, their prisoners no longer under any threat provided Monzaemon couldn't reattach the chakra threads.

That was exactly what he tried to do. His hands rose into the air, pinpointing the puppet's locations so he could reattach the threads from afar, but before he could, his body froze in place. No matter how hard he tried to move it, it would not obey him.

"You're not as smart as you think, old man."

Shikamaru stepped out of the shadows, a satisfied smirk on his face. Behind him, Temari, Hinata, Kakashi, Sakura, and Gaara all leaped into action to release the prisoners. Temari slashed at the air repeatedly, pounding several puppets that did not have prisoners with bursts of air that tore away at them bit by bit until they were nothing but pieces lying in the sand. Sakura smashed several other puppets with her bare fists, crushing him while protecting the valuable cargo inside, and Kakashi did the same with his Raikiri, letting the electricity demolish the puppet from the inside without harming the civilians trapped inside. As they went about destroying the puppets, Hinata dashed from each of them, gathering up the prisoners while Gaara collected them from above.

As the Kazekage carried his people away to safety, Monzaemon began to struggle against Shikamaru's hold against him anew. "You cannot hold me! You cannot stop me! I will have my revenge against this pitiful village, even if it takes me a thousand thousand years! I will slaughter every last one of you until you're nothing but bloodied pieces floating on the desert winds! Do you hear me?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, we get it. Just shut up, would you?"

The Puppet Master turned to Naruto. "You! You aren't a puppeteer! You're a fake!"

Naruto grinned. "Took you long enough to figure _that _out, didn't you?"

"He has a habit for getting all the attention he wants," Shikamaru explained. "You were so focused on taking him down, that you didn't even notice the rest of us sneaking around the village, freeing people as we went. Lucky thing too; you could have killed all of them if you hadn't only been paying attention to Naruto here."

Monzaemon scowled. This young man had a mind for strategy; in one bold stroke, his entire hold on the Sand had been eradicated. He looked to Naruto, and there was that strange look in his eye again. Naruto could not explain what he felt when those old, tired eyes fell upon him, but it was not a wholly bad feeling, and that confused Naruto greatly.

But then, Monzaemon's scowl faded away, replaced by a smile of utter joy. He nearly squealed with delight. "It has been _too_ long since I've had this much fun, truly it has! You must be from the Leaf village. I must admit, this wasn't what I was expecting when I sent out my little invitation. Tell me, is this what has become of the once-mighty Sunagakure? Reduced to relying on others to save them from harm?"

"They've saved us in the past," Naruto growled in a low voice. "We're returning the favor. You aren't going to hurt anyone here from now on!"

Monzaemon actually laughed at that. "Really, boy? You truly believe that?"

The air around them turned foul. Monzaemon's entire body began to convulse and shake. The gears and cogs and wheels in his body creaked and moaned loudly; a cacophony of unloving sounds. His puppets followed suit, despite their threads being cut.

"You have only scratched the surface of my abilities," Monzaemon revealed, as a blue aura surrounded him. "This boy Kankurō experienced more than his fair share, but I am no fool. I am aware of your strength. So come! Face me! See if you can end this, or die trying! I will kill you all, and the Sand will fall under my control once more! I will not stop until every puppeteer on this earth is dead!"

He looked to Kankurō. "Starting with him."

There was a massive burst of chakra, and Shikamaru's hold on Monzaemon's body was destroyed. Gaara's sand reacted instinctively, as he was on his way back from placing the villagers in the safe houses with the others, and shot to try and stop Monzaemon from reaching Kankurō.

He was too slow.

Monzaemon improvised with his own body, ripping one of the jagged gears from his body, and slashing across Kankurō's body as many times as he could before Gaara's sand reached him. It threw him back, as blood spurted into the air, splashing against his face and against the sand.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called out, as he jumped back in surprise. Sakura silently leaped forward to Kankurō's aid, her palms glowing. Naruto stared at the gruesome wound, and felt an overwhelming urge to help as well, but he knew better. He would get in Sakura's way, and even though he had succeeded, it was only with a minor cut. This was by no means minor.

Kankurō smiled through the pain, fighting unconsciousness until Gaara came to his side. "See? I told you…I'd be fine."

Gaara almost smiled. "You pushed yourself too far, Kankurō. I am…thankful you are still with us."

The Kazekage turned to Monzaemon who stood nearby, smiling wickedly at the scene in front of him. "He won't survive, Gaara-_sama_. He's as good as dead, that one."

The Kazekage shook his head. "I will not believe that, but _you_ are dead." His sand rushed forward with more speed and power than Naruto had ever seen before. It tangled and wrapped itself around Monzaemon's entire body, closing in on every spot it could fine. As the sand engulfed him whole, Monzaemon began to laugh. It was a shrill and horrible sound, and a shiver went up Hinata's spine as Gaara muffled the laughing.

"He is hiding in the Sabakusentō," Gaara said quietly, looking to the edge of the village. "His real body is not here. He has been manipulating puppets from there since his invasion of the village."

Kakashi was surprised, far more than he let show. "That mountain is over—"

"5 kilometers from the village, yes. How he is able to manipulate so many puppets from so great a distance is unknown to us. But…we are going to find out."

Gaara's eyes narrowed, and there was a dangerous edge to his voice. Naruto remembered the last time his voice had that edge; it was back during their meeting at the chūnin exams. Gaara was out for blood.

The sand surrounding Monzaemon's body began to convulse. Monzaemon was concentrating another burst of chakra to release Gaara's grip on him, but the Kazekage would not allow that this time. He threw both palms forward, and a gargantuan amount of sand erupted from the ground, piling on top of Monzaemon's body again and again, until a veritable mountain of sand lay on top of him.

Next Gaara brought his hands down to the ground, closing his eyes so he could concentrate. The sand was broken down and reformed again, over and over as it became harder and harder. Eventually, the sand's strength could have been compared to metal, and Monzaemon's puppet body was buried underneath several thousand tons of it, but Kakashi's guess.

"He will pay for what he has done to my village, and to my people…especially Kankurō." Gaara looked at Naruto and Kakashi. "I will be going with you to the Sabakusentō to take him down. You will need my knowledge of his abilities, since Kankurō will not be available."

Kankurō would have protested, but he had fallen unconscious, as Sakura continued to work on his grievous injuries. A thin sheen of sweat was forming on her forehead, and her mouth was drawn into a thin line, but she didn't seem too worried. From that information, Naruto guessed Kankurō would be alright, and hoped that he was right about that.

He was about to ask Sakura how Kankurō was doing, when a clattering sound shook him back to reality. The puppets that had trapped the civilians were starting to move again.

"We only took out one of his puppets," Kakashi remarked. "Looks like he'll still be able to salvage some of these left behind."

Kakashi was right. Despite many of them missing arms or legs, they could still be dangerous when controlled by such a skilled puppeteer. Along with those of his own, they could see the remnants of the other puppeteer's puppets beginning to move. Monzaemon was forming himself a makeshift army, and they didn't have much time.

Kakashi turned to Gaara. "Where on earth have Suna's entire shinobi forces gone? I can't imagine Monzaemon overwhelmed them all so easily."

Others might have taken that as insult towards their abilities, but Gaara was not one to get tied down by such things. "We were. Many lost their lives trying to fight back against the puppets you see around us." His sand pushed back several of the puppets that were trying to attack their group. "I ordered the rest of them to stand down, and they were taken to another part of the village, to be held hostage against my will. They would be killed after Monzaemon ran out of civilians." The words felt like acid on Gaara's tongue. In only a few short days, one of the most celebrated shinobi in Suna's history had become one of its most reviled criminals.

"They're fine," Shikamaru commentated, as they got into a defensive circle as the puppets grew closer. "It was a gamble, but while Kakashi-sensei was scouting out the rest of the village, we were taking care of those puppets. Naruto must have been keeping Monzaemon's attention on him the entire time, because he didn't even notice that his threads to those puppets had been disconnected."

"Then it's time I brought them back," Gaara said. Bringing his arms in front of him in a wide sweep, he tossed aside the entire puppet army to the side, giving him an opening to jump fly through, which he did on a platform of sand, speeding towards he had left the rest of Suna's forces.

"Monzaemon is hiding in the Sabakusentō!" he called out back to Naruto and the others. "You will find him there. I will rejoin you on the way!"

Kakashi turned to Naruto. "We better get going. The faster we take him down, the faster we free the Sand. Temari, are you coming with us?"

Temari threw back many of the puppets with a wave of her fan, grunting. "No, I think I need to stay here with the others. You go on ahead. Gaara will be enough help."

Kakashi nodded, patted Naruto on the shoulder, and leaped to the tops of one of the roofs still there. A puppet leapt up to greet him, but he ducked under one massive fist, and had a Raikiri blazing in his hand by the time he turned around, and smashed the puppet to pieces before it could move out of the way.

Before Naruto could join him, he felt a hand grab onto his. Hinata stared at him, searching his blue eyes.

"Please be careful, Naruto-kun," she said quietly, unable to hide the fear in her voice. "I don't know what you've been struggling with these past few days, but I hope that when you c-come back, we can talk about it."

Naruto stiffened. He had been so caught up with the mission that he had almost forgotten about Hinata. It was hard to let her look at him the way she did; he didn't even know what Hanakō looked like, yet he swore he could see her face in Hinata's eyes, staring back at him.

He frowned. "I…hope we can too, Hinata."

He said nothing else, and Hinata watched him leave the village with Kakashi, off to infiltrate Monzaemon's lair. She said a silent prayer for their safety, before turning back to the army that stood in front of them.

Shikamaru cracked his neck, looking over his opponents, as well as his allies. A Hyūga, a medic with monstrous strength, and a Suna shinobi with strong long range abilities…

Yeah, this would be a piece of cake.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Yeah, pretty crazy huh? Things will only get crazier from here, so yeah. Lots of questions I imagine, and if I can answer them without spoiling anything, I will. Hope you enjoyed it! Now, the next chapter might be a while, since I'll be a little out of commission. I won't know by how much until tomorrow, but hopefully I can have it within 4-5 days. I'm also working on another chapter of **Collateral Luck**, as it were. Lots to do, so little time to do it!

Until next time, lords and ladies. Happy 2013!


	50. Race to Stop The Puppet King!

**Author's Note: **Sup guys.

-Another big chapter! Provided I have the time, I'm able to write 10,000 words in 4 days, meaning I can keep this pace up, hopefully even when school starts back up. Do you know what this means? It means the same amount updates, but with TWICE the content. Sure, we may blow through Books faster as a whole, but it's more to read at once! Hurray!

-This is entirely battle scenes, except for the very beginning. As I have said before, I need a lot of feedback on battles, so if there's something you thought was weird or off, let me know! Sort of related to that, we're almost at fucking 1,000 reviews! Hmmm, I wonder if we can make it there before the finale? wink wink.

-Like I said last time, my wisdom teeth were taken out, but it was extremely surprising at how well I reacted to it. I didn't have any swelling or pain, even when I occasionally neglected my meds! That's why this chapter is here for your enjoyment now instead of 4 days later, haha.

I don't really have much else to say, so here are the songs you'll need to look out for. Remember, go ahead and open them, and play them when you see the corresponding number. I haven't seen any complaints yet, so I'm going to assume that this system is better. We've got some fight songs, bitches!

**(1) /watch?v=Rj0F7_BKERU**

**(2) /watch?v=I708kypFGHY**

**(3) /watch?v=HNTQzUSuO5k**

On with the chapter! I think that's everything. Big thanks to **OGAFazer89AC **for helping me out with the chapter, like always! They wouldn't be _near_ as good without his help!

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><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 32 - Fierce Battles! Race to Stop The Puppet King!<strong>

Tobi had returned from his trip to the Sand in a foul mood. Raiā Uzumaki had been taken from him through the cunning of Gaara, their current Kazekage. That infernal child somehow knew Tobi had been behind Monzaemon's attack on the village, and even if he hadn't, he chose the right precaution to take, by stealing him away to who-knows-where.

Raiā had been his only source of easily accessible information for the location of other Uzumaki clan members. They were a secretive lot, but he had always known Raiā to be the paranoid type. He would have had plenty of helpful information for tracking them down, and shared no love for the rest of his clan. Raiā would have easily parted with that information, but now it was out of reach.

If Gaara was smart, and he was, he would send the Uzumaki prisoner back to the Leaf, where security became a much bigger problem. Unlike the Sand, Konoha's defenses would make it difficult to infiltrate and steal their prisoner, even with _his_ help. If he managed to find Raiā in the first place, they would most likely kill him rather than let him be taken by the enemy.

His plans had taken a turn for the worse, but Tobi was a patient man, if anything. There were still many ways to achieve his goals, but there would be a considerable amount of effort and time to be put into these more unorthodox methods. Months or even years of establishing spy networks in all the major and minor countries of the world was the only way Tobi was going to root out the rest of this Uzumaki plague upon the world. Kisame had already embarked to the Land of Water, to start such a network in his former country. He hadn't been too keen on going home, but he was loyal if anything, and went without too much objection. In the meantime, Tobi and Zetsu would prepare for other such networks back at their base.

Their return to the Mountain's Graveyard had not gone unnoticed. The Uchiha brat could see that Tobi had failed in his task, and relished the thought with a disgusting smile. It made Tobi want to put a kunai through his gut.

"No luck, then?" Sasuke asked, sneering. "I can't say I'm surprised."

Tobi held his temper in check. A difficult task. "There were…unforeseen variables. My plans have been delayed, not destroyed, Sasuke. It would be wise to learn the difference."

Sasuke's smile disappeared. "Maybe if you had taken me along, you would have had better luck."

He was eager to prove himself, Tobi could see that. What he questioned was _why_. Why would this child be so willing to help him with his plans, when he was not even fully aware of what they were? What's more, the child's usual pompous and arrogant attitude made this sudden change of heart very concerning.

But Tobi was an opportunist. He saw the chance to manipulate the boy even further, and leapt at it. "Perhaps you are right. I may have underestimated your skills. Raiā was more powerful than we originally thought; it is not so outrageous to think the same of my own goals."

He bid for Sasuke to follow him through one of the cave's many tunnels. "Tell me, why do you wish to help me? What are you looking for?"

"Because they mean the death of the Leaf Village," Sasuke said, as if it were obvious. "That's all I want. I if I have to work with you to achieve that goal, so be it. The faster you finish your own, the sooner I can get to mine."

Tobi nodded. "You are right, and there are things you can do to help me. Things that will cripple the Leaf village, as well as the other Five Great Nations. Things that will slate your thirst for revenge."

Sasuke frowned. "If they do not concern Konoha directly, you'll have to try a little harder to get me to help. I may be more willing to help you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to become your errand boy."

"And why would you not wish to enact your justice on the other villages?" Tobi asked. "Tragedies such as the one you yourself suffered have been repeated countless times in the other villages. Their so-called leaders cruelly ordering the murder of those they feel threaten their hold on power."

Sasuke's hands clenched into fists. He was getting angry.

"I am a living example of that kind of betrayal, Sasuke. Did you know that?" Tobi turned around, peering at the Uchiha with what some might call vulnerability. "My entire life was taken away from me, from the same kind of monsters who call themselves men as the ones who ordered the death of your family."

"Their atrocities have gone on for decades," Tobi continued, not wishing to linger on his past for long. "They have tortured their own loyal shinobi, covered up innocents being murdered, even burned entire villages to the ground. Yes, small little towns, just like the one Jūgo came from."

He heard Sasuke's footsteps behind him stop, and Tobi smiled from underneath his mask. "Were you not aware, Sasuke? Jūgo had a clan, much like you. A clan who suffered the same fate as he did, but a clan nonetheless. They could share in their pain and suffering together, and make each other strong. But they were denied even that."

There was a door before them, and Tobi pushed it aside to reveal a monstrous laboratory. Dozens of glass containers lined the walls, filled with all kinds of body parts and other strange things Sasuke did not recognize.

"But the 'great' men of this world saw fit to steal away Jūgo's clan, fearing their power. He was the only survivor, and now he is dead, just as the others. An entire clan, a unique ability, completely extinct."

Tobi turned around, staring at Sasuke. "This is my laboratory. I have made countless discoveries in this room, some of which have been instrumental to my success. You might even find a few things familiar to you."

Sasuke did not like the tone in Tobi's voice. He cautiously began to look around the room, carefully hiding his interest. A gleam of red caught his eye, and Sasuke went to the glass to inspect it closer. A pair of eyes stared back at him, floating in a strange fluid.

He recognized these eyes. They were his brothers.

Tobi purposely slowed his reaction, allowing the cold steel of Sasuke's sword to graze his neck. "Tell me, Sasuke, did you really think I would let such an opportunity pass away? Your brother's eyes were some of the finest the Uchiha clan has ever produced."

"You had no right…" Sasuke growled, pressing the blade deeper into Tobi's neck. "How dare you lay a hand on him. It should have been my decision, and mine alone."

"But you've been thinking about it already, haven't you Sasuke?" Tobi asked quietly. "You knew what was needed to attain power. You knew it was from your brother, from the very beginning. I was merely speeding up the process."

"Besides, I had every right," Tobi continued, grabbing onto the sword before Sasuke realized what had happened. "Do not forget who you are talking to, _Sasuke_." He pushed the sword aside, Sasuke glaring at him.

"You wish to be of help to me? Fine. But I will not allow you to take part in my plans when there is such an opportunity literally staring you in the face. Your brother's eyes are his gift to you, Sasuke. It is time you used them."

Sasuke looked confused. Perhaps deep down he knew what Tobi was saying, but he did not wish to acknowledge it. Holding onto some pathetic pride for his own power.

"The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan's power is unmatched. You will never worry of your eyes losing their sight again, and the strength of their techniques increases tenfold. With Itachi's eyes, you can carry out your vengeance with your brother by your side, helping you along the way. You can take your revenge _together_."

The Uchiha stared at his brother's eyes, floating in the glass before him. He could almost see Itachi himself in the glass, watching him. He even saw Jūgo, his calm, strong face in the reflection of the glass. Yet when Sasuke reached out to touch it, he only saw himself.

"...Fine. I'll do it."

Tobi did not move, but had Sasuke been looking, he could have seen that he was pleased. "Good. The procedure can be done whenever you like, but it will take some time to recover. The influx of power can be…violent."

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><p><strong>(1)<strong>

"Hinata, look out!"

Hinata did not need to be told. She had seen the puppet flying towards her, and ducked out of the way before a massive fist smashed against her side. Monzaemon could lower his chakra signature as much as he liked; Hinata's Byakugan could always see it. Concentrating more chakra into her hand, she leapt behind the puppet, and deftly severed the strings that gave it life. Immediately following, Sakura came bursting out from between two of Suna's ruined homes, smashing her fist directly into the puppet's body. They were tough, and Sakura was starting to feel the strain in her knuckles, but they couldn't hold up against such a massive concentration of force, and it crumbled beneath her fingers.

"On your right, Sakura! Hinata, give Temari some back up!"

Shikamaru's eyes darted back and forth, watching as much of the battle as he could. Whenever a puppet grew too close, he would hold it in place with his shadow, waiting for one of the others to push it out of the way or neutralize it. In the meantime, he watched what they could not, calling out approaching enemies, or hidden attacks. So far, things were going well enough, but they were destroying too few of the puppets, as more and more showed up to the battle.

He licked some sweat that dripped down from his forehead. He was about to call out a puppet on his right, but a huge gust of wind slammed it into another before he even needed to say anything. He looked to Temari, and nodded in thanks.

A slim trail of his shadow snaked out from behind him, latching onto a puppet sneaking up on him. With one quick movement, he used its spinning chakra blade against it, forcing it into its own stomach, as well as throwing itself into another puppet headed their way.

"This isn't working!" Sakura yelled. "Every time we take out one, two more take its place!" She ducked under a massive fist, and tried to return the favor, but the puppet jumped out of the way, and would have sent her flying from a kick had Sakura not blocked it at the last second. Still, a grunt of pain escaped her lips as the hard wood smashed into her wrist bones, and she skidded back several feet.

"Everyone! Back this way! We need to get to the high ground!" Shikamaru beckoned with his hand, and their small group bid a hasty retreat, with Monzaemon's puppet army close behind. If one got too close, Temari would throw it away, smashing it into the others, but that barely slowed them down.

They barely managed to avoid being swallowed by the growing puppet army, before they leaped to the top of the Kazekage's building. A few seconds to catch their breath, before the puppets climbed to the top.

"How are we supposed to keep fighting them off?" Sakura asked, breathless. "I can't keep this up forever. We're not Naruto, you know!"

"I get it!" Shikamaru snapped. "Let me think for a while! Try and hold them off while I come up with something."

Temari and the others formed a protective circle around Shikamaru, just as dozens of puppets leapt into the air, on the offensive. Both Temari and Hinata stepped forward.

"Kamaitachi no Jutsu!"

"Kaiten!"

Huge gusts of wind surrounded their group, slicing any puppets that got too close into hundreds of pieces. The tougher puppets belonging to Monzaemon himself pushed through the gusts of wind, only to be repelled by the constant whirlwind of chakra Hinata projected through her palms. If they got too close, Sakura would smash them into one another, sending them tumbling back down the side of the building.

But a few puppets snuck up behind them, and their arms extended out, wrapping around Temari's body before she noticed them. With a cry of surprise, she was pulled down among the living wave of puppets.

"Temari!" Sakura yelled, as she leapt down after them. Her palms were aglow with concentrated chakra, and Hinata watched in amazement as Sakura pounded several of the puppets into dust. But she began to have trouble fighting them all off, and Hinata made to jump down and help her.

"I need you up here!' Shikamaru grunted. "You need to protect me and Kankurō, so stay up here and watch for a sneak attack!" He placed his hands together, concentrating and formulating a plan.

Hinata had almost forgotten about Kankurō. He hadn't moved since unconsciousness had overtaken him, and despite Sakura's best efforts, his situation was still very grim. If he were to be attacked…Kankurō wouldn't last.

She bit her lip. She could hear Sakura struggle with her own attackers, but she held her ground, hands at the ready. Just in time too, as three puppets leapt into the air, disconnecting at every joint. Hinata watched on as they combined into some terrifying amalgamation of the three, before chakra blades appeared from every limb visible. It launched itself at Hinata, and she barely had enough time to react.

"Kaiten!" she screamed once more, pushing the puppets back. But these were of Monzaemon's creations, and were far tougher than normal. Without Temari's initial attack, all Hinata could do was hold them back, and they were beginning to cut through her protective sphere.

"Just a little bit longer, Hinata!" Shikamaru cried out. "Just hold on a little bit longer!"

She pushed herself even further, but could feel the blades of chakra edging closer and closer through her shield. Finally, it pushed through, and she was shoved backwards, nearly toppling over Kankurō's unconscious body and into Shikamaru.

The puppet wasted no time. It threw itself towards them as fast as it could, as Hinata was scrambling to her feet. Just a little more time, and—

"Push them back! Shinobi of Suna, push them back!"

Dozens and dozens of Suna ninja leapt into the air, appearing just before Monzaemon's puppet ripped Hinata apart. Several of them pulled large war fans from their back, and with one mighty heave, tore the puppet to ribbons against the colliding air currents. Another group raced after Sakura and Temari, freeing them from the army just before they were overwhelmed.

Gaara landed in front of them on a small platform of Sand. "The shinobi of Sunagakure are under your command, Shikamaru. I trust you to take of them while I assist Naruto and Kakashi."

Shikamaru did not answer directly, but nodded to show that he was listening. Gaara turned around, calling out to all the shinobi he had freed.

"Listen to me now! At this moment, a man once loyal to the village has betrayed us, and seeks to destroy us! He has killed men, women, and children for the sake of a twisted revenge! Do we, the shinobi of Sunagakure, allow that to happen?"

"NO!" the ninja cried out, fighting back against the puppet army.

"Do we allow this man to overthrow us? To overcome us?"

"NO!" they yelled back, even louder than before.

"We do NOT. We fight back, with our very lives! We will take back this village, and rid the world of this man once and for all! Let no one who would take the lives of the innocent go unpunished. Turn these men of wood and metal to the winds of the desert. Let them be swallowed by it!"

There was a great cry as all the shinobi of Suna threw themselves into the fray, with such ferocity that Hinata was taken aback. The puppet army pushed back against them with all their might, but the Sand had been rallied by the stirring words of their Kazekage, and would not be defeated so easily.

Gaara turned back to Shikamaru. "I leave them in your hands. Please, protect my brother."

Hinata turned around to look at Kankurō. It was a strange sight, to see him so peaceful when such savagery lay all around him. His breathing was calm and even, and his cowl flapped gently in the desert winds. Hinata turned back to affirm their duty to the Kazekage, but he was already gone, off to assist Naruto and Kakashi in taking down Monzaemon himself.

It was also at this time that Shikamaru opened his eyes, and let his hands fall to his sides. "Okay…" he said quietly, looking all around him at the new pieces he had been given. "I think I have an idea."

He turned around, and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Earth release users, start a defensive line at the front. Wind users, bring up the rear. We're gonna take all these hunks of wood down in one move!"

The shinobi cheered on their new commander, rushing to their positions. Shikamaru held a fist into the air, waiting with bated breath as the army rushed closer and closer, chakra blades spinning dangerously close until.

"Now! Earth release, throw them into the air!"

The earth users slammed their palms into the ground, as large slabs of rock and hardened sand launched dozens of the puppets into the air. Shikamaru threw his shadow into as many of them as he could, piercing them before they could fall back down to the ground.

"Wind release, cut them to pieces!"

He had yelled something to Hinata, but she could not hear him over the waves of biting wind that were unleashed behind them, as mini-tornadoes and monstrous wind storms were formed from the colliding attacks of the Wind Release users. The weaker puppets disappeared without a sound, but Monzaemon's own were taking the brunt of the attack well, held together by expert craftsmanship. But they were still held up in the air by the wind currents, completely unable to defend themselves as long as Monzaemon's strength could not push through.

Even from his great distance, the Puppet Master must have realized this. He eased his concentration on about half of his forces, letting them be thrown into one another while he pushed the other half through the barrier of wind. Shikamaru had not been expecting that, but he was ready nonetheless.

"Everyone, throw every shuriken you have! I'll take care of the rest!"

As they readied their projectiles, Shikamaru turned to the rest of his group. "Take out all the paper bombs you may have on you, and place them in my shadow. Now!"

Sakura, Temari, and Hinata all did as they were told, adding their paper bombs to Shikamaru's own. Some of the Suna shinobi who were closer to their group did this as well, until Shikamaru had a sizeable amount.

He threw his fist forward. "Throw them all, now! Don't bother trying to aim, just get them in the air!"

As hundreds of shuriken flew past Shikamaru, he concentrated all of the chakra he could into his shadow, as dozens and dozens of small shadow tendrils raised from the ground, wrapping around the paper bombs. With practiced hands and fluid movements, Shikamaru manipulated all of the tendrils to pass through the shuriken, attaching the paper bombs to a great many of them. As they flew towards the remainder of Monzaemon's puppet army, Shikamaru reached into his pouch, and pulled out a single cigarette, as well as the lighter Asuma had passed onto him. It had become something of a ritual for him, to take one deep, long breath before he enacted a strategy. Ever since Hidan, he had done so.

The smoke filled his lungs, and soothed his nerves. He threw the cigarette on the ground, and smothered it with his foot, before forming the hand seal necessary to activate the paper bombs.

The explosion in front of them was enormous, covering their entire field of view. Each of the shinobi present had to shield their eyes and ear from the blinding light and thunderous sound as Monzaemon's army was consumed by the explosion. Their chakra blades reacted especially violently, warping into misshapen blades that struck the puppets the belonged to just as much as they struck those nearby. A few of the Suna shinobi were forced to evade some flying debris from the already damaged puppets, but as a whole, they emerged unscathed.

A great cheer spread from the forces as smoke covered the area. They heard not a sound or saw a single movement in the thick, black cloud; they were sure they had defeated their enemy.

But slowly, Shikamaru raised his fist once again, and they fell silent. The winds blew all around them, and the lone call of a hawk could be heard soaring above them.

"Do you take me for an insolent child!? Someone who would be defeated by such a trick?"

Shikamaru recognized Monzaemon's voice from his radio contact with Naruto earlier that night, and immediately signaled for their retreat. Before some of them could escape, however, they were crushed beneath a giant mass of wood and metal. Horrible cracking and cranking sounds moaned from the cloud of dust and smoke, and fear crept back into the hearts of the Suna shinobi, as a monstrous figure began to rise from the earth.

"It seems I have underestimated the might of the Leaf Village in my hubris," Monzaemon's voice explained. "That is a mistake I will not make again."

The cloud was suddenly dispersed with one mighty swing of a gargantuan arm. Shikamaru's eyes widened in disbelief.

Every single one of Monzaemon's puppets had combined with one another, forming a massive puppet with their own bodies. Cogs and gears cranked and turned loudly as it towered over its opponents, shaking free the debris of the village around it. It was by far the largest puppet Shikamaru, or anyone in the Sand had ever seen, rising at least over a hundred feet into the air. Bits and pieces hung open to the desert air, like a rotting wound, and the multitudes of puppets that composed it clattered together loudly. It was an abomination.

Large quantities of a noxious gas began to spew from the puppet's mouth, quickly covering the area around them. The shinobi began to retreat once more, but the plumes of gas followed shortly behind them.

"In small doses, this gas is easily capable of knocking out a human, choking them into unconsciousness. Unfortunately for you, it's also extremely flammable." Monzaemon began to laugh, as the gas spread further and further away.

Shikamaru's eyes widened in horror as he looked around him. Small fires from their battle littered the village, each and every one of them a spark just waiting to be used. The gas edged closer, and closer, and closer…

Just before the gas reached a small flame on the edge of one of the building's supporting beams, Shikamaru's mind was racing. Where was Monzaemon getting all this chakra? How was he controlling this many puppets, with equal amounts of concentration spread among them? What was really going on?

His thoughts were interrupted as a second explosion erupted in the middle of the village.

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><p>Naruto's breath was hard and rough in his chest. The cold desert air filled his lungs painfully, enough to make every breath feel like a laborious task, but he pressed on with Kakashi right by his side.<p>

"Where did Gaara say this Monzy guy was?" he asked, raising his voice to carry over the desert winds.

"The Sabakusentō," Kakashi yelled back, pointing off to his slight left. "Also known as the Desert Spire, it's the largest mountain in the Land of Wind, being one of the _only_ mountains. Monzaemon must have turned the underground caverns into his base of operations."

"Will it be hard to find him?"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "It would have been easier if Hinata had been with us. Her Byakugan would have picked out Monzaemon's exact location, unless…"

"Unless what?" Naruto asked, catching the strained toned in Kakashi's voice. He recognized it as when his sensei suspected something, but Kakashi kept his eyes focused ahead.

"It's just a hunch. If I need to, I'll explain when we get there."

"I may not be Hinata, but perhaps I can be of assistance."

Naruto and Kakashi craned their necks to find Gaara rapidly gaining on them, riding a wave of his special sand across the desert. He didn't even stop moving once he had caught up with them; he merely increased the size of his platform, and picked them up as well.

Naruto couldn't help but smile. "Nice! Now we can race to kick this guy's ass in style!"

Gaara did not return the joyous sentiment. "Keep your eyes open. Monzaemon was able to capture the entire village by himself. It would be unwise to believe him beaten this early."

"Truly, you are not as stupid a Kazekage as I once thought!"

Gaara's reaction was immensely fast, just as it needed to be. Without warning, a figure appeared in front of them, brandishing a katana. Gaara pushed Naruto and Kakashi to the left, and himself to the right, avoiding the sword just in time. They skidded to a halt, and Gaara's sand was at the ready, floating in front of him.

The puppet resembled little of Monzaemon himself, yet it had been his voice they had heard. It tapped it's sword against its shoulder, laughing. "I must say, your abilities have improved since we last battled. Perhaps it is because I do not have any poor, innocent civilians to slaughter in front of you?"

Kakashi could not shake the feeling of dead that overcame him. This puppet felt different from the others. More dangerous, maybe.

Monzaemon seemed to notice. "Oh, you seem to have a sharp eye. Yes, this puppet isn't exactly like those you faced back at the village. Those were nothing but pawns in the game we play. What you see before you, is a knight."

The puppet was composed of very complex wooden machinery, even more so than Monzaemon's own body. Wooden cogs and gears turned in total silence from its exposed arm, the arm that held its sword. The rest of the puppet was garbed in elaborate samurai wear, fine silks and hardened leathers of bold colors. A great flag adorned its back, a painting of bonsai on a bright sunny morning, yet it was the mask that garnered the most attention. Carved into the likeness of a demon, or _oni_, this mask itself was splintered towards the top portion of the puppet's head, revealing another mask, this one more akin to a bloodied skull. Two red eyes gleamed at them in the darkness of the desert; Monzaemon's way of seeing his opponents.

"During my attempts to create the perfect puppet, this little darling came into creation. He didn't have much use for defense, so it was not long before I scrapped him," Monzaemon explained, his voice hissing through the mask with a metallic sheen. "But as he collected dust over the years, I realized how wrong I was, and if I was ever stumped or lost on what to try next, I would tinker and perfect him. He became one of my most prized puppets, right alongside my personal collection of ten. I call him Yoshimitsu, and he is _oh so_ eager to meet the three of you."

The puppet tossed the sword into the air, catching it again with nimble fingers. "I found this in the ruins of my mountain. It is still a disgusting weapon, but it was not ever a part of this puppet, so we'll call this one a wash."

'Yoshimitsu' suddenly shot forward, sword held high over his head. Kakashi evaded the attack easily enough, but could feel the shockwave of the sword ringing in his ears and in his chest. The strength put behind the attack was immense.

"There is something strangely beautiful to the way of the samurai, is there not?" Monzaemon said dreamily, turning around. "The sense of duty and honor…and such grace! I could never master such a technique myself, but a puppet…well, Yoshimitsu here can be whatever I choose for him to be."

He dropped back into a combative stance. "Your friends back at the village have done well so far. But the more puppets they destroy the less my concentration must be spread among them. Things will only get harder from here, and I am afraid they won't be alive much longer. Such a pity."

"Liar!" Naruto growled, stepping forward. "You won't kill them, and you won't kill us."

Again, Monzaemon regarded Naruto with a strange look in his eye. "You boy…you said your name was Naruto, did you not?"

Naruto nodded.

"Then come and stop me!" Monzaemon spread Yoshimitsu's arms wide apart, as if to greet Naruto into his arms. "Come, and kill me! End my life; a life that has been forfeit long ago! Come, and kill what is already dead! What is dead may never die! Those are my words, so come and try to prove me wrong!"

"If that's what you want," Naruto replied, suddenly throwing himself forward with great speed. Yoshimitsu was faster, however, and delivered a cruel knee to Naruto's gut, only for 'Naruto' to disappear in a puff of smoke. There was movement behind him, and Monzaemon watched through Yoshimitsu as Naruto escaped, headed straight for the Sabakusentō.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Would Monzaemon fall for such a trick? Again, that unsettling feeling spread through his body, but he pushed it back down. Now was not the time to worry on details.

Yoshimitsu turned all the way around, completely disregarding Kakashi and Gaara. "If Naruto thinks it will be that easy to reach me, he has much to learn." His sword was raised into the air, and Yoshimitsu was off, chasing after Naruto, and quickly gaining on him.

"Gaara!" Kakashi yelled, as Gaara's platform of sand engulfed him. He was launched after the two with a great thrust from Gaara's sand, and collided into Yoshimitsu's back, sending the puppet sprawling into the desert. The Raikiri gleamed in his palm, and he made to shove his hand into Yoshimitsu's body, but the puppet was quick to regain its senses. It grabbed onto Kakashi's hand, and plunged it into the sand next to its mask. The hand holding the sword shimmered in the light of the moon, before burying itself in Kakashi's skull.

He too, disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Another user of the Shadow clone technique?" Monzaemon wondered aloud, in a bored tone. "It is strange to see so many shinobi capable of such a chakra taxing technique, and only half as interesting. Still, perhaps I will have more fun with you than I originally thought."

Perhaps he would have said more. Kakashi did not give him the chance. He went on the offensive, and Yoshimitsu threw its sword up just in time before Kakashi's kunai connected with its head. The blade glowed as Kakashi forced chakra into it, and Yoshimitsu's own sword did the same.

The Copy Ninja turned to Gaara. "You go on ahead with Naruto! He'll need you to help him find Monzaemon, while I deal with this one!"

Gaara did not waste any time. He immediately set off after his friend, while Kakashi turned back to Yoshimitsu. Their blades clashed several more times, before the leaped back.

"So, you'll be _dealing_ with me, is that it?" Monzaemon asked, taunting. "I can't imagine you will live long enough to be of help to them."

Kakashi smiled through his mask. "I can't imagine you know what I'm capable of. You might be surprised."

"I might be."

**(2)**

Yoshimitsu held its sword arm out, and the gears and wooden cogs that composed its arm began to rapidly rotate, spinning its arm faster and faster until the sword was nothing but a shimmering blur, humming loudly. Yoshimitsu charged, and Kakashi jumped back to avoid the saw-blade. The arm resembled that of a human's, to be sure, but it was far more flexible despite its hardened appearance. Part of the arm towards the elbow suddenly disconnected, giving Yoshimitsu much more reach, and Kakashi had to fall onto his arms to avoid being cleaved in two. Yoshimitsu gave him no time to rest, and threw the sword into the ground, barely missing Kakashi by inches as he rolled out of the way.

He looked up at Kakashi. Its mask guarded its face, but Kakashi could see the curiosity in its shining red eyes, in Monzaemon's eyes.

Kakashi stretched his neck out, from side to side. Slowly, he lifted his headband from his Sharingan, letting it gleam in the dark for Monzaemon to see. His puppet did not react, but he knew Monzaemon was interested.

"A Sharingan…" he said to himself, voice hissing through the metal of his masks. "This changes things, doesn't it? Makes them more…interesting."

A sudden influx of chakra into Yoshimitsu's body caught Kakashi off-guard. There was so much there, it had become visible, especially bright in the tip of the puppet's sword. Kakashi took his chance, and scanned the horizon. When he looked down, his previous concerns were revealed to be true.

The Sharingan has the ability to detect the flow of chakra, and as Kakashi looked beneath him, he saw an enormous amount of chakra moving beneath him, connecting to Yoshimitsu's body, as well as extending all the way back to the village. Even from this distance, Kakashi could see how brightly it burned. It explained how he was able to manipulate these puppets from such a distance, but where was he getting this much chakra? If this truly was what Kakashi believed it was, this power had been sealed away for decades. Had Monzaemon unlocked it once again?

He did not have any more time to consider the notion. Yoshimitsu went on the offensive once more, moving far faster than before with the aid of the additional chakra. He saw the initial attack easily enough, moving to the left to evade the broad stroke of Yoshimitsu's sword, but he saw several wooden pegs rip from the puppet's right leg, spinning rapidly, and even though he had seen it coming, it meant little when his body could not react fast enough to dodge. They collided with his leg with a sickening crack, and he collapsed onto the ground with a single grunt of pain. Yoshimitsu meant to take advantage of this, and swung his sword once again, cleaving Kakashi in two.

This time, instead of disappearing into smoke, Kakashi's body dissolved into lightning, electricity coursing across Yoshimitsu's entire body. The puppet shuddered and convulsed for several seconds as the real Kakashi emerged from the earth below, but by the time he was back on his feet, the puppet had recovered. Wood, after all, was a natural insulator. His lightning-style would not be of much help here.

Kakashi watched the puppet's mechanisms closely. Clearly, this puppet was meant for a one-on-one fight, filled with hidden compartments and secret mechanisms meant to trip up or confuse its opponent. He had only seen a taste of the puppet's abilities, but Kakashi already knew he would need to be on his guard. It did not matter if he had the power of the Sharingan to assist him, if he did not have the reaction time to evade what he saw coming at him.

"Impressed?" Monzaemon asked, striking a pose. "This puppet may not be as flashy as some of the others, but I am still proud of my work. He will be more than enough to take care of you, and then I can place my full _attention_ on the two children coming to face me."

Kakashi almost laughed. "Trust me, you have a lot more to worry about with those two 'children' than you do with me."

Monzaemon ignored him, sending Yoshimitsu after him in a blur of movement. For several minutes straight, they danced among the desert, clashing back and forth. Yoshimitsu's movements were erratic and hard to predict, but each time, Kakashi was able to evade the attack. But every time it was his turn to go onto the offensive, Monzaemon would pull Yoshimitsu away out of reach, with dexterity and flexibility only a puppet could possess.

Kakashi gritted his teeth, planted his feet, and shot after the puppet. The condensed chakra of another Raikiri glowed in his hand, and he spurted an extra burst of speed into his body, pushing his hand towards Yoshimitsu's midsection. Monzaemon pulled the puppet to the right, avoiding the attack, but Kakashi had been expecting this.

A small explosion spewed sand and dust into the air as a second Kakashi revealed himself, wielding another Raikiri. The lightning chakra connected to one another in an instant, giving them a stream of ruthless cutting power between them. Monzaemon could move Yoshimitsu anyway he liked; it wouldn't make any difference.

The stream blew through Yoshimitsu's left leg with ease, and despite the wood softening the damage as the puppet was thrown into the air, his leg remained behind, detached from the rest of its body. Kakashi wasted no time chasing after it. The less of this puppet Monzaemon had, the easier time he would have with this battle. A few quick hand signs, and two slabs of earth appeared on either side of the severed leg, smashing together and crushing the wooden limb underneath. Kakashi struggled against the durability of the puppet's limb, marveling at its strength. But eventually, it gave way, and he heard the satisfying crunch of the puppet's leg disintegrating in between the rock.

Yoshimitsu turned back to Kakashi, glaring at him with those glowing red eyes. "Clever. Pick this puppet apart; eventually, I will be of little threat."

"That's the idea," Kakashi replied. "And now that you've only got one leg, that's going to be a whole lot easier."

Monzaemon had the gall to make Yoshimitsu shrug. "Will it now? I wonder…"

Standing on one leg, Monzaemon took Yoshimitsu's sword, and thrust it into the wood where Kakashi had severed its leg. Gears turned and cranked, and accepted its new limb with little trouble. Monzaemon tested it out, giving the air a few stabs. Satisfied with his work, he hopped after Kakashi with speed that surprised the Copy Ninja. The blade of the sword pierced through much of the desert sand, giving the puppet a strong foothold to push off from, leaping towards Kakashi and closing the gap between them in seconds. Right before he was in melee range, Yoshimitsu leapt onto his hands, and the toes of his still intact right foot separated, looking like an elongated hand. The sword jabbed in and out of its new sheath, much like the stinger of a scorpion.

As Yoshimitsu leapt and spun around on his hands, Kakashi clashed with its sword with his kunai, glancing off blow after blow. The sounds of their battle rang out into the night, into the last few hours of twilight before the sun came up.

* * *

><p>"There it is!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing to a large silhouette in the distance. "That's the mountain, right?"<p>

Gaara nodded. "Yes, that is the Sabakusentō. If what Monzaemon himself said is true, this is where he hides, manipulating his puppets from afar."

"Why would he tell you that?" Naruto asked, as the shadow of the mountain drew nearer. "Would he really want to tell you where he's hiding?"

"I am….unsure." There was a far-off look in Gaara's eyes, as he watched the desert spire grow in size before him. "There are many things about this man that I still find a mystery. We must be on our guard."

Slowly, they skidded to a halt. Naruto did not waste any time, leaping to a nearby boulder to give a solid look around. "Do you have any idea how we're supposed to get underground?" he called out to his friend, searching every dark crevice and corner with sharp, blue eyes.

"If Monzaemon has moved as many puppets as he had in the village, he could not have done so through a small opening," Gaara explained, closing his eyes. "If luck is with us, that opening will be vulnerable, and easy to find."

The sand from his gourd seeped onto the ground, spreading around Gaara's feet and inching ever further away from him, spreading out in all directions. It collected other, lighter sand around it, adding it to his own as it began to cover the base of the mountain. He grimaced, and the sand spread even faster. Naruto stood on one foot as the sand slipped past him, spreading over the rock he was standing on.

Gaara felt at peace as the darkness washed over him. His eyes were closed, yet he always saw clearly like this. He let the desert be his eyes, and the desert never lied to him. The smallest insects crawling on the rocks beneath him, wisps of clouds thousands of feet above…nothing was left out of his sight.

He pushed this sight further, snaking alongside the base of the mountain. The slightest detail did not escape his consideration. Ripples in the dirt, or maybe a rock moved by something other than the wind? Gaara looked again. Indeed, it did seem strange. Things were not in their natural place, and there was little explanation for that when life was not in abundance here.

The sand edged closer, and he felt the breath of wind pulling him inward. On this side of the mountain, the wind from the desert was shut away, but he felt the pull nonetheless. This was coming from a second source.

"I have found it," he announced to Naruto, opening his eyes. "Come this way."

He and Naruto crossed over to the other side of the mountain, on the side bathing in the glow of the late night moon. The sand from Gaara's gourd poured back towards him, crawling up his leg and disappearing back inside its hole. They stood before a large, gaping entrance into the mountain. No doubt made by Monzaemon to move his larger puppets through, this would be their way inside.

Naruto took a light step forward, cautious of the black before him. It was a wise move, as out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement. Tiny rocks and pebbles bounced into the air, clattering against the ground. Something down there was moving.

"I suggest we back up," Gaara muttered, as the rumbling beneath his feet grew louder. Naruto laughed nervously, heeding his friends' suggestion.

Gaara had picked a wise time to do so. The shaking grew much in intensity, until Naruto could hardly keep his balance on the ground. The mountain especially shook with great force, the peak crumbling before their very eyes. Pebbles and rocks and boulders of all shapes and sizes rolled down the side of the mountain, gaining speed and numbers. It was a veritable landslide, and Gaara had to lift Naruto into the air with a tendril of sand to keep him from being crushed underneath.

"Wh-what's going on?" Naruto asked, looking from left to right to try and find the source of such a quake. "Is the mountain coming down on top of us?"

Gaara shook his head. "I don't think so. I think…Monzaemon-_sama_ is sending us something."

"Too right, boy! When guests arrive at your home, you don't leave them at the doorstep!"

Monzaemon's voice boom out in front of them, from all directions. They tried to locate the source of the voice so they would not be caught off guard, but their attempts were in vain.

"No, that would be terribly rude!" Monzaemon continued, his voice fading underneath the great crashing and thundering of the mountain. "You send someone to greet them at the door, to welcome them inside!"

It was like the eruption of a volcano. The mountain suddenly burst at the top, sending tons of rock, dust, and sand miles into the air. Naruto watched with grim fascination, before getting out of the way as the projectiles dove back into the earth, smashing the surrounding mountain side to pieces. A large figure emerged from the obliterated peak, crawling out from the depths of the mountain like the earth itself was giving birth, to a child of destruction and death.

Two giant arms gripped the side of the mountain, hoisting itself further up the peak of the mountain. Clouds of dust, which had obscured the figure's coming, began to slowly fade away, revealing Naruto's and Gaara's 'welcoming party'.

The puppet was of a massive size, large enough to resemble the mountain's peak itself should it hide in shadow. But the light of the moon shone down on it, giving Naruto and Gaara a good look.

Resembling a figure out of Kabuki Theater, the puppet's mask was painted in the traditional style of the art form, though on such a massive figure, it gave off quite a different feeling. It was garbed in flowing robes of white and red silk that glinted in the moonlight as it moved atop the mountain's ruined peak. It had no legs from what Naruto could see, unless they were hidden inside the base of the mountain.

"Do not tell me you never thought a man would neglect to protect his home!?" Monzaemon's voice boomed. "This puppet, while nowhere near perfect, was designed with the express purpose of 'dismaying' anyone stupid enough to get close, from entering my mountain. If you wish to fight me directly, you will have to go through Renjishi first!"

Naruto groaned. "Man, how many puppets does this guy have?" He pointed to the monstrous size of the puppet. "How the heck are we supposed to fight something that big? I don't think we can even get close to it!"

Gaara looked at Naruto. "This does not sound like the Naruto I know. The Naruto _I_ know would be challenging me that he could get to the top of the mountain faster than I could."

And Gaara was right. Naruto would be loudly proclaiming how easy it would be to defeat this overgrown doll, how he would kick Monzaemon's butt up and down the Land of Wind. And yet there he stood, paralyzed by some unknown fear. It gripped at his heart and tugged at his soul, and he could not push it away with all his might.

But then he saw her. Hinata was in front of him, and she was smiling. She looked happy, and he felt a calm wash over him. Even greater than the dread of what Hiashi had told him, even greater than the fear of what the Kyūbi was hiding from him, even greater than the sickness in his stomach whenever he thought of Hinata's mother…he felt at peace. And within this peace he found the strength to push on, to look over at Gaara, his friend, and smile.

"Bet you I can get to the top faster than you can," he said, smirking. He didn't even wait for an answer before he was off, racing up the mountain side as dozens and dozens of shadow clones appeared by his side. Gaara shook his head in amusement, and chased after him, heading straight for Monzaemon's massive puppet with reckless abandon.

Needless to say, the Puppet Master had not been expecting this. They treated him like he was merely a game, an obstacle to be overcome before they moved on with more important matters. He did not take to that well. A large opening appeared in Renjishi's back, and from it fanned open a large bellows. Huge gusts of air filled the leather sack behind the puppet's back, and when it was released down the mountainside, it came with the fury of a hurricane, whipping in Naruto's ears and eyes. Many of the clones disappeared then and there because of the torrential winds, but others joined together, rooting the original to his spot on the mountain while they helped push him up, slowly and surely. Gaara, in the meantime, merely blocked the wind with his sand. It meant as little to him as a pebble thrown into his side.

**(3)**

The massive puppet did not stop the winds blowing from his wooden gut, while its massive arms reached behind him, grasping a large portion of the crate he himself had created. The wood and metal that made up the puppet's body strained with false effort, as Monzaemon forced wooden fingers into the mountain, digging into the hard rock. He lifted two large pieces over the puppet's head, and hurled them towards Naruto and Gaara, hoping to crush them underneath a massive pile of rubble.

The first boulder struck too soon, but cascaded down the mountain with many other rocks falling after it, forcing Naruto to jump high into the air to avoid the landslide. The second one plunged into Gaara's shield of sand, which threw it back at Monzaemon's puppet guardian with surprising speed considering the size of the rock. The puppet Renjishi caught the rock, and crushed it between two hands of wrought iron, letting the pebbles slip between its fingers. The air picked them up, and they shot past Naruto and Gaara, whipping close to their bodies with deadly speed. Naruto felt one graze his ear, and the warm rush of blood down his cheek. He ignored it. They tried to get closer to the top of the mountain, but Monzaemon pushed them away, swinging low with iron hands. Naruto jumped out of the way, and Gaara pushed the hand aside with his sand, and the two of them rushed towards the top.

"If that's how the two of you want to play, so be it!" Monzaemon's voiced called down to them from the top of the mountain." He used Renjishi to bash its arms against the mountainside, further crumbling it around the puppet's body, and producing more boulders to be thrown. They flew towards Naruto and Gaara, each successive one faster than the last. The last come came to Naruto so fast, Gaara's sand shield was forced to intervene in order to save him. But none of them hit their targets, and now that Monzaemon had thoroughly destroyed the mountain protecting the lower half of Renjishi's body, the puppet was left entirely exposed. Naruto could make out rusty cogs and complex wooden contraptions powering the puppet from below, driven into the peak of the mountain with shining steel rivets.

Naruto summoned more clones. "Let's get him!" they cried out, leaping straight into Renjishi's giant hands. Monzaemon laughed, swinging one massive arm from side to side as he tried to shake off the pesky Naruto clones.

They punched and kicked at Renjishi's massive body, but the puppet swatted them away like flies, and puffs of smoke dotted the mountainside. The few that remained tried concentrating on one spot, jumping into between massive wooden joints to try and escape the clawing hands. But Monzaemon pushed some chakra through the puppet's bones, heating them until the rest of the clones disappeared.

Naruto was persistent. He summoned more clones, and they leapt back at him, this time with Gaara's sand at his back. They looked for a weak spot, splashing the puppet's entire body with attacks, yet each of them just seemed to glance off of the puppet's body, and Monzaemon laughed as several of the clones latched onto his arm.

But there was a sound; an ear-splitting, humming sound. Monzaemon watched through Renjishi in surprise as the Naruto clones' hands began to glow bright blue. An orb of concentrated chakra appeared in their hands, and Monzaemon did not need to be told to know that this technique must be dangerous. He tried to use his other arm to smash the clones away, but it was held fast by Gaara's sand.

"Rasen Chō Tarengan!" the clones yelled, driving Naruto's signature technique into Renjishi's arm dozens of times. Explosion after explosion set off up and down the puppet's arm, the violent clashing of the rotating chakra intermingling with the turning gears and wheels. Bits of wood and metal whistled past the original Naruto, as he watched from afar.

"Damn you, you little brats!" Monzaemon cursed, surveying the damage. The arm could still be moved, but it was heavily damaged by the attack. With great red eyes, he stared at Naruto curiously.

"Perhaps I was right about you, boy," he said with disdain. "You've been quite the surprise so far. Perhaps…" his voice fell silent, and he said nothing more until he looked at the damaged arm once again. "That is of no concern of yours. It is time we stop 'playing'."

Naruto heard a terrible noise coming from the puppet's base, and a blue light rose from the center of the mountain, closer and closer towards the top. When it touched Renjishi's body, the puppet was enveloped in the light, and Naruto was forced to shield his eyes.

The light faded, and the puppet's appearance had changed. Its eyes had grown more fearsome, and where was once mask, there was no longer. The puppet's head was exposed, a garish skeleton of wood and metal with red eyes glowing even brighter than before. The puppet opened its mouth, and the blue light came again.

"Get out of the way!" Naruto yelled, just before the beam of chakra burst from Renjishi's maw. The rest of his clones were completely obliterated, but Gaara's shield protected both him and Naruto from the blast, the strength of which was immense. Even through the thick layer of sand between them and the outside, Naruto could feel the heat on his face. The moment Gaara released the shield, they could see Monzaemon charging another blast of chakra, forcing them to go back into hiding once more.

"Man, where the heck does this guy get all this chakra?" Naruto asked, in disbelief. "I mean, this is a whole _lot_ of chakra!"

"This man _was_ the Kazekage that united the tribes of the Land of Wind, Naruto," Gaara reminded him. "Still…this is an unusually large amount of chakra he possesses. This much is usually for someone under our circumstances."

Naruto seemed surprised. "You don't think…you don't think this guy was a jinchūriki too, do you?"

"No, Naruto, I don't. I just believe there is more than meets the eye."

"Well, if you want to find out, we just need to get past this big puppet, right?" Naruto asked, cracking his knuckles. "Give me a couple minutes, and I think I can handle that."

Gaara studied the look in Naruto's eyes. He knew that look of determination, and knew that it was best to listen to him. Sometimes, Naruto just knew when to take over.

"Very well. I will cover you until the time is right."

The sand shield collapsed around Gaara, but remained around Naruto, tightening its defenses. Monzaemon noticed, and turned the puppet's large body straight towards Naruto. The beam appeared again, but was stopped by Gaara's sand before it even reached halfway.

"I don't know why you intend to protect that boy, Kazekage-sama, but do not think you can hold me back for long!" Monzaemon grabbed another boulder, and placed it in the path of the chakra beam. Instead of demolishing the rock, it was coated in the superheated chakra, turning it into a giant mass of molten rock. He smashed it in between the puppet's iron hands, before slapping it straight towards Naruto and Gaara.

Gaara threw his sand up once again, in small tendrils to try and catch the projectiles before they reached Naruto. Because the rocks were coated in chakra, they went right through Gaara's own chakra-coated sand the first time, and he was forced to exert himself to try two more times to stop the molten rock from smashing into the shield that protected Naruto's body. Each successive time, the rocks were slowed further and further, and by the time they actually reached Naruto, they merely fizzled out on the surface of the shield of sand, before falling harmless onto the side of the mountain.

"That defense of yours is something to be proud of, to be sure," Monzaemon said, clapping with the puppet's hands of iron. "Truly, I am impressed. If you would allow me to test the limits of such a defense…I am _so_ curious as to what it cannot defend against."

"As if you'd be able to!" they heard Naruto's muffled voice shout through the shield of sand. "Gaara's defense is absolute! You'll never get through it!"

Were they not in the middle of a battle, Gaara would have found the quip amusing. The confusion was apparent through Monzaemon however, as he stared curiously at the sphere of sand that held Naruto safe within.

"As I was saying…" Monzaemon muttered, placing the puppet's hands together. Using the puppet as a proxy, he was able to channel more of his chakra into it, and formed hand signs. The puppet's body lit up with blue light once more, but this time, instead of a stream of concentrated chakra, pillars of fire erupted from the puppet's hands, engulfing both Naruto and Gaara in the flames.

Gaara shielded his eyes from the heat, keeping an eye on Naruto. The shield was holding, but it was not long before Gaara realized Monzaemon' deception; he did not meant to melt the shield, but melt the rock beneath it. Naruto sank several inches into the mountain side, and it was only through the quick reaction of Gaara that he did not fall through into a chasm once the intense heat had burned through the rock. A large tendril of sand, wrapped around Naruto's shield, holding him in midair before he fell.

Gaara moved his other hand towards Renjishi, and more sand shot out after the puppet. It wrapped around the puppet's arm, where the fire still burned. With great strength, Gaara fought against Monzaemon's will, and forced the puppet's fire into its own body, melting away what little remained of the arm that had been damaged, just before Gaara lost control of the arm. It slapped his sand away, and with a burst of chakra, sent it back towards him.

The Kazekage's breath was heavy in his chest, and each rise and fall of his body felt like a task in itself. He felt strange; Gaara was sure of his own strength, without being arrogant. Surely he had more chakra in his reserves than this?

Monzaemon laughed. "Getting tired, boy? Just when it was starting to become fun, as well!"

Gaara ignored the insult. Monzaemon was so busy taunting the current Kazekage that he did not notice the sand collecting behind him, quickly and silently. The sand hardened, and hardened again, then hardened even further. Blood red markings appeared in broad strokes as the sand took the form of a large spear. Gaara closed his eyes, and threw the spear of sand at Renjishi.

The puppet whirled around, facing the projectile. It smashed its iron hands together, producing a powerful shockwave, but this did not slow Gaara down even a little. The spear plunged through the burst of air, straight through Renjishi's chest. Metal and wood exploded out the other side, showering the mountain with its insides. The sand clung to Renjishi's body, filling as many compartments and spaces in between the gears as much as possible. Monzaemon cursed under his breath within his mountain as control over the puppet grew ever harder.

"I have had enough of this!" he yelled, shaking Renjishi violently. Sand wrestled with the puppet, trying to hold him fast, but the chakra came rushing back to the puppet's body, pushing Gaara's sand away, and freeing it once more. The puppet threw its hands into the air, and they each split into two, totaling four arms now. "Die! The both of you!"

Each of the four palms began to glow, and thin wisps of chakra snaked from one hand to the other, connecting the four of them together in a trigram pattern. Gaara was not worried; he had felt movement from within the sand of shield that protected Naruto.

Slowly, the sand drained away, as Naruto got to his feet. He stretched his muscles, and took a look around, yellow eyes gleaming in the night.

"Handled everything since I've been gone?" he joked, glancing at the behemoth at the top of the mountain. "He looks a little worse for wear than when I last left him."

"He is," Gaara replied, eyeing Naruto. He had been told of this 'Sage Mode', and of the powers it granted upon its mastery, but this would be his first time seeing it in action. Was it odd to say he felt strangely excited?

Two clones appeared at Naruto's side, placing their hands near his. A distinct hum could be heard from the side of the mountain, and a bright blue glow erupted from the middle of them, before shaping itself into a large, shuriken-like shape.

Naruto looked at Renjishi, stared into the burning red eyes that he knew held Monzaemon's own, and charged forward, throwing the Rasenshuriken in front of him with as much strength and speed as he could muster.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I hope you liked the battles! I was 'meh' about the Sasuke scene, but that's because his character really isn't interesting to write in my story. Not yet, anyway wink wink nudge nudge.

Now, we have two separate homages to discuss here.

-The first new puppet, Yoshimitsu, is pretty much lifted from the character of the same name from the Tekken and Soul Calibur series of fighting games. Being a Soul Calibur player myself, Yoshimitsu was always an awesome character to use, because he was unpredictable and badass at the same time. He also had a wooden arm, which made me think of Puppets. You'll notice the song during his fight is even his theme in Soul Calibur III, and it's one badass song! I love that guy.

The second is Renjishi, a boss in Okamiden, the DS sequel to Okami, one of my favorite games of all time. It's also a puppet in the game, resembling a Kabuki theater performer. You can Google the both of them if you want a better idea of what they would look like.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope my battle skills are improving, and I'll get right to work on writing the next chapter! Thanks for your concern about the surgery, guys! You make me feel all fuzzy inside, you know...in a manly, badass sort of way.

Until next time!


	51. Kakashi's Duel, and Shikamaru's Cunning!

**Author's Note**: No, I'm not dead.

From what I've been told, there were rumors going around, haha. Some said I suddenly lost interest in the story, others claimed I was deliberately waiting to release the next chapter to build hype. To debunk those rumors, here I am. These chapters (yes, these...there are two for you to read at once!) are late because first and foremost I was lazy, and struggled to get in a writing mood. However, there are other reasons these chapters are later than intended. They used to be one chapter, a gargantuan 23,000 words, I also updated my other two stories, and coming back to college at the same time left me with not as much time to write. Still, now that I've settled in, I've found that I have PLENTY of time to write.

I'm not really gonna say much else, since this chapter isn't technically the most recent one. I'll have a lot to say there, though. For a reason that shall be revealed soon enough.

Here are the songs you need to worry about"

**(1): /watch?v=m3oOmcy28Cw**

**(2): **/watch?v=x2l6g_3ubdc****

****(3): /watch?v=lhzotCfAo7s****

On with the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Two: Chapter 33 - Shifting Sands! Kakashi's Duel, and Shikamaru's Cunning!<strong>

**(1)**

Kakashi swung low. His kunai missed Yoshimitsu by inches, cleaving through nothing but thin air. The puppet's sword spun dangerously close to his nose, but Kakashi dove backwards in time. He threw several shuriken in front of him, paper bombs attached, but Monzaemon moved Yoshimitsu out of the way, and they spun harmlessly into the distance.

Yoshimitsu charged forward, until he saw the glint of the wires Kakashi held in his hand. The shuriken came whirling back in his direction, straight for the puppet's head.

But Yoshimitsu's head spun around on its shoulders, all the way around, and fire spewed from its mouth, prematurely triggering the paper bombs before they could get close. The rest of the puppet didn't even stop running; it leaped into the air and tried to decapitate Kakashi with a wide-swinging kick, but he ducked underneath, and jumped away before Yoshimitsu could attack again.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as Yoshimitsu turned around. Those red eyes were beginning to irritate Kakashi; safe within his mountain, Monzaemon was watching him with those eyes, watching every move he made, maybe even laughing at him. He hoped Naruto and Gaara were having better luck than he was.

"Getting tired?" he heard Monzaemon call out to him, mockingly. "Here: just stand still, and I'll take care of it for you. It might sting a little."

Kakashi didn't humor him with a response. He didn't want Monzaemon to know that his constant badgering was getting to him. The Puppet master must have taken offense, and threw Yoshimitsu towards him once again. The puppet still had its sword embedded where its leg used to be, darting in and out of what remained of the limb like a scorpion's stinger. There had been many close calls when Kakashi had clashed weapons with the puppet, as it would draw back suddenly into its wooden sheath, and Kakashi would stumble from his kunai no longer having anything to push against. The blade would pop back out in an instant, and had nearly found its mark too many times for Kakashi's liking.

His mind raced to produce a strategy. He could cut the strings that gave Monzaemon control over Yoshimitsu, but it would not be long before they were reconnected. Perhaps he could try and sever another limb, but if previous experience was any indication, Monzaemon would have a way to work around the disadvantage. He needed to take the whole puppet down in one go, and completely obliterate it. A tall order, to be sure.

Yoshimitsu jumped high into the air, and the sword attached to his leg began to spin. Faster and faster it turned, until it was singing with a high-pitched hum. A piece of wood extended from the leg, pushing the sword further from Yoshimitsu's body. Instead of landing, the puppet flipped upside down, and hovered in the air. The red eyes glowed brighter, and for a moment Kakashi could see the chakra threads. Yoshimitsu opened its mouth, and more fire burst forth. It suddenly flew forward, chasing after Kakashi.

He ran, hurling another shuriken behind him to throw off Monzaemon's aim. But the puppet's arms were still there, and grabbed the shuriken in mid-air, holding it into the flames and superheating it before it was tossed back at Kakashi. He blocked it with his kunai, but instead of glancing off with a shower of sparks, the shuriken embedded itself into the metal, forcing Kakashi to toss it aside.

Yoshimitsu switched from a steady stream of flames to bursting fireballs that exploded upon hitting the ground. Kakashi could feel the heat behind him, and embers singed the back of his clothing.

Monzaemon switched tactics, and suddenly launched a fireball ahead of Kakashi, leading him by a few feet. The Sharingan possesses great predictive abilities, but can do little when your opponent is not truly 'alive' in the traditional sense. Monzaemon had purposely forced the others to move slower, luring Kakashi into a false sense of security. The ball of flame hit the ground near instantaneously, flinging Kakashi into the air like a rag-doll. Yoshimitsu's arms reached out for him, wrapping around his torso and holding him fast.

Kakashi's flak jacket flew open, revealing paper bombs covering his chest. He dissipated into nothing but lightning; another clone. But Monzaemon acted fast, throwing Kakashi to the ground just before the bombs went off. Dust and sand flew into the air, and Yoshimitsu blew it away with his spinning sword.

The real Kakashi emerged from the ground a second time, and Monzaemon immediately had Yoshimitsu fire off several more fireballs straight at the ground, and a blanket of explosions fell across a wide area of their battlefield. Yoshimitsu kept the pressure on, this time with an explosive beam of concentrated chakra, deepening the already-wide crater.

As the cloud of dust swirled around him, Kakashi nearly stumbled in the uneven ground their battle had created. The layer of sand was especially thin, giving more evidence to Kakashi's theory, and suddenly he had an idea. Kakashi bit his thumb.

The smoke began to clear, and Monzaemon was curious to see that Kakashi was no longer alone. His ninja hounds surrounded him, in a protective circle.

"Only one guy?" Pakkun noticed with a snort of derision. "Don't tell me you need our help for just one guy."

Kakashi almost smiled through his mask. "It's a little more complicated than that. Come here for a second."

In the chaos, Yoshimitsu began firing blindly into the group. Each of Kakashi's ninken deftly leaped out the way, giving each explosion a wide berth. Monzaemon's eyes glowed with frustration, and his attacks became more erratic.

"Really now? Is that all you want us to do?" Pakkun asked, looking at his feet. A ball of fire was thrown at them, but Kakashi rolled out of the way.

The Copy Ninja nodded. "Hopefully, it'll be all that's needed. You think you can handle it?"

"Tch. It's what dogs do, isn't it?"

He barked several times, and the ninken rushed back to Kakashi.

"Ninken Ninpō: Sajin no Mai!" they cried in unison. Huge piles of sand and dirt were kicked into the air, giving Kakashi a thick smoke screen. Monzaemon tried to blow it away with Yoshimitsu's sword, but Pakkun and the others were overpowering the gusts of wind with their powerful legs, digging into the earth.

"A few dogs will not be able to save you!" Monzaemon shouted angrily. He switched back to a constant stream of fire, and recklessly flew through the cloud of dust and debris, burning everything in his path until it charred black, even the sand. His hands twisted in circles, and hollow pipes emerged from the palms, with more fire from each of them. The smokescreen lit up like a beacon in the middle of the desert, as Monzaemon hunted for his prey.

He saw something move out of the corner of his eye, and had Yoshimitsu focus all three spouts of flames on the spot, burning it to a crisp in an instant. The wooden log Kakashi had replaced his body with collapsed into ashes, and there was an audible sound of frustration.

"Enough of this!" he yelled, as Yoshimitsu's body began to shift again. "My patience has run out!"

Its arms and legs cranked and turned, folding over themselves and bulking up closer to the puppet's torso. Metal pistons dotted all three of the limbs, even some on what was left of the severed leg. They began to pump furiously up and down, and Yoshimitsu's entire body began to glow as a large amount of chakra was gathered together, the pistons churning it and kneading it among the fire in its stomach.

Yoshimitsu's mouth opened, and a bright light shone from within. Its sword was plunged into the light, bathing it in the chakra-infused fire. When it pulled it back out, it burned as brightly as the sun, piercing through the dust cloud. Kakashi and his ninken watched on in silence.

"You and your dogs have had your fun, "Monzaemon growled. "But your two friends are getting on my nerves, and require more of my attention. Die now."

He threw the sword straight towards Kakashi. He managed to avoid being struck directly, but the moment it embedded itself into the ground, the light traveled down the length of the blade, emptying itself into the desert like flecks of lightning. There was a flash, and an enormous explosion.

"What? Nothing clever to say?" Yoshimitsu taunted, searching for Kakashi. "I learned your tricks, boy. You aren't dead, so do not waste our time!"

He searched aimlessly through the cloud for a minute or so, growing more anxious with every passing second. Had he truly killed the man? Monzaemon didn't think so, yet his red eyes could not find him. The dust finally began to settle once more, and something black caught the corner of his eyes.

A chasm had split in the middle of the desert, large chunks of rock jutting out of the earth like a broken bone. The sand had been disturbed nearby, as if someone had slid towards it.

Deep within his mountain, Monzaemon stirred uncomfortably.

Yoshimitsu flew towards the hole, dropping back to the ground. The tips of its fingers popped open, revealing jagged metal teeth, used to cling to the wall of the cave as he descended into the darkness. His crimson eyes glowed in the black, casting a bloody light on all he looked upon.

The cave dove deeper than Yoshimitsu expected, deeper than he feared. He clung to the edge of chasm's wall, eyes darting back and forth for any sign of his opponent.

A kunai suddenly flew towards him, another paper bomb wrapped around it. The sharp edges dove into one of Yoshimitsu's hand with a dull thud. But before the bomb could go off, Monzaemon thrust Yoshimitsu's hand into the wall of earth at his side, and the shockwave was absorbed. The puppet's arm came out a little damaged, but far less than it would have had Monzaemon done anything else.

The cave started to decline, and Kakashi ran down the side with Yoshimitsu hot on his tail. As the puppet crawled after him, compartments in his knuckles slid back, and long wires of steel snaked across the surface of the rock, chasing after Kakashi. One nearly grazed against the back of his heel, and sparks flew. They reached out, trying to grab him, but Kakashi nimbly evaded all of them, rushing further and further into the cave. His heavy breath echoed off the walls, and Kakashi thought it sounded like a hum. But then the hum got louder, and louder, and louder still.

He was getting close.

A wire burst through a stalagmite to his left, and used the tip to try and bash his skull in. He ducked, and slid around a corner, out of Monzaemon's sight. The wires coiled back inside the puppet's hands, and it placed both of its arms together, iron fingertips forming a drill. Instead of going around the corner, Monzaemon tunneled through the rock in seconds, bursting into the cavern.

Caves like this one dotted the entire Land of Wind; a whole other world, hidden underneath the shifting sands and biting winds. Few were as large as this one, with its towering stalagmites and precariously hanging stalactites, and all other manner of fantastical formations. They were not formed by the erosive powers of wind or water, however.

They were built with chakra.

In the center, running horizontally across the entire length of the cave, was a massive section of what appeared to be a metal pipe, suspended in midair by towering support beams of steel before disappearing on either side back into the rock. Perhaps at one time it had been a relatively small cave, but as Kakashi hid among the debris on the other side, he could see why it had grown.

Chakra was traveling up and down the length of the pipe, coursing across its surface like bolts of lightning. Whenever the flow of chakra grew larger, so too did the hum grow louder. Suddenly, a thundering crack boomed in Kakashi's ears as a stray bolt of chakra struck the ceiling above him. Several tons of rock was shaken loose, and they would have fallen straight on top of him, had he not rolled out of the way. Unfortunately for him, this also exposed his position to Monzaemon, who had otherwise been unable to find him.

"There you are!" he said excitedly, the metallic grating of his voice bouncing off the walls. "I was beginning to think you'd run away, scurrying into the dark like some rat!"

Yoshimitsu crawled over to the middle of the pipe, scrambling over the side until he stood on top, reverting back to its most humanoid form. Another bolt of chakra sped across the surface of the pipe, hitting Yoshimitsu directly, but instead of hurting him, it coursed through his body harmlessly, and confirming Kakashi's theory.

"I have no doubt you are aware of what this is, hmm?" Monzaemon asked, brandishing his sword. "You've proven to be smarter than most."

Kakashi nodded. "The Ryūmyaku. What I don't understand is—"

"Why it's all the way out here?" Monzaemon finished for him. "Allow me to elaborate: the Ryūmyaku was the ultimate source of power for the once-great city of Rōran; unlimited chakra to be used at their disposal. One of the first queens of Rōran sought to spread their prosperity with the rest of the Land of Wind, including Sunagakure."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "I'm aware of Rōran. My old sensei had a mission there a long time ago, and he let me go along."

Monzaemon laughed, clapping his hands together. "My, aren't you the well-traveled one! Still, this is before your time. Unfortunately, the queen died before she could complete her project, and the pipes you see before you were never finished, all save for the pipe leading to Sunagakure, as it could have used the power most. That is this pipe."

"But the Ryūmyaku continued to exist, for quite some time in fact," Monzaemon continued. "But the new queen chose not to carry on with the project. Rōran was a peaceful city, and she did not want to spread a source of unlimited chakra to where it might be used for war. She was a smart girl, that one. And so, these pipes remained unused. Every now and then someone might try and exploit them for their own purposes, but they were always dealt with quickly."

A bead of sweat rolled down Kakashi's brow. This was bad. If Monzaemon had access to that kind of power…

The Puppet Master must have realized what Kakashi was thinking, shaking his head sadly. "Have no fear, boy—the Ryūmyaku was long sealed away by the time I got to it. I stumbled across such a stretch of pipe myself when I find my mountain."

Yoshimitsu suddenly leaped into the air, bursting fire from both arms and spinning acrobatically before landing back on the pipe. A show of skill, and nothing more. "But these pipes were built as a conduit for the chakra of the Ryūmyaku, a lightning rod of sorts. As I soon found out, any chakra can be transmitted along them…including my own. From there, I can manipulate my chakra threads as if I was there myself. Extraordinarily useful for a puppeteer, no?"

Yoshimitsu tapped its sword against the pipe. "So, you know my secret. I had never thought to make use of these until now, and they have been quite useful. Sadly, you'll be taking this secret to your grave. I have no intention of letting you live."

The hum suddenly grew louder, and Yoshimitsu's body was struck with another bolt of chakra, and it danced across his body as he shot after Kakashi. The Copy Ninja pushed himself away just before the rock in front of him exploded. Yoshimitsu's sword pierced straight through it, and continued to follow after Kakashi, held by the iron wire in Yoshimitsu's hands. Just as Kakashi got back to his feet, he was forced to evade again, as the sword crashed into the ground at his side, pelting him with debris.

Kakashi focused his attention on the Ryūmyaku pipe itself. 'If I can somehow destroy that, he'll lose control over his puppets.'

He jumped forward, and formed a rather familiar hand sign. 'Let's see if I can't take a page out of Naruto's book.'

Several shadow clones appeared beside him, and each of them concentrated a considerable amount of chakra in their hands, before the distinctive sound of the Raikiri echoed out into the cavern. In a single attack, each of the Kakashi clones latched onto the Ryūmyaku pipe, and drove their hands into the side. But instead of doing any external damage, his hands slipped right across the surface, and the chakra from his attack was absorbed into the Ryūmyaku, before dissipating.

And suddenly Yoshimitsu was there. The puppet delivered a powerful kick straight into Kakashi's stomach, sending him flying into the cave's wall.

Monzaemon giggled. "What did you think was going to happen? It's designed to transmit chakra, you fool! Ninjutsu is completely useless!"

'That doesn't rule out Taijutsu.' Kakashi grunted, blocking out the pain as he pulled himself out of the wall. 'If only I had Guy around to help me…'

Yoshimitsu was flying towards him, arms outstretched. Kakashi barely moved aside, grabbed ahold of the puppet's arm, and slammed it into the side of the cave, widening the crater he himself had just made. He jumped backwards, landing on the pipe himself, before Monzaemon could retaliate.

The puppet came crawling out of the hole, twisting it's head around to loose a rock that had budged itself in between its joints. Seeing Kakashi stand on the pipe, Monzaemon's red eyes glinted with surprise.

Two additional chakra threads suddenly burst from the Ryūmyaku, coiling tightly around Kakashi's ankles . he tried to cut himself free with a kunai he produced from his pouch, but two more threads held his arms in place, and another wrapped around his throat, just enough to yank his head back.

"For such a clever man, you do have the tendency to make stupid mistakes," Monzaemon taunted, as he jumped to the pipe. "I mean, do you really expect me to believe you were foolish enough to jump this close to a source of my own chakra?"

The puppet suddenly burst into pieces of wood, nothing more than a fake meant to distract Kakashi long enough. He cursed himself for not seeing when Monzaemon had replaced the puppet, and his eyes darted around the room as he looked for the real one.

"Oh, are you looking for me?"

He turned around to see the sword diving for his face. He rolled to the side, just before it embedded itself into the rock. Yoshimitsu gave a hard tug to the left, pulling the sword straight through the rock. Some of the pieces dashed against Kakashi's arm, but he was able to get out of the way of the brunt of it.

'I'm beginning to slip…' Kakashi thought, trading blows with Yoshimitsu with his last kunai. There wasn't much time left before he wouldn't be able to hold off against him anymore. He was able to score a powerful kick that sent Yoshimitsu flying in the opposite direction, giving him the chance to dive back towards the exit of the cave. If he could escape and chase after Naruto and Gaara…

But Yoshimitsu suddenly appeared in front of him. His sword spun rapidly in his hands, producing a powerful gust of wind that blew Kakashi backwards. Meanwhile, the puppet's head spun around, and a tiny black sphere shot out from its mouth, before exploding against the wall of the wave. Tons of rock collapsed in front of it, sealing it off.

"You're not leaving here alive, boy!" Monzaemon said excitedly. "Or did you not hear me the first time?"

"Then neither are you," a voice whispered behind him. The puppet's head spun around once more, and fire erupted from its maw, but Kakashi ducked underneath.

'First Gate…Gate of Opening!'

**(2)**

There was a sudden burst of chakra. Kakashi grabbed ahold of Yoshimitsu's leg, and drove his fist into the puppet's stomach, severing the limb with sheer force. Yoshimitsu was across the cave in an instant, slamming into the wall and kicking up a huge amount of dust.

A chakra thread appeared from the Ryūmyaku, hoping to grab onto the leg Kakashi had severed. But Kakashi was faster, and mashed the leg into hundreds of pieces using his increased strength before the thread could get close. It changed directions, going directly after him, but Kakashi pushed himself away before it could grab him.

Yoshimitsu stood on its hands, its red eyes glowing with contempt. "What a nice parlor trick. Do you think it will help you win?"

Kakashi grinned cheekily through his mask. "It certainly looks that way, doesn't it?"

It was his turn to go on the offensive. He left Monzaemon no time to counter, pushing the puppet's sword out of the way with his hand guards before latching onto the puppet's other arm. Fire burst forth, but Kakashi moved the flames away from himself, and redirected them back towards Yoshimitsu, torching his entire side. When Monzaemon stopped the fire, Kakashi kicked the puppet away, throwing one of his last shuriken with his last paper bomb attached to it. The explosion added to the puppet's momentum, and once again, it slammed into the wall of the cave.

He relaxed his muscles as much as he could before the strain set in. 'Second Gate…Gate of Healing!'

Kakashi could feel his entire body reenergize, spurred on by the increased flow of his chakra. Even still, somewhere in the back of his mind, the strain was beginning to set in. He needed to end the battle, and fast.

Monzaemon once again removed his puppet from the wall of the cave, curious of what had just happened. His opponent seemed to have gotten a second wind. This time, as Monzaemon pried his puppet from the rock, he said nothing.

The two clashed in midair, Kakashi with his only remaining kunai, and Yoshimitsu with his sword. The metal sang as they threw their entire bodies into it, neither of them getting the upper hand. Kakashi swung to the left to try and disarm Yoshimitsu, but the puppet was thrown backwards out of reach. Monzaemon tried to surprise Kakashi with more chakra threads from the Ryūmyaku, but Kakashi's Sharingan had been watching for them, and noticed them the moment they appeared. They raced towards him, and with a little chakra pushed into the blade, Kakashi cut them before they could even get close. Monzaemon hoped to overwhelm him by sending Yoshimitsu after him as well, but the Copy Ninja kicked the puppet away before its sword could meet his flesh.

The metal wires snaked out from Yoshimitsu's hands once more, trying to grab onto Kakashi's legs. He watched as bolts of electricity traveled up the length of the wires, closer and closer to the tips. The succeeded in wrapping themselves around him, but before they could electrocute him, Kakashi forced a smaller version of the Chidori, which is itself a scaled-down version of the Raikiri, into his hand, and grabbed onto the wires, negating the damage it might have done.

Monzaemon was giving Kakashi no breathing room, something that did not escape the Copy Ninja's attention. The Puppet Master was well aware of Kakashi's plan, and hoped to root him here, preventing him from trying to destroy the Ryūmyaku with brute force. But Kakashi didn't get where he was today by letting people get in his way.

He suddenly feinted left, and when Yoshimitsu appeared in front of him, he feinted right. Back and forth, faster and faster, using his speed to his advantage, Kakashi eventually forced Monzaemon to push Yoshimitsu in the opposite direction giving Kakashi a straight shot towards the Ryūmyaku.

His hands clenched together as he brought them together above his head. Pushing forward to gain momentum, he flied towards the pipe. Several chakra threads appeared, and headed directly at him, with no way for him to evade.

Pakkun and the others suddenly appeared, as needed. They created a barrier against the threads, and Kakashi sped through them. With a mighty heave, he threw his hands onto the Ryūmyaku, and a great dent appeared in the middle of the enormous piping.

Kakashi jumped ahead, just as Monzaemon smashed Yoshimitsu against it, and soon the puppet was hot on his tail. He could feel those red eyes burning into his back, desperate to catch him before he—

But Kakashi was faster. He landed against the wall of the cave, and pushed with his legs so hard, that he flew by Yoshimitsu without Monzaemon even catching a glimpse of him. He threw his leg high into the air, and brought it down on the Ryūmyaku. A shockwave pulsed across the surface of the reinforced pipe, and there came a deafening groaning sound.

Kakashi looked towards one end of the pipe as a light suddenly burst from within. The crack split wider and wider, and Monzaemon's chakra grew more and more erratic. A stray bolt caught one of the larger stalactites up above, sending it crashing on top of the pipe, splitting it even further under it's great weight. The sudden impact acted as a catalyst for the rest of the piping in the massive cavern, and sparks flew up and down the length of the Ryūmyaku as it began to collapse. One of the stray bolts collided against Yoshimitsu's arm, and despite it being Monzaemon's own chakra, the arm was split from the rest of the body, and clattered to the stony floor.

Yoshimitsu ignored the fallen limb, and hobbled towards Kakashi, hoping to take him down before its source of chakra was disconnected. But his attacks were blind and desperate, and Kakashi dodged them easily, even as his chakra reserves began to run dangerously low. He could feel the strain of the chakra gates beginning to weigh down upon his body, and he hoped that the Ryūmyaku collapsed before Yoshimitsu caught up with him.

And luck happened to be on his side this night. With a thundering roar, the pipe suddenly burst wide open, and a stream of uncontrolled chakra spewed forth, before dissipating harmlessly into the cave. Yoshimitsu's movements became more and more sluggish, and with an outreached hand, the puppet creaked and moaned to a halt, stopping just before it reached Kakashi.

He breathed a sigh of relief, giving a thumbs-up to Pakkun and the others as a sign of thanks. Pakkun waved goodbye with his paw, and each of the ninken disappeared one by one in a puff of smoke.

'That took more out of me than I thought…' Kakashi thought to himself, plopping down on the hard stone. He needed to get to Naruto and Gaara before it was too late; if he waited too long…

The exhaustion from opening the chakra gates suddenly spread through his entire body, like a floodgate being released. His muscles and nerves singed with pain from the unusual sensation, and Kakashi found it hard to move even the slightest bit without spasms of pain licking up and down his back.

"Time to die, fool!"

The puppet suddenly clattered back to life. With one arm, the puppet rose into the air, and its mouth opened once more. Kakashi could see what little chakra remained mixing with the fire in its belly, but he could not move out of the way; his muscles refused to obey him. His mind raced as the seconds before it was too late ticked by.

"Perhaps this puppet will be lost forever, but it will be more than worth it to take you down alongside it!" he heard Monzaemon's voice say in a high-pitched shriek.

But then, the air around Yoshimitsu's torso began to distort, twisting and shifting. The wood began to splinter, just as Kakashi's Sharingan eye began to bleed.

With a sudden crack, most of what remained of Yoshimitsu was thrown into the portal Kakashi had created. The head clattered to the floor, motionless.

"You Leaf shinobi are…harder to defeat than I originally though…" Monzaemon said, his voice beginning to fade away. "Perhaps I was right in choosing Naruto. Perhaps he will…." His red eyes began to flicker, and Kakashi could have sworn he saw strange feelings swirling around in those burning eyes. Relief, and…joy? They faded to black before Kakashi could think of it any further, and Yoshimitsu was no more.

Kakashi fell back, his head bouncing against the rock beneath his body. Kamui had not completely drained him of his chakra, but he would be of no help to Naruto and Gaara now. He struggled to maintain consciousness, his eyes fluttering.

'Looks like I have to put my faith in you once again, Naruto…You'll have Gaara with you. That should be enough.'

He allowed the darkness to wash over him, greeting it like an old friend. It was up to Naruto and Gaara now, to defeat the menace the former Kazekage had become.

* * *

><p>The debris fell on top of Shikamaru and Hinata and the rest of their group, but it hit none of them. Before the explosion reached them, the Earth release users had formed a protective barrier around them, shielding them from the blast, as well as the large chunks of rock and hardened sand as the buildings around them crumbled. They heard a beating sound as the monstrosity outside attempted to break through their defenses, with massive wooden fists.<p>

"What are supposed to do now?" one of the Suna shinobi asked Shikamaru through gritted teeth. With every hit, his concentration waned, and Monzaemon grew closer to breaking through.

"Nothing's changed," Shikamaru explained. "The enemy is the same; he'll think and act the same way. He just has a new puppet."

"I wish Kankurō were awake," another said. "He would know how to handle this thing."

"We'll have to try and find a weakness where we can." Shikamaru turned to Temari, who had been silently conversing with one of the older Suna shinobi who had been involved in the defense of Monzaemon' initial attack. "Does he have anything we can use?"

Temari nodded. "He ran into Gaara during their battles. All of his offensive weapons are actually repurposed; they were originally intended for defense, so if we can come up with a defense for most of his attacks, brute strength and surprise will be all he'll have left."

"Don't forget: some of your own puppeteer's puppets are part of that thing. They'll have hidden weapons for sure, so call them out if you realize what's about to happen."

The Sand shinobi nodded in agreement, and Shikamaru rose to his feet, doing his best to ignore the chaos outside. "We're gonna batter this guy with everything we've got in smash and grab tactics, and try to find a weakness we can exploit. Everyone follow my lead, and hopefully we'll turn this pile of wood into a pile of ash."

There was a cry of excitement as Shikamaru spun back around. "Earth Release users, drop the barrier, and throw it right back at this thing!"

The walls and domes of rock suddenly split open, and the massive puppet became visible again. It raised its hands into the air, ready to crush as many of the shinobi as it could, before the rock was thrown right into it, knocking it off balance.

"Spread out and look for its weakest links!" Shikamaru yelled, spreading his arms. As the shinobi ran past him, taking up a circle around the puppet, individual puppet's burst from the larger one, attempting to strike them when they least expected it. Each of their attacks missed, but Shikamaru had a bad feeling.

The barrier preventing the puppet monster from escaping was complete, and the shinobi unleashed all their attacks in unison. Wind users hurled biting gales towards its torso, while the earth users smashed at the puppet's legs. Only none of their attacks even came close. Just before they connected, the puppet's suddenly split apart, separating themselves away from the attack, before reforming once they were safe. With a hive mind mentality, every single attack was evaded.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. He could make out what appeared to be hundreds of tiny red lights. He looked closer, and watched the lights follow him as he moved to the left.

Monzaemon was watching them with his own eyes, and they covered each and every puppet, effectively giving him a full range of vision, much like Hinata's Byakugan.

The puppet straightened itself out, before dozens of the puppets forming its body shot out in all directions, connected together by bits and pieces of the more damaged puppets. Each of them belonged to a shinobi of the Sand, so as to make use of their hidden weapons, an astonishing feat considering Monzaemon had only just gained control over them.

"Watch out! A scythe blade is built into that puppet's stomach!" Temari yelled, just before the shinobi in danger was carved into ribbons. Other sand shinobi called out similar commands, helping their fellow ninja dodge the surprise attacks. Senbon launched out of hidden compartments and hit nothing, fire burned only the nighttime air, and saw blades spun rapidly with no one to kill.

But Hinata caught something out of the corner of her eye. Within the wooden skeleton, she saw a puppet's arm crawling over the others. It grabbed onto one of the saw blades, and ripped it free from the other puppet's torso, before flinging it towards one of the shinobi. She might have been killed had Hinata not pushed her out of the way. The blade thudded into the ground, and Hinata breathed a sigh of relief, jumping to her feet before offering a hand out.

"Are you alright?" she asked. The girl couldn't have been but one or two years older than her, yet she looked scared; there was the look of a genin in her almond-shaped eyes, and Hinata was filled with pity. She should be surrounded by this much death. Not yet.

The girl nodded, taking Hinata's hand. She shook a little, but otherwise seemed unhurt. "Y-yes, I'm fine. Thank you…you saved my life."

Hinata calmed her with a smile. "What is your name?"

"Matsuri," the girl said nervously.

Hinata nodded. "It's a beautiful name. Don't worry; everything will be alright. Gaara-sama and Naruto-kun are strong. They won't lose."

That forced a small smile out of Matsuri, and her cheeks flushed red with a feeling Hinata was all too familiar with. "Gaara-sama is amazing…and Naruto-san too! You're right, I should be braver."

"Hinata, look out!" Sakura cried.

A massive wooden hand was making a low sweep across the ruined rooftops, heading straight for them. Hinata grabbed onto Matsuri's hand, and leapt away before the puppet could hit them.

"Quit scurrying around like rats!" they heard Monzaemon shriek them, swatting at the shinobi as if they were flies. "Stand still!"

"As if!" Sakura rolled underneath a puppet trying to carve out her midsection with a serrated blade, and crushed the puppet's skull with one punch. She tried to hit another, but it sunk further into the hive's body, protected from harm unless Sakura wanted to risk getting too close.

"How are we supposed to attack this thing?" Sakura howled over to Shikamaru, who was slapping puppet's away with his shadow. "Every time we try to get close, it just moves out of the way!"

"Attack it from all directions, in one go!" Shikamaru yelled back, to everyone that could. "One…two…three!"

Paper bombs and shuriken. Boulders and hurricane-force winds. Streams of fire and concentrated chakra. They hurled all of these and more at the puppet's body, hoping to overwhelm it. But the puppet jumped high into the air with its powerful legs, and the shinobi had to roll out of the way to keep their attacks from hitting one another. When the puppet landed, a massive shockwave nearly knocked them off their feet. The puppet raised one leg, and smashed it against the ground, sending another through the earth. Shikamaru and the others reeled from the impact, their ears ringing.

The puppet spread its hands apart, and they watched with grim fascination as several puppets crawled towards the fingertips, replacing others.

**(3)**

Temari felt the blood draw from her face. "Those puppets use poison…everyone, get back!"

But it was too late. Dense gas cascaded over them, and a chorus of coughing echoed into the night as several shinobi felt their throats tightening and their lungs collapsing. Temari and the other wind users tried to blast the gas away with their huge fans, but the poisonous gas billowed from the puppets' mouths continuously, for much longer than if they had been used alone.

Finally, the gas sputtered to a stop, and the puppets crawled over one another back into the center, where it was safest.

One of the Suna shinobi grew impatient, and tried to upset the ground underneath the puppet's feet. It wobbled a little, but once it realized what was happening, the puppets on the lower half that made up its legs spread out, rooting it to the spot. Another puppet leaped out at the man, latching onto him with metal claws, before a saw blade appeared from his stomach. The man was dead in an instant, and the stink of death poured from the grisly wound.

Shikamaru bit his lip. Every attack they tried was evaded easily, with Monzaemon's many eyes watching out for any incoming strategy. They needed to fight fire with fire if they were going to succeed.

"Everyone, to the left side!" he called out, waving his arm. They jumped over rooftops and underneath pieces of broken earth, trusting Shikamaru's judgment.

The puppet began to turn around, but the process was slowed by several more shinobi upsetting its balance using the ground beneath it. At least that was something that continued to work, if only for a few precious seconds.

"How many of you are capable of using the Cloth Binding Technique?" Shikamaru asked, spying several people identify themselves. "Good. All of you, attack it's left arm. Wind users, I want you to batter the right arm to keep it from freeing itself. Earth Users, and anyone else with decent aim, try to keep other puppets in their place. That way, it can't get out of the way."

Everyone rushed to their positions, just as the massive puppet lumbered over to them. As bolts of cloth were unraveled to begin their attack, Shikamaru turned to Hinata.

"You're needed most of all, Hinata."

"What do you need me to do?" she asked, strangely confident.

"Naruto's told me about a certain technique you created; a technique that I'm very interested in seeing what it can do."

Hinata's thoughts turned to Naruto. She said another prayer, pleading for his safety, and thanking him for his confidence in her. She nodded silently to Shikamaru, and braced herself for what was to come.

The Suna shinobi had just captured the puppet's left arm. The monstrosity tried to pull against them, but some of the Earth release users, opened small holes to dig their heels into. As the puppet's left arm swung across its chest, Temari and the others threw it away with huge gusts of wind. Rocks and shuriken and anything the shinobi could get their hands on pelted the massive puppet from all sides, slowing the individuals trying to get out of the way.

Hinata and Shikamaru shared a look, and she was off. As she jumped into the air, several puppets tried to stop her, before slender black tendrils of Shikamaru's shadow pushed them out of the way. More appeared in front of her, prying open a spot in the puppet's torso. She tucked her head close to her chest, confident in Shikamaru's strategy. Puppet's reached out to her, trying to grab her or rip her apart, but the Suna shinobi kept her safe, holding them back with bolts of cloth or threads of chakra, widening the gap until Hinata was in the very center. Some of the more damaged puppets, those who could no longer be used for offense, were the majority here. She quickly found stable footing, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

And everything became clear. As her eyes focused, she could see an immensely complicated system of chakra threads and puppetry, powering the beast as she stood in its belly.

"Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō!" she cried, and began to strike.

Thousands of pieces of concentrated chakra burst from her fingertips, sharpened into fine needles using her precise chakra control, and her natural flexibility left no puppet safe from her attack. With incredible accuracy, Hinata began to dismantle the network that the puppet used to attack, severing hundreds of the chakra threads at once. The massive puppet began to rattle and convulse, as the weaker puppets fell from their protective hive.

Without even saying anything, everyone understood what Shikamaru had planned. While most of the offensive puppets were occupied, they jumped down to the others that had fallen, destroying as many of them as they could. Sakura lead the assault, smashing puppet after puppet under bloody knuckles.

Meanwhile, Hinata did not let up. Even though she could see some of the stronger puppets crawling towards her, she continued to attack, focusing as much as she could. She thought of everyone she ever wanted to protect, of everyone she had ever cared for. She thought of Naruto, and his warm smile.

There was a sudden whirlwind of chakra as her precise needles turned into vast scythes of chakra, slicing into the puppets themselves as well as the strings of chakra that held them together. Everyone watched in awe as Hinata Hyūga obliterated half of the massive puppet in seconds.

"Annoying little pest!" they heard Monzaemon cry out in frustration. Several of the puppets suddenly switched targets, rapidly growing close to Hinata. Shikamaru acted fast, holding them in place with his shadow while Sakura leaped up the puppet, grabbed Hinata, and pulled her out before she was attacked from all sides. The moment she left, the puppet began to collapse in on itself. Puppets were crushed underneath the weight of others, and they struggled to find a foothold as the system holding them together was thrown into complete disarray.

"Use this to our advantage!" Shikamaru yelled across the village. "Bring it down, bring it down!"

And so they did. With their combined efforts, the shinobi of the Sand and of the Leaf toppled the amalgamation of puppets, battering it ruthlessly.

Sakura landed beside Shikamaru, with Hinata in tow. "Hinata, that was amazing!" she said, unable to stop herself from gushing. "You took that thing down like it was nothing!"

Hinata blushed under the attention, shaking her head with embarrassment. "Thank you, Sakura-san." She was suddenly struck by exhaustion, her chakra levels lower than she had expected. It had been a long time since she had used that technique, and it left little else in her, even with her excellent chakra control.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Even in the midst of a battle, Hinata was polite. Shikamaru whistled, catching their attention.

"Sakura's right, Hinata…I'm glad Naruto told me about that. Maybe we didn't stop this thing, but it's power has been cleaved in two, at the very least. If Monzaemon could fall for it again, I'd use the same strategy in a heartbeat."

"I'll be damned if I let you trick me again!" Monzaemon cried out, struggling to get the puppet back on its feet. Indeed it began to rise, but the collection of puppets had nearly been halved from Hinata's onslaught. The result was a puppet of a similar shape to what they had faced, but much smaller.

The puppet leaped into the air, higher than before because of its decreased weight, and several limbs joined together to form a propeller of sorts, allowing the puppet the ability to hover in midair, and granting it much more maneuverability. Several puppets crawled to the edge, and opened their mouths, raining thousands of senbon down upon them.

They were blocked or deflected with ease, but something didn't feel right. After Monzaemon had taken such a blow, to have him attack with such predictability was something that did not sit right with Shikamaru.

He was right. Upon closer inspection, he saw that many of the senbon and paper bombs wrapped tightly around them, making them hard to spot. Monzaemon must have concocted these out of sight from the rest of the Suna shinobi, which is why Temari or the others did not realize what was happening. A clever trick, with deadly consequences.

Shikamaru attempted to cry out, to warn the others of what had just happened, but his voice was overwhelmed as explosions dotted around the village. Shikamaru watched in horror as several shinobi were completely disintegrated in the colliding blasts, and even Temari and Sakura were hit by the shockwaves they created, tumbling backwards. Hinata had seen them coming, but just like Shikamaru, had been too late to say anything before they went off. She pulled as many away as she could from the flames and smoke, but for some of them, there was little they could do. Two shinobi placed themselves in front of Sakura and the only other medic available, giving them some room to begin healing who they could. Sakura's chakra reserves had dwindled during the course of the fight, but there was still plenty left for her to help some of the more dangerously wounded, while the Suna medic worked on the lesser injuries and getting them back into the fight.

"I will not allow you to regain your strength!" Monzaemon said angrily, throwing his puppet towards them. "My patience is running low with all of you, especially this brat and your precious Kazekage!"

Hinata's heart swelled with hope. That was a good thing to hear, that Naruto and Gaara were succeeding. He made no mention of Kakashi, but Hinata was not worried. The Copy Ninja had lived through far worse.

Shikamaru appeared by her side. "It's obvious that with your help, we can beat this guy. I want you to lead the Wind users in the next attack."

Hinata nodded, and hurried over to Temari and the others with their war fans. Shikamaru himself trudged over to where the earth users were, currently protecting anyone that either Sakura or the other medic had yet to get to.

"Half of you, batter his left side while the other half hits at his right. At the same time, go!"

Torrents of wind whipped past his body, slamming into Monzaemon's puppet on either side of them and pushing the puppet backwards as it tried to claw at those closest to it.

"Hinata, split this thing in half!" he yelled, making a downward motion with his hand. Hinata stepped forward, and concentrated the necessary chakra into her palm. There would be little remaining after this attack, but Hinata wanted to do what she could to help. Her muscles strained, and the blood throbbed dully in her head, but she forced the stress back down, and thrust her arm forward.

"Hakke Kūshō!" Targeting what Hinata guessed to be the puppet's weak spots, a huge blast of air erupted from her hand, without the puppet even realizing an attack had been launched. Suddenly, the puppet's body split into two giant pieces as the wall of air carved through its midsection. Immediately the other puppets reached out to try and reconnect themselves, but Shikamaru was waiting for that.

"Wind users, push them apart! Earth users, keep those hunks of wood from getting too close to one another!"

Blasts of wind from Temari and the others forced the two halves of the puppet further apart, and anytime one or two reached out to try and reconnect the halves, a wall of stone would block their path, before shoving them back into the hive.

From afar, Shikamaru threw something towards Hinata. She caught it, a single shuriken. Upon closer inspection, she found a paper bomb hidden inside the hollow ring of the shuriken, something she guessed Shikamaru didn't want Monzaemon to see. A glance passed between them, and she could see the two others in his hands. They knew Monzaemon could see what they could, but they did not know if he could hear. Best to keep Shikamaru's plans a secret until they were needed, to hold onto the element of surprise.

One of the Suna shinobi stepped to take the shuriken from Hinata's hand, having previously been told what Shikamaru planned. He looked to Temari, who nodded silently before whispering something to her fellow Wind release users. They unfurled their fans to maximum width, and with great heaves, brought up massive amounts of dust and sand, covering nearly a third of the village in a thick smokescreen. Monzaemon attempted to blow the dust away, but controlling the puppet had become more difficult now that it was split into two pieces, and Temari and the others kept the pressure on, masking their movements.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru and the other shinobi with the shuriken, flung it towards the large puppet's feet. While in midair, they formed several hand signs, and three shuriken became over thirty, thudding into the ground by the puppet's feet, a paper bomb hidden in each.

Hinata looked to Shikamaru to see if he thought was she thought, and indeed there was a knowing look in that furrowed brow. He silently feared he asked too much from Hinata, but she shook her head, reassuring him that everything would be alright.

She leapt into the air once again, with much less resistance from Monzaemon this time, since his puppet was split into two parts, both parts equally struggling against the combined assault of both the Earth Release users, and the Wind Release Users. As she hovered in between the two halves, a pillar of earth rose from beneath, to give her a platform to stand on.

"Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō!" she cried out once more, taking the necessary stance. Monzaemon was getting careless, and this time the threads of chakra were much easier to spot, and as a result, easier to hit. Hundreds of tiny chakra needles launched from her fingertips, slicing through the threads with ease. The two halves began to collapse into dozens, falling right down on top of where Shikamaru had planted the shuriken. Hinata waited a moment, before throwing out several more chakra blades, piercing through the centers of the shuriken, and striking the paper bombs hidden within.

Thirty lights dotted the village underneath Monzaemon's puppet, and thirty explosions covered the puppet with fire and black smoke. Hinata felt Shikamaru's shadow wrap around her pulling her to safety. She meant to land on her own feet, but her chakra levels had been strained even further, and she slipped and fell to the ground, hard. Shikamaru rushed over to make sure she was alright, but Hinata waved him off, and slowly wobbled to her feet. Her head was bleeding, and she was breathing heavily, but she was proud, and smiling.

"I don't know what we'd have done without you, Hinata," Shikamaru said, shaking his head in amazement. "You should be a jōnin by now."

Hinata was stubborn. "You mustn't think like that! If it was not for you, we never would have gotten as far as we did, with as little effort as we did. You handled this in a way I c-could never dream of."

Temari appeared beside them. She was covered in dust and grime, but otherwise remained relatively rested. "She's right, you idiot. Quit being so hard on yourself all the time."

Sakura was the last to join them, taking a quick break to allow her muscles a few minutes to relax. During the last part of the battle, she had been concentrated entirely on healing as many shinobi as she could, and was just as low on chakra as Hinata was. But she had saved many lives that day with her skills, and was happy despite her exhaustion.

They looked around them. Lives had been lost, but not nearly as many as Shikamaru had once feared. Dozens of the village's structures had been completely obliterated during the battle, but homeless for a few weeks was better than dead, in any case. The other Suna shinobi began to crowd around them, cheering on the Leaf shinobi as they had cheered on Gaara. Shikamaru grunted, looking to the ground, Sakura waved awkwardly, before rushing off to heal some of the others. Shikamaru warned her not to overdo it, stating that her health was just as important, and Sakura agreed quickly before she left.

And standing on the edge of one of the ruined buildings, Hinata stood alone, watching the clouds above drift by. The smoke began to clear, revealing the tattered remains of Monzaemon's puppet army, now spread out all over in pieces. Her legs suddenly gave out on her, and she fell backwards to the rooftop. It hurt, but she didn't seem to mind. There was a serene look in her soft features, and a strange look of happiness in her eyes.

'I have you to thank, Naruto-kun…' she thought to herself, smiling and watching the moon glow. 'I…I think I've come so far because of you, because of your kindness and love.'

She held a hand to her heart, closing her eyes. 'Please…be safe. I want to see you again, and to make things right between us. Come back to me safely, Naruto-kun.'

"You shinobi should really be more attentive to your surroundings!"

Her eyes flew open once she recognized the voice as Monzaemon's. She scrambled to her feet, and searing pain spread through her body. There was not much else she could do than look around, trying to pinpoint where his voice had come from. But his voice had come from everywhere, all at once, and Hinata felt a horrible feeling in her stomach.

The remaining puppets lay scattered around nearby, but they soon began to shake and clatter, rising into the air. Their lifeless eyes glowed red, and they all fixed upon a different target.

"My control over these puppets is waning; I have the one you called Kakashi to thank for that," Monzaemon explained. The puppets he controlled began to glow blue, and Hinata could see chakra mixing in their stomachs.

"But before I leave you to your victory, why not try and slaughter as many of you as I can?"

And with that, the puppets flew. Everyone had been taken by surprise, even Shikamaru, and they scrambled to defend themselves. Hinata wished she could be with them, cursing herself for separating from the group, but a puppet appeared in front of her as well, and she barely got out of the way before a large spear pierced her shoulder. With a shout, she blasted the puppet to pieces with another wall of pressurized air, before falling to her knees. Her chakra had nearly been spent, but at least she was safe. She watched from a distance as the other shinobi defended themselves. She had been luck in destroying her attacker so quickly; the chakra in the stomachs of the puppets were like a kind of bomb, exploding with tremendous force, hoping to kill those close enough.

No one was being caught in the explosions, and Hinata sighed in relief. That is, until she spotted a figure out of the corner of her eye.

In the confusion, they had drifted further and further away from where Kankurō lie, unconscious. His breathing was steady, but Hinata saw another puppet heading straight for him, crawling along the ground with a rusty sword.

The strength in her legs came rushing back, and with great effort, she leaped down to the ground to chase after it. She stumbled forward, almost tripping, but did not slow. If she could just make it there in time, to get Kankurō to safety…

Shikamaru saw her running towards him, and his blood ran cold. "Hinata!" he had called out, but she did not hear him.

Time seemed to slow all around Shikamaru. He watched as Hinata ran on and on, closer to the puppet as the puppet drew closer to Kankurō. He watched as she grabbed onto the blade before it could pierce his heart, as the blood spurted from her hands across the puppet's face, and as the sword carved a shallow canyon across her stomach.

He watched helplessly as Hinata pulled the puppet to the side, away from Kankurō's body, before a thunderous explosion covered them both in light. Another figure suddenly appeared between them, but Shikamaru could not make out who it was.

"HINATA!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I have nothing to say here, so go ahead and get to Chapter 52! You know you want to, after a cliffy like that.


	52. Great Finish! Puppet King's Defeat!

**Author's Note:** Here you are, folks. This chapter's a whopping 14,699 words. How's that for longer chapters?

It is very important that you **read the Author's Note at the bottom of the page.** VERY important. I'd go so far as to say you least owe me that.

I'd like to take a moment to thank my friend **OGAFazer89AC**, for all the help he's given me with this story. Whether or not it's pointing out grammatical flaws, or odd plot choices, he's helped me make this story the best it can be. He was my first friend on the site, and he shall remain my best friend on the site. This chapter's dedicated to you, man!

Here are the songs you need to worry about this chapter. There a lot, but of course, it's because a lot shit happens this time around:

**(1): /watch?v=xvvfore2IEg**

**(2): /watch?v=BGprYcLIyEM**

**(3): /watch?v=TM8IzC5wZIs**

**(4): /watch?v=1Ngf6uKNsiU**

**(5): /watch?v=oicuSMWMn_A**

* * *

><p>"Okay, let's see how you handle <em>this<em>!"

Naruto threw the Rasenshuriken with great force, closing the gap between him and Renjishi in mere seconds. Before it struck the massive puppet, however, Renjishi opened its maw, and a length of scroll came tumbling out. Several symbols appeared just before the Rasenshuriken struck it, and Naruto watched as the explosion was drawn into the scroll before being sealed inside.

"You'll have to try harder than that, boy!" Monzaemon shouted, as the puppet grabbed the scroll with both hands. "We'll see how you like your own attack thrown back at you!"

The scroll began to glow, and Naruto raced towards Gaara. He did not know if his shield of sand could hold up to an attack like that. It had been a wise move. The scroll erupted with blue light, and a beam of incredibly potent chakra shot towards them like a bolt of lightning. Naruto's speed surpassed it, and he grabbed Gaara and jumped away before the beam hollowed out a great portion of the side of the mountain.

Monzaemon laughed as Naruto and Gaara rolled to a halt. "Such a pity you failed. I'm truly impressed by that technique's power. It—" The mountain beneath him began to glow, and the puppet's red eyes glowed with surprise. It wheeled around.

**(1)**

Naruto came rushing up the other side of the mountain, another Rasenshuriken in hand. He hopped into the hand of a clone that ran beside him, who threw the original Naruto straight up in the air, high above Renjishi. The puppet opened its mouth to try and seal the attack away once again, but it was too slow.

'_He must have left a clone with the Kazekage, while he himself disappeared underground," _Monzaemon thought to himself, as the scroll came pouring out from Renjishi's mouth again. The attack bit right through the paper, and continued with no lost momentum.

The Rasenshuriken descended into Renjishi's wooden jaws silently, and it wasn't until it was buried in the puppet's stomach when it exploded. Naruto was thrown higher into the air by the shockwave, and his clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. Gaara's sand reached around behind him, and helped guide him towards a safe landing.

The puppet twitched and convulsed as Naruto landed beside Gaara. The Kazekage's face was as stoic as ever, but Naruto could see intrigue plastered in those eyes. He smiled cheekily, polishing his knuckles on his chest.

"Impressed?" he asked.

Gaara almost rolled his eyes. "I wasn't aware Sage Mode bestowed an ego alongside its combative benefits."

"Yeah, you're impressed," Naruto replied, laughing. "Now all we have to is finish this thing off, and we can get straight to Monzaemon himself."

"That will not be necessary," he heard Gaara say, pointing ahead of them.

Naruto turned to look at the peak. Indeed Renjishi had generally survived the attack, as Naruto had expected, though it was heavily damaged. But as it creaked and moaned, standing back at full height, the puppet began to repair itself. Complicated machinery from hidden folds welded and screwed back together what they could, and chakra itself what they could not. Naruto's eyes narrowed. Monzaemon's chakra signature was starting to get stronger.

And then, just as the puppet had fully repaired itself, the Puppet Master himself appeared within Renjishi's own body, suspended in its torso.

"It seems we have garnered more attention," Gaara said in a hushed voice, watching Monzaemon carefully. From what he had been told, this Monzaemon looked different from when he had attacked the village initially. Gears and pumps and wooden cranks looked brand new, and well-polished as he removed himself from his puppet's core.

Monzaemon noticed Gaara staring at him. "I've had plenty of time to make the necessary repairs, seeing as your own village is woefully ill-equipped to deal with someone like me. Such a pity the Sand has fallen like this."

He turned to Naruto, and again he saw that strange glint in his burning red eyes. "So, Naruto—are you here to kill me? To strike me down?"

"You bet!" Naruto shouted back. "I'll stop you, easy!"

Monzaemon's face contorted into anger. "I did not ask you if you would 'stop' me, boy. I asked if you will _kill_ me, as you said you would. Do you not remember? Come and kill what cannot die. Do you stand by this? I want to hear your answer!"

Naruto's face was drawn, and he said nothing. Monzaemon's eyes flashed with rage, but it quickly faded. "Do not disappoint me, Naruto."

The mountain began to shake, and Renjishi began to rise into the air, pushing itself higher and higher with powerful arms. Rock suddenly burst from the very peak of the mountain, revealing a pair of legs hidden inside. The Puppet leaped into the air, and landed on the slope. Rocks and sand rolled past it, and dust poured from the peak where it had emerged.

"Renjishi is the closest I ever got to creating the perfect puppet," Monzaemon explained, "although I was never able to design smaller models that met my standards. Still, you will find this puppet much harder to destroy than any of those that came before."

"Will you shut up!?"

Naruto was suddenly by his side, a massive Rasengan spinning in his hand. His hand was only inches away from Monzaemon's body, but with a twitch of his fingers, Renjishi tugged against its own strings pulling him back inside its body. Naruto cursed under his breath, and went after him.

Despite its great size, this puppet was extremely fast, racing up and down the mountain side, taking boulders into its hands, and throwing them at Naruto, who dodged each and every one of them. Gaara's sand followed close behind in thin streaks, edging closer and closer. The puppet switched directions, running away from the side of the mountain, and back out onto the desert. Gaara's sand followed suit, as did Naruto.

Renjishi suddenly jumped into the air again, escaping Gaara's grasp by the width of a hair. As it spun in midair, its leg began to glow with concentrated chakra, and it hammered down on Gaara's sand with great force, pushing straight through and heading for Naruto. He quickly summoned a shadow clone, who threw him out of the way, just as the massive puppet collided with the ground.

The puppet's fingers folded together into conical shapes, metal drills that spun rapidly in its arms. The puppet punched the rock beneath it, deepening the hold it had made, before disappearing inside the earth.

Gaara and Naruto immediately jumped apart from one another, forcing Monzaemon to choose only one target. Yet with Naruto's Sage Mode, and Gaara's sand, they both detected two chakra signatures beneath them, and rolled out of the way just as Renjishi's massive arms burst forth, having separated from the main torso.

As the drills spun, hidden compartments opened up alongside its serrated edges, and thousands of senbon rained down on them.

Gaara felt chills run up his spine as his sand protected him. One of the only valuable pieces of knowledge he had gained about Monzaemon had been that the Puppet Master loathed all weapons, and had never designed any of his puppets to have them, unless they were actually defensive mechanisms repurposed. It seems that he had added more to his puppets than just repairs. To go against everything he had once stood for…had their village truly caused this?

The arms in front of Naruto and Gaara began to transform. First, wooden panels flicked open on all sides, and began to fold in complex patterns over one another. Separate arms and legs appeared, and within seconds, two separate puppets stood before them.

There was more rumbling underneath their feet, and the rest of Renjishi leaped into the air. The puppet's legs had split in half, and traveled up the side of the torso, becoming new arms. Monzaemon himself wore the puppet like a suit of armor, manipulating the controls from inside. Using the puppet's new hands, he controlled the puppets that now stood between him and Gaara and Naruto.

"I want your answer, Naruto!" Monzaemon screamed, as he launched his two puppets towards them with frightening speed. A large sword emerged from their arms, and began to glow with Monzaemon's chakra. One cleaved right through Gaara's sand, going after the Kazekage directly, while Naruto and the other puppet began to duel one another.

Naruto jumped backwards as the puppet slammed its sword into the sand in front of him. As it was pulling the blade back out, compartments in its shoulders popped open, launching dozens of paper bombs at him. Speeding along the ground, Naruto felt the explosions inch closer and closer to him, before they finally ran out. But by then, the puppet itself was after him again, thrusting the sword towards his heart. Naruto barely moved out of the way, and reared back his fist. With the power of Sage Mode at his side, his punch flung the puppet back like a ragdoll.

Gaara's puppet was too busy dealing with the shield of sand to stop the other one from slamming into it, and they both tumbled across the sand. Monzaemon immediately forced them back on their feet, and once again they were after Naruto and the Kazekage.

Gaara loaded some extra chakra into his sand, hurling chunks of them like projectiles into the puppet's joints. The puppet slowed for a moment, and it was all the time Gaara needed. He slammed his palms onto the ground, and waves of the desert came crashing against the puppet, again and again. Bits of wood and metal clinked against Monzaemon's armor, and he scowled in anger. The puppet used a burst of chakra to push the sand away and jumped backwards, putting some distance between them. Monzaemon considered it for a moment, and suddenly switched targets, sending both puppets after Naruto while he dealt with Gaara himself.

The two Kazekage clashed violently; Monzaemon punched straight through Gaara's initial tendril of sand, before being stopped by the rest of it, and a huge amount of dust was kicked into the air. Monzaemon tried to grab onto Gaara, but the sand kept pushing his hands away. Frustrated, Monzaemon stomped his foot against the ground, pushing his heel into the desert. He spread the puppet's arms wide, and metal panels spread out in a wide arc, covering both Gaara's front and sides. He tried to back away, but a metal spike emerged from the ground behind him, stabbing him through the chest.

"Gaara!" Naruto yelled, before he realized that the Kazekage's chakra wasn't fading away. The Gaara in front of him began to melt; and Naruto realized that he had been nothing but sand. He searched out for the real Gaara, but it was hard to concentrate as he ducked out of the way of a blow to his head. Another tried to thrust its sword into the ground in front of Naruto, to force him to jump away backwards, but Naruto saw through Monzaemon's ruse. He sidestepped the attack, and grabbed onto the blade, concentrating his Sage chakra into the length of the blade. Surprisingly, his gamble paid off; the puppet tried to pull away, and when Monzaemon had removed his chakra threads from the puppet, aware that it was a lost cause, the wood and metal slowly turned to stone, and with the last of his strength, Naruto threw it towards the other puppet.

The sword's chakra widened at the tip of the sword, drilling through the rock before it could do any damage. However, the dust and small pieces of stone worked as an effective smokescreen, blanketing the surrounding area.

Huge sandy jaws suddenly emerged from ground beneath the other puppet, clamping across it before Monzaemon could pull it back. It struggled against the sand, pushing chakra through its body to try and escape, but Gaara forced more of his own chakra into the sand, overpowering the puppet, and adding more sand every second. The spikes of sand suddenly exploded at the tip, forcing even more spikes through the puppet's body. They then burst, spreading in all directions, and the puppet was practically obliterated, collapsing to the ground in dozens of pieces.

"You two make quite the team," Monzaemon was forced to admit, watching the two carefully. Naruto's Sage Mode had faded away, and he was breathing heavily from the stress. Gaara, while covered with dirt and sand, looked relatively unscathed. He delighted watching their eyes flicker with surprise, as the two puppets they had just destroyed began to reform themselves in front of them. Monzaemon dragged them back to the main body with two threads, and in several seconds, the complete Renjishi stood towering over them once more.

"I'll ask again: where the hell does this guy get all his chakra?" Naruto whispered to Gaara, wiping some sweat from his brow.

"And I will answer again: I do not know." Gaara replied back, as Renjishi came charging forward. The both prepared for an attack, but the massive puppet simply leaped above them, heading for the entrance that had been opened into the depths of his mountain. They suddenly realized how far they had traveled in the midst of their battle, as they were now quite a ways away from the mountain.

As he watched him leave, Naruto sighed. "Man, this is gonna suck."

"He will likely have traps scattered in those caves," Gaara thought, eyes narrowed.

"I know. That's why it'll suck." The blonde formed a hand sign, and three clones popped up around him. "I'm gonna leave these guys behind, so that hopefully by the time we find him, I can use Sage Mode again."

Gaara nodded in agreement, formed a platform of sand for them to stand on, and they raced off towards Monzaemon's mountain. The Sabakusentō. The belly of the beast.

* * *

><p>By the time they reached the Sabakusentō, the way inside had been shut to them. Gaara did not let that stop them, however. He found sand in the minutest cracks and wedges of the rock and earth in front of him, and with great concentration forced them out into the desert air. The changes in mass forced the rock into collapsing in on itself, and the way inside was open to them once again.<p>

Utter blackness stood before them. As they stepped inside, Gaara's sand began to scout ahead, forming a light dusting on the sides of the walls and along the floor, hunting for signs of Monzaemon or any traps that might be waiting for them. Naruto, who was still waiting for his clone to gather enough natural energy, could only rely on Gaara's quick reflexes to save him, as he quickly learned that the traps were extraordinarily advanced, more so than what he was able to detect in the gloom of the mountain's depths.

Several chakra threads suddenly laced themselves in front of him, crude bombs fastened to them. The explosion was far closer to reaching him than he would have liked, but Gaara's sand protected him from the brunt of the blast, and he only received a slight feeling of pressure against his body.

"You two seem alike, I should think," they heard Monzaemon say, his voice bouncing off the walls in all directions. Naruto spun around to try and locate the Puppet Master, but the earth and rock played tricks on his ears. Monzaemon's voice was both a whisper and a shout, booming and hissing in his mind as one. "So very similar, and yet so different at the same time. I know the stink of death, and I only smell it on one of you."

His shrill voice cackled in the darkness. Naruto frowned, always disdaining playing his word games.

"Gaara-sama, you are no stranger to murder, aren't you? You understand its bitterness, the smell that seeps into your blood that you cannot wash off, no matter how many times you try. You understand the work of a Kazekage."

"But so do I, if you have forgotten," he continued. "But do you understand what it feels like to see your life's work turned against you? To see such a beautiful thing, something to protect those you hold dear, without bringing danger against you, turned into a tool for war and death?"

"Do not lecture me on how to guide my people," Gaara growled. "You, who has betrayed everything he ever stood for, for the sake of a petty revenge."

The current Kazekage took a deep breath, horrid memories rushing to the surface. "I am aware, of what the taste of death feels like on your lips. I had killed many when I was younger, blind to what I was truly doing."

"Disgusting hypocrite," Monzaemon shot back, the echoes taunting and jeering and mocking. "To denounce me, when you yourself murdered countless people. Innocents, I imagine. Your eyes do not lie to me, Gaara-_sama_."

And so Gaara closed them. It helped to push the memories away, forcing them to crawl back into the dark corners of his mind. "There are few in the world of the shinobi who are truly innocent."

Monzaemon laughed at that. He laughed long and loudly, and the darkness of the caves surrounding them transformed the sound into something evil, and filled with malice. But Naruto heard more, though he dare not say so, for fear that he was only hearing things. Naruto heard a pang of guilt.

"Too right! We all have our dark little secrets, don't we? Hmmm, I wonder what you have to hide from us, Naruto? Such an idealist. Are you innocent, or do you lie just like the rest of us? Tell yourself that what you do is right and just?"

Naruto's legs suddenly felt weak beneath him. In the dark of the cave, he saw something move in front of him. Gaara must have pressed on ahead, eager to find their foe.

He quickened his pace, hoping to catch up to him. "Gaara, wait up!" he called. "Hey, wait up, will you?"

The footsteps grew dimmer, and Naruto suddenly raced ahead, gripped by fear. His eyes had adjusted to the dark by now, and when he had caught up, it was not Gaara he saw in front of him.

"…Hinata?"

She did not answer him, only moved forward without a sound. Her tiny feet padded against the ground with little effort, as calm as midnight snowfall.

Naruto stepped forward, hesitantly. He did not command his arm to reach out to her, but still that is what it did, and he lightly grasped her shoulder, turning her around. "Hinata, is that—"

**(2)**

He drew back in horror. Only a skull stared back at him, with blank sockets of black anger. It screeched in his face, and flitted away like the last of a candle's light, and Naruto realized he was alone.

His fingers groped in the dark, looking for something to lean on as he calmed himself down.

_Let her go_.

The voice was back, and it scared him. Like liquid evil, it poured hateful words into his ear, lapping at his sanity.

_Let her go!_

The voice was getting louder, and Naruto's vision began to blur. He wiped blood from his eyes that was not there, stumbled over boulders that were not in his way, and saw things he was not meant to see.

A woman lay before him, covered in grime and dried blood. Even from where he stood, he could hear her ragged breaths burst from gasping lungs. His mind fell away, and he wanted to help her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, leaning down. He offered her a comforting hand, and the woman accepted it gratefully. Her flesh felt horribly cold, and Naruto began to feel the ice creep up his fingers. She turned to him, and where there was meant to be a face, there was nothing. Features drifted in and out of Naruto's vision, but never settled into one. They were always changing, shifting before he could discern them or recognize them. A face he would never know.

"I'm w-worried…" the woman whimpered, as Naruto stepped back. "My daughter…she's in danger."

"Who? Who are you talking about?"

"My daughter," the woman repeated, urgent. "Please, you must help my daughter in any way you can! She's such a pretty thing, so kind and polite…I could not bear to…"

The woman coughed, and coughed some more. There was a bulge in her throat, and an object appeared in her mouth. She spat it on the ground, and did not bother with a second glance. Naruto looked with frightful eyes, and recognized the object as his own headband.

His heart thudded in his chest, and his lungs grew tight within his body. "W-who's your daughter?" he asked again, no longer sure he wanted to hear the answer. "M-maybe I can…help her…"

"You must save my daughter!" the woman shrieked, lurching for his clothes. Her fingers dug into his skin, painfully. "You cannot let her die!" Tears fell from colorless eyes, eyes Naruto did not know he could see. She wept in his arms, repeating that phrase as many times as her throat could stand it. Naruto's own was stopped; there were no words.

_Let her go._

And then she was gone, as quickly as she had come. Naruto knew the woman and did not at the same time, and his mind quarreled to find the answer. He heard screams, and the sound of battle, yet none of his other senses offered more clarity. He blinked, and nearly ran into Gaara's back.

"Be careful," the Kazekage reminded him. "One wrong step is a good way to get ourselves killed down here."

Naruto blinked. As they walked, he stared into his own hands. There were no longer covered in blood, the voice no longer whispered dark things into his ear. Had it all been a dream, some waking nightmare? Or was it something else, something Monzaemon had orchestrated just the same as he made his wooden men dance?

"The boy is right, Naruto!" Monzaemon called to them cheerfully. "You never know what crawls around in the black. These caves have a way of…playing tricks with your mind. You learn things about yourself that you might never have known…and so do I." His laughter filled the air with sound, and never did Naruto feel so strained.

"I do not like the feel of his voice," Gaara commented, and Naruto felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Do you know what he's talking about, Naruto?" Gaara asked.

Naruto turned to answer, but it was Hinata who stared back at him, in Gaara's body. Those eyes, with just that tinge of lavender, looked at him, accusingly. She shimmered, even though there was no light in the dank of the caves, and if Naruto tried to reach out and touch her, she fluttered like the wind.

"Do you know what he's talking about, Naruto-kun?" she asked again, her eyes pleading. "What could he know th-that I don't?"

Naruto's tongue welled up in his mouth. "Hinata…I don't really know how I'm supposed to tell you. You see, I—"

What does he know, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, louder this time. "What does he know? What does know, what does he know?"

_Let her go_.

Naruto pounded his fists against his head, trying to force the voice out of his head. He pounded until his knuckles bled, bled blood that was not his own.

Hinata became Hiashi, and the cold eyes of the Hyūga turned even colder. "I will not allow you to murder my daughter, just as you murdered my wife." He was holding a kunai, and he raised it above his head.

Somehow, Naruto had fallen down, and he held his hands in front of him, pitifully. "I...I didn't!" he insisted. "Please, I never would have—"

"Do not lie!" Hiashi's voice turned deep, and scorn-filled. His eyes glowed red, and rows of sharp teeth dangled from his open mouth. "You and the demon within are one and the same! It is better to rid the world of its evil, than allow it to remain in such a weak boy, someone who cannot even control its power."

The kunai turned into a massive claw, and Hiashi's hair flew wildly about him, into nine writhing tails. His clothes and skin ripped open as he grew into the Kyūbi stood over its corpse, glaring at the boy in front of him.

"Better to rid the world of our evil than allow it to remain in such a weak boy, someone who cannot even control our power." The voice was not only his own. Naruto heard Hiashi's, Hinata's, and the woman from before, all howling at him. He squeezed his eyes shut as the Kyūbi plunged its claw towards Naruto's heart.

'_I love you, Naruto-kun…never forget that.'_

Hinata was not bloody, nor did she look as fallow as before. Her skin glowed with health, and she offered Naruto one of those smiles that made his heart sing. This was the Hinata he knew, the Hinata he was beginning to…

Naruto's eyes flew open, and he rolled out of the way before the claw pierced his heart. It dug into his shoulder, and he cried out in pain, latching onto the claw. The burst of pain brought him back.

The Kyūbi disappeared, replaced by nothing more than a common puppet, clattering its teeth in front of him. From its open mouth, a strange-smelling gas spewed forth, and as Naruto breathed in, the puppet's visage shifted.

He looked down. Where a giant claw should have been, there was a rusty blade, attached to the puppet's arm. Rage filled Naruto's body, and he grabbed onto the sword plunged into his shoulder. His palms bled, but Naruto did not feel the pain. With a heave, he forced the sword out, and the puppet stumbled back several feet. It came rushing back towards him, but Naruto was ready.

A kunai appeared in his hand, and with a powerful stroke, snapped the blade clean in two. The puppet launched several shuriken from its arm, but Naruto knocked them aside. He threw his hands together, and summoned a shadow clone to his side.

The puppet retreated, crawling back into the safety of the dark, but Naruto chased after him, the Rasengan that filled his hand lighting the way. The distance between himself and the puppet grew, and so did Naruto's frustration.

He reached into his pouch, pulling out a small scroll with his other hand. When he released the seal, a larger scroll thumped against the ground, and Naruto rubbed his hand in his shoulder, and flung the blood where he had left the larger scroll. In a puff of smoke, one of Naruto's clones appeared, with the distinctive markings of Sage Mode around his eyes. Naruto released the clone, and was filled with power.

He dug in his heels, and caught the fleeing puppet as it crawled against a wall. The Rasengan in his hand suddenly grew larger than his entire body, and with a feral cry, he forced it on top of the puppet.

The rock in front of them disintegrated, just as the puppet did, and Naruto heard a rumble as the rest began to collapse. With another push, the Rasengan actually pushed _through_ the rock, and Naruto was thrown into the battle.

He was suddenly in a massive cavern, older than anything he could think of. Alongside the stalagmites and stalactites, hundreds of puppets could be seen, of all shapes and sizes. He glanced alongside the walls, looking curiously at the teal-colored mineral that dotted the rock. It seemed to glow, and not because of the blazing torches the stood nearby.

And in the middle of it all, stood Gaara. Many of the puppets were trying to breach his defense, and it was only through the hardest concentration that he was not being overwhelmed.

Naruto's mind raced. He wiped more blood on his hand, and slammed his palm into the ground.

"Summoning jutsu!" he cried.

Smoke billowed in front of him, and Gamakichi appeared, who immediately turned around to look for his summoner.

"Heya, Naruto!" he said cheerfully. "Need my help, eh?"

Naruto nodded urgently. "You bet. We need to get Gaara out of there, and fast!"

He jumped onto Gamakichi's back, and felt the toad under his feet already at work, molding chakra in his massive stomach. Naruto did the same, mixing it with wind chakra as Gamakichi worked with water.

The both spewed their chakra out from their mouths at the same time, and the entire cavern was blanketed in a massive concussive force. Every one of the puppets were thrown back against the wall, some of the weaker or older puppets crushed from the impact.

Gaara opened his eyes. "Naruto…I am glad to see you."

"You have any idea what happened?" the blonde asked, rushing up next to his friend. "A bunch of really weird stuff happened to me."

"I turned around at some point, and you were no longer there. I searched for you with my sand, but these puppets encountered me first, and eventually forced me in here."

He cocked his head to one side. "Was it a Genjutsu?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head. "Maybe, but I don't think so. There was another puppet that nearly got me, and there was this gas that was coming out of his mouth. Once I beat it, I didn't have that weird stuff happen anymore."

"It was more than likely a hallucinogenic toxin, absorbed through the lungs," Gaara guessed. "It used to be a tool used by our village, before it was outlawed for the gruesome side effects upon prolonged exposure. Perhaps Monzaemon created it before he realized what it could be used for."

And then Naruto remembered. "Where is Monzy, anyway? I didn't seem him on my way here. Do you want me to look for him?"

Gaara looked to the roof of the cavern. "That will not be necessary."

Naruto's eyes rose to the ceiling, and just as Gaara said, there was Monzaemon, floating above them. His eyes were closed, and literally hundreds of threads spun from every corner of his body, controlling the puppets that were starting to recover.

"You did better than I expected, Naruto," Monzaemon said, with eyes still closed. "I must say, your will is strong. Do you have an answer for me yet?"

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Naruto demanded.

"Do not try and change the subject. Why are you so insistent on refusing to admit the obvious? You have killed before, yet it fills you with disdain. Do you even have the stomach to do what is necessary? Was I mistaken in placing my trust in you?"

These cryptic words filled Naruto with more questions than answers, but he forced himself to look back to the puppets, which were starting to charge towards them.

Naruto felt something odd permeate throughout his entire body. Sage Mode granted him the ability to detect the chakra signatures of anyone he wished, yet as he ducked under a puppet's arm, before demolishing it with one kick, he felt Monzaemon's presence all around him, even in the rock that surrounded them. He shot a glance in Gaara's direction, and from the way the Kazekage looked at him, he wasn't alone in his suspicion.

"What the heck did you get me into, Naruto?" Gamakichi asked, kicking one of the puppets into several others with a powerful leg. He was nearly carved into by a larger puppet with a chakra blade in the shape of a scythe, but Naruto was able to stop the attack.

"You get out of here, Gamakichi!" Naruto grunted, pushing the puppet back. "We only needed to get Gaara free; there's too many things for you to keep track of here, so just go ahead and leave! Gamabunta would never forgive me if I let you get hurt."

Gamakichi wanted to continue arguing, but the look in Naruto's golden eyes allowed no room for argument, and he nodded grimly, wishing Naruto and Gaara luck before he disappeared.

**(3)**

Naruto's concentration was spread far too thin. Even though most of these puppets were unfinished, from what he could tell at least, the sheer number of them combined with Monzaemon's natural talent proved to be a daunting task to handle even a few, and there were a few _hundred. _Two jumped in front of him, and Naruto kicked them away, only to be blasted with chakra from behind, smashing him into several more of the puppets. They lifted their weapons, ready to strike, but Gaara's sand came racing over, and pulled Naruto to safety.

"Get clear, Gaara!" Naruto warned, summoning two shadow clones. The distinct hum of the Rasenshuriken rang around the room like a war cry, and as he flung the projectile headlong into the horde of puppets before them, the teal-colored mineral reflected the light, making it shine.

Monzaemon attempted to pull as many puppets away from the devastating attack as he could, but had forgotten how fast the attack traveled. More than a third of the puppets were decimated, wiped away like they had never existed. Monzaemon's exquisite craftsmanship and the puppets' durability meant little when faced with such power. When the attack exploded, even more puppets were taken down, shattered into thousands of pieces.

Naruto did not even stop to examine the damage he had caused. He leapt high into the air, another Rasenshuriken spinning his hand. He moved for Monzaemon, but as he drew close, Monzaemon opened his eyes.

Gaara had continued to assault the remaining puppets, tendrils of sand snaking out and crushing any puppet he could find, but the din beneath faded away from Naruto's ears. The edges of his vision began to blur, and the only thing he could see and hear quickly, was the Puppet Master before him, staring curiously with those red eyes.

"Killing me is the only way to save your friend's village," Monzaemon said, softly. "You hide from the truth like a child; face it like a man! The only way to save your life, and hundreds of others, is to take my own!"

Naruto roared in anger, and hurled the Rasenshuriken towards him. Monzaemon instantly dropped the threads from every single one of his puppets, concentrating the chakra for his own need to move out of the way, which he did by inches. As he moved, Naruto noticed something inserted into the small of his back, a metal tube of some kind. A glance passed between them, and Naruto fell back to the ground, where Gaara had taken advantage of the puppets' weakness to destroy many more of them. Now, less than half of Monzaemon's experiments remained.

But as he joined the Kazekage in the center of the room, he felt weak in the knees. Gaara looked even worse, and was breathing heavily. He had not sustained any damage, and Gaara rarely moved during the battle, so why did he look so exhausted?

Monzaemon laughed from his perch. "You appear to be growing tired, Gaara-_sama_. I don't think you can go on for much longer!"

"Gaara, are you alright?" Naruto asked, bending over to help him back to his feet.

"I feel…weak…" Gaara muttered, licking some sweat away from his brow. "My chakra…I'm using more than what I intend."

"You are probably not used to the sensation," Monzaemon explained. "It's quite taxing, to be sure. I barely survived when I first arrived; you remind me of myself when I first found this mountain."

Naruto was confused. "What are you talking about!" he shouted up to him. "What are you doing to Gaara?"

Monzaemon hooted again, sneering. "It is nothing that I am doing myself, Naruto. This is from the mountain itself."

"Liar!" Naruto roared, baring his teeth. "Why should we believe someone who uses tricks all the time?"

"Oh, maybe because this 'liar' is telling the truth, you half-wit." Monzaemon sighed, spreading his arms. "When I first arrived here, I thought I had found a safe haven, somewhere where I could continue my work in peace and quiet, not to be bothered by the outside world. As it was, I was right in finding this place, but my solitude came at a cost."

He looked around, his red eyes lingering on the teal minerals that dotted the cavern. "As I dug the corridors and rooms for my stay here, I realized that I was losing my chakra far faster than usual. There were a few times that I had been close to death, yet I could never understand why."

Naruto's eyes darted around the room. Where was he going with this? The mineral seemed nothing special. But wait…he looked closer. A torch had been destroyed during their battle, yet the glow remained, an eerie green light dancing across that corner of the cavern.

"Perhaps you are not as stupid as I originally thought," Monzaemon said, noticing Naruto's curiosity. "You are correct in your assumptions. This gemstone, of which the mountain has plenty, is stealing your chakra away from you."

Naruto was stunned, and even the Kazekage's eyes widened in surprise. "What…what is this stuff?" Naruto asked, feeling weaker even as Monzaemon spoke.

The Puppet Master shrugged. "I am not sure. I have attempted to study it, but my puppetry was always first priority, so I never looked into it as much as I could have. Even now, it steals my chakra as well. But my brief research did provide some very interesting discoveries. You see, I have discovered a way to take my chakra back."

He threw his head back and laughed gleefully, delighting in Naruto's and Gaara's shock. "The gemstones don't just steal the chakra away. They _hold_ it, keeping it stored away until no more will be absorbed. Decades of my chakra suctioned away, without me even realizing it. But I have learned of a way to absorb the chakra from the gemstones, and the chakra is surged back into me." He pointed to the tube behind his back, and Naruto could even make out the green glow he had seen earlier.

Everything made sense now. Monzaemon was able to use so much chakra, because he literally had dozens of years of access to his own chakra, like an unending supply. It explained why they grew weaker, while he remained strong. It explained why he could control so many puppets at once, without straining his body. It explained how he had been able to take down Sunagakure entirely by himself.

"It's a strange feeling, having an infinite amount of chakra!" Monzaemon said aloud, flexing his fingers and watching them move. "I have escaped death once…and yet this pulls me from its influence further still. To fight without worry of dying—it is an interesting experience, to say the least."

Naruto bit his lip. There was no way they could outlast him, even after all the fighting he had done already. If he had only half as much chakra as he claimed, Naruto and Gaara would be dead long before Monzaemon himself would weaken. Perhaps they could destroy him outright, but that was proving harder than originally thought.

Or, maybe it was something else.

Naruto refused to truly admit to his own deeds, of what he had been accused of doing to Hinata's mother. A part of him, in the deep recesses of his mind, refused to believe it. And if it truly was a lie, of which Naruto hoped it was, than had Naruto ever truly killed someone? The very second of doubt it took to consider the notion proved his point.

Zabuza and Haku….Pain….even Kakuzu had truly been finished off by Kakashi. All of the deadliest fights in his shinobi career, he had handed the hardest task to others, or other circumstances forced themselves inside.

But wait…there had been that shinobi in the Land of Rivers. What was his name? Naruto was pained to have forgotten, like he was insulting his memory. He remembered the Rasengan diving into the man's stomach, scattering blood all over the surrounding area, and the queasiness he had felt for hours afterwards. But what he remembered most, out of anything else, was the look in the man's eyes before he died. It was what he wanted. In his eyes, there had been nothing else to live for.

And now, he felt a strangely similar feeling when he looked into Monzaemon's eyes.

"Naruto, snap out of it!"

Monzaemon had resumed attacking them with his remaining puppets. Naruto ducked underneath a wide swing meant to cut off his head, and demolished the puppet with the flat of his hand, slamming it into another. From his perch in the ceiling of the cave, Monzaemon watched Naruto carefully. The boy was using a technique he was not familiar with, a technique that greatly increased his strength and speed.

But he could not last forever.

The puppets focused more onto Naruto, attacking him from all sides. He blocked each and every one of their attacks, but Monzaemon could see him begin to strain. In the meantime, Gaara was trying to help his friend, tossing puppets aside to give him some breathing room. But he was moving slower than Naruto was, as even though he had a very large amount of chakra himself, he did not have his friend's gargantuan supply. More and more puppets began to gang up on Naruto, until they swarmed all over him.

They never lasted long. Naruto would reduce them to dust before they could do any real damage, but he felt the last of his Sage chakra begin to fade away. He had a little left, and needed to use it for something that counted.

With a powerful cry, Naruto suddenly leaped high into the air. While in midair, he summoned two shadow clones, and prepared a final Rasenshuriken. It smashed against the ground, and a huge amount of Monzaemon's puppets were engulfed in the explosion.

His chakra was spent. The markings around his eyes disappeared, and Naruto plummeted to the ground, unable to control his descent. Gaara caught him before he hit the ground, and laid him down beside him.

"H-how many did I get?" Naruto asked, breathing heavily.

Gaara took a look around. "Only a few remain. I will handle this, Naruto, while you rest."

He rose his hands above his shoulders, and the entire cavern began to quake. Monzaemon struggled to stay in his place, as the stalactites around him shook.

Gaara's face contorted in concentration, as he slowly formed his hands into fists. Ear splitting cracks echoed against the walls, and the earth fell around them. He meant to bring the entire cavern down on them.

Huge chunks of rock plummeted toward the ground, more than enough to smash what little remained of Monzaemon's army to pieces. Monzaemon tried to move them out of the way, and he succeeded in getting most of them to safety.

Only Gaara never meant to hit the puppets.

Just before they hit the ground, wisps of sand rose up and caught the rocks, before hurling them back towards Monzaemon, with incredible speed. Gaara's eyes were squeezed shut as he felt his chakra levels lower ever further, but he did not let up.

Monzaemon tried to force a few puppets between them, to force them to take the brunt of the attack, but they did not even slow Gaara down. They plowed right through the puppets, and hit their target dead on.

The damage was less than Monzaemon had expected, until he realized that he could no longer move. The sand that had covered the rock now covered him, and the chakra it was infused with prevented him from reconnecting any of his puppet threads.

Sand began to collect in Gaara's hand, in the shape of a spear. Monzaemon recognized the attack from before, and struggled even harder to escape his prison.

Naruto looked up to Gaara's face. There was a hard look in his eyes, a look he was all too familiar with. This was for everyone Monzaemon had murdered, everyone Gaara had been helpless to save.

Gaara's sand hurled the spear so hard and fast, there was an audible sound as it cracked across the air like a whip. It plunged through Monzaemon's body in an instant, and he cried out in surprise.

But Gaara was no fool. If Monzaemon had learned to preserve his body by turning it into a puppet, simply destroying his body would not be enough. He saw something fly out of the puppet, what must have been what kept Monzaemon alive, but he would get to that later. The sand collected even more of the original puppet body, hardening all around him.

"Sabaku Sōtaisō," he whispered, as the sand crushed the body beneath it, sealing it away. Wood splintered and metal bent, and then there was silence.

"Hey…you got him!" Naruto said, suddenly wobbling to his feet.

"Do not forget, Naruto, only his puppet body has been destroyed. Sasori also used this technique, and was able to move his life into any one of his puppets. Monzaemon could be hiding in any one of these."

Naruto looked around. There were several puppets that looked like they were intact enough for Monzaemon to be hiding in them. "Then let's just destroy them all!"

He and Gaara went to work, crushing any puppet they could find. Gaara tried to preserve his strength, but the puppets were resilient, and only a certain amount of chakra put into the attack would be enough to destroy them completely. Naruto was handling himself fine enough, but he could see Gaara beginning to slow.

"You need to rest," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You've done enough. I think I can handle the rest of this."

Gaara looked to his sides. "Are there…even any puppets left?"

He was right. They had destroyed all of the remaining puppets Monzaemon could have used. So then where was—

The ground beneath them suddenly collapsed. Two hands of wrought iron appeared on either side of Gaara, and immediately his shield rushed to his aid, blocking the hands before they could crush him. He could feel the pressure as they pushed against his shield, and when the hands started to push closer. He tried to resist, but he had been fighting for so long, and his chakra levels were spread too thin.

Gaara's body disappeared between the hands, only to emerge seconds later, unmoving.

"Gaara!" Naruto screamed, as the Kazekage was tossed aside, rolling head over heel until his skull bounced against the wall of the cave. He did not move.

"That will get him out of the way until I take care of you!" The ground opened further, and Renjishi reappeared, with Monzaemon inside. "What a foolish mistake, forgetting about our old friend here."

He saw Naruto glaring at him, and laughed. "Should you be surprised? He's weak, just like his entire village! Just like those friends of yours. They didn't last very long, though I'll admit they put up more of a fight than I expected."

Naruto's blood ran cold. He was lying. He had to be. Hinata and the others couldn't be…

"Do you think I am lying?" Monzaemon asked, as if he could see Naruto's thoughts. "Or deep down, do you know I am right? That girl with those hideous colorless eyes lasted longer than most, but still, she was far too weak to stand against me."

"You're lying!" Naruto growled. He tried to run over to Gaara, but Monzaemon slapped him away like a fly. Blood ran into the corner of his mouth.

"I WANT YOUR ANSWER!" the Puppet master suddenly roared, his red eyes glowing. "You will not deny me any longer! Do you have what it takes? Can you do what is necessary? I want to hear your answer, Naruto!"

The air suddenly changed, and Monzaemon felt a chill run through his body, even through his unfeeling, wooden body. He looked at Naruto, and red eyes were met with red.

"You're…lying…" Naruto said, through gritted teeth as he tried to hold onto his control. That evil chakra burned deep within him, desperate to rise to the surface, but he pushed it back down with all his might. He would not lose control. He mustn't.

There was a loud crack, and both Naruto and Monzaemon turned to the source. An area of the gemstones that held Monzaemon's chakra was split wide open, falling to the ground. Strange blue wisps floated away from the remains, before disappearing into the air.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. With as much control as he could muster, he allowed a little more of the Kyūbi's chakra to rise to the surface. Another crack, and the gemstone was split even wider. More chakra evaporated, but this time it was violent, like a controlled explosion. A shard bulleted through the cavern, and scraped across Renjishi's body, leaving a deep gash, and Naruto was struck with an idea.

His eyes met with Monzaemon's once more, and there was a strange look in his eyes. He smiled, almost tenderly. "I dare you to try it."

Naruto shot off like a rocket, towards the closest deposit of the mineral he could find. Behind him, he heard the rumbling as Monzaemon chased after him, closer and closer.

The sound suddenly stopped, and Naruto glanced behind him to see a large amount of sand holding Monzaemon back.

"Hurry!" Gaara called out, holding his shoulder. "I will hold him back as long as I can!"

Naruto nodded, and leaped into the air, getting as far away from Monzaemon as he could. He found a deposit of the gemstone and closed his eyes. Stone became metal, and the sounds of battle calmed. Only the sound of dripping water could be heard.

"Get out here!" Naruto demanded, pointing at the ground in front of him. There was a deep rumbling sound, and it stomped closer and closer until the Kyūbi's massive form was visible in the dull light.

"I need your chakra to beat this guy, now!" Naruto said, holding out his hand like the Kyūbi could just hand the chakra over that way.

And to his surprise, the Kyūbi laughed softly. **"VERY WELL.**"

Naruto was confused. "What? That's it? No arguing, no telling me that I'll pay for using your chakra like any old ninja tool?"

"**I'LL ADMIT, I AM IMPRESSED. YOUR WILLINGNESS TO KILL THIS MAN HAS ME…INTRIGUED."**

Naruto turned away, putting his eyes to the ground. "…he said he hurt Hinata. I want to get out here so I can make sure she's alright. He's lying, I know he is."

"**YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR THAT GIRL, WOULDN'T YOU?"**

There was a dangerous sound to the Kyūbi's voice as he asked that, and Naruto felt a horrible chill run up and down his spine. Perhaps he was just being paranoid, but he did not like the tone in its voice the slightest bit. It would have to wait until later.

He was suddenly brought back into the real world, and he felt a surge of power as the Kyūbi allowed it free access to his chakra.

The sound was unimaginable, like a war was erupting around them. The stones hissed and screeched, turning blood red before exploding with violent power. The shards whistled past him, even cutting him in several places including a deep one on his leg, but Naruto did his best to ignore it. Monzaemon tried to force Renjishi through the storm, but a huge chunk suddenly fell from the ceiling, and the puppet's leg was pinned underneath.

Suddenly, a metal tube snaked out from underneath the puppet's body, heading straight for Naruto. Gaara tried to stop it, but it managed to slip past, and Naruto was too busy to see it coming. It connected to the back of his skull, and Naruto felt a feeling of calm wash over him.

"Turn around, boy."

Naruto suddenly realized that the sounds around him were gone, replaced by a serene silence. He did as he was bid, and was surprised to see Monzaemon standing in front of him. His body was not covered with the old gears and pumps, and to his biggest surprise, his eyes were a soft brown, not the hard, gleaming red.

"What is this? You won't get away with this!" Naruto started after Monzaemon, but the Puppet Master did not seem concerned, and that made him stop and stare. "…where am I?"

"I hit you with another dose of the gas," Monzaemon explained, "So that we may speak in private. It seems you have succeeded."

Naruto said nothing.

"Did you know how angry I was with my village, when I was told that they had betrayed my trust, and turned to making puppets a tool of war instead of a tool for peace? I…I wanted to kill them all, to make them pay for what they had done to me and my work…for _betraying_ me."

And then he looked at Naruto, and the hateful, taunting man was gone. Instead, there was someone who had been broken, and used. Naruto was more confused than ever, until he realized what Monzaemon had said.

"Did you say…when you were _told_?" Naruto asked.

Monzaemon nodded slowly. "A man came to my mountain, and told me what happened to Sunagakure. I was angry, unbearably so, but I still loved my village. I would not betray them, and destroy everything I once stood for. The Sand had left me behind, but I…I was okay with that. The masked man was not."

Naruto felt another chill, and his heart skipped a beat. That could only mean…

"I do not know what he did to me, nor can I help you with who he is, but is was through his will that I attacked the Sand. I was overcome by my hatred, as I am even now. I felt like I could not control my own body, as I cannot even now. My hatred was all I knew, and _is_ all I know."

He smiled, and those soft brown eyes regarded Naruto with a resignation. "But then you came along. I knew you would be the one who could help me. I may have been consumed by my hatred, but deep down, further than hate can ever go, I knew you _would be_ the one to help me. The one who would kill me."

Naruto's eyes widened. He stammered for a response, but the words caught in his throat.

"Do you have an answer for me, Naruto? Will you do what is necessary, and let an old man rest?"

"B-but people should know about this!" Naruto said, finding his voice. "If you couldn't help but—"

"They will know no such thing!" Monzaemon barked. He took a deep breath. "They have been through enough as it is. I will become a villain to the Sand's eyes if they are given peace. Even now, I can protect them. What is dead may never die, Naruto. I died a long time ago. You are simply letting me go."

The Monzaemon before him began to fade away, and Naruto was suddenly thrown back into the chaos of the mountain's heart. Monzaemon behind him screamed in anger, and he glanced back. His eyes were red again, burning with hate. But even then, Naruto could have sworn he saw the real Monzaemon deep beneath.

He turned back to his task, and forced even more chakra into the gemstones. He could hear Gaara shouting behind him, forcing what little chakra he had left into protecting Naruto from being crushed by the rocks above. A chain reaction suddenly burst to life, and violent explosions traveled up the wall of the cavern, heading straight for where Monzaemon's tube granted him access to his stolen chakra. The pipe burst, and Monzaemon screamed with a horrible screech. Red light poured from open wounds, and his entire body began to shake and convulse.

Naruto felt that something very bad was about to happen, and scrambled to find Gaara. He found the Kazekage leaning against a rock, and hoisted an arm over his shoulder. "We've got to get out of here!" Naruto shouted. "This whole place is gonna go!"

He raced for a hole that had opened nearby, leading back into the tunnel they had entered through. As the cavern grew smaller and smaller behind him, Naruto felt the urge to look back one last time.

Monzaemon's body was glowing even brighter than before, and Naruto could only see his face for a split second before it was consumed by the explosions around him. He looked Naruto right in the eye, and smiled. Those red eyes, filled with an unimaginable hatred, faded into a soft brown, before he closed them for the last time.

The red light suddenly overtook him, and Naruto pumped his legs as fast as he could, running with Gaara in tow as he raced to escape the collapse of the entire mountain. He could feel the heat of the chakra following closely after him, even gaining on him, but he dare not let it catch him. It might be alright for Naruto himself, but there was no telling how Gaara would fare.

And then, they were free. Naruto could see the light of dawn glinting ahead, and he forced his legs to move even faster. The moment they leaped outside, Naruto pulled Gaara to the side, throwing them both to the ground just as the chakra burst forth behind them, pouring out of the tunnel. He felt the ground begin to shake, and knew that even now they were not safe. He picked Gaara up again, and raced as far away from the mountain as he could.

They were a great distance away before Naruto dared turn around. The entire mountain was bathed with red chakra, like a second sun on the desert's horizon. There was a sudden boom, and the chakra shot into the sky from its peak, like the eruption of a volcano. It rose higher and higher into the air, until Naruto could no longer see it through the clouds. His eyes scanned at ground level before him, and he saw the chakra heading his way. Naruto did not know how the chakra was moving along the ground, but he knew that it was heading straight for them, as well as back towards where Kakashi was.

With what little chakra he had left, Naruto summoned both Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, to carry Gaara and himself across the desert. Naruto feared for the worst the closer they got to where they had left Kakashi, and raced ahead to beat the stream of chakra behind them.

But they found him safe and sound, leaning against a rock, breathing softly. The only thing that seemed to have kept him awake was his worry for Naruto and Gaara, for when he saw the two of them coming his way, he smiled through his mask, and let unconsciousness take him once again. There was another explosion as the chakra stopped short of reaching them, and Naruto sighed in relief.

He stepped forward, hoisted him up into his arms, and set him down on Gamatatsu's back. Gaara had fallen into unconsciousness during the journey, so Naruto made the journey back to the sand in silence, with only the desert winds and the rising sun to keep him company.

* * *

><p>They arrived back at Sunagakure slower than Naruto would have liked. The toads were faster than running on foot, especially with both Kakashi and Gaara unable to run with him, but not as fast as Gaara had been himself. The Kazekage had not yet woken, and neither had Kakashi.<p>

Several Suna shinobi rushed over to greet him, having watched over the gate to the village to keep an eye on the horizon. When they saw Naruto returning, with Gaara unmoving, they raced down to meet them, fearing the worst for their leader. But when Naruto showed that no harm had come to their Kazekage, they smiled warmly, and roused up a cheer. Naruto heard it bounce of the walls of the entrance to the village, and stepped inside to see hundreds of Sunagakure citizens screaming and laughing, embracing one another for the safe return of all those who risked their lives.

He laid Gaara and Kakashi near the entrance, thanking his toads before allowing them to go home. Shikamaru and Temari stood nearby, speaking in hushed tones. Naruto walked over to them.

Shikamaru looked terrible, covered head to toe with grime and dried sweat. There was a dark look in his eyes, and he held a cloth to his side, crusted with dried blood, but he was alive, and Naruto was grateful to see it.

Temari opened and closed her mouth several times, unsure of what to say. "Does this mean…does this mean you—"

"Yeah," Naruto replied softly. "He's gone."

"And Gaara?"

Naruto pointed behind him, and Temari rushed over to check on her brother. Naruto turned back to Shikamaru.

"You guys do okay?"

Shikamaru looked to walls, the beams of sunlight beginning to spout over their edge. "Not as well as I would have liked. I can't imagine what might of happened had you and Kakashi gotten hurt."

"How is everyone? Is Hinata okay? And Sakura-chan?"

Shikamaru would not meet Naruto's eyes. They just seemed to sag inside his skull, world-weary and ashamed. Naruto did not move for a second. "Shikamaru…what's wrong? Did something happen?"

His friend bit his lip, and feebly pointed behind him, fighting back something inside himself. Naruto did not realize how roughly he had pushed Shikamaru aside. He did not realize how fast his legs moved as he raced through the village. He did not see the looks on the villager's faces as he raced past them, refusing to look at him or even acknowledge his presence.

His heart pounded in his chest, tightening in his throat and making it hard to breathe. Over and over he told himself that he would not find what he feared. He chanted it again and again until he turned that last corner, and saw her, unmoving.

"No…" he managed to whisper quietly, before rushing over.

Sakura sat hunched over Hinata, a faint glow in her hands. The light faded every few seconds, but Sakura would try again, and again, sobbing quietly. Over in the corner, Naruto saw someone he never expected to see.

Kiba sat hunched over against a fallen building, everything below his neck covered with a sheet, and there was rag hanging over the left side of his face. Blood was crusted all over, but he was breathing, however little. Akamaru laid down close by, whimpering.

Sakura did not even hear him approach, and she jumped in her skin when he lightly touched her shoulder. Her eyes met his, and Naruto Uzumaki's heart split in half. He couldn't even say anything, his tongue dried and swollen in his mouth.

"Sh-she was protecting Kankurō…" Sakura said softly, the green glow in her hands lighting up again, only to disappear seconds later. "There was an explosion…Kiba came out of nowhere, and he took m-most of the blast, but th-then the building started to come d-down, and there was nothing he could d-do…"

She started to cry. Naruto did not reach out to comfort her; he only stared at Hinata, wishing her eyes would open any second. He flinched when Sakura touched his hand, squeezing it gently.

"I'm s-sorry, Naruto…she's gone."

The light died in his eyes. "No…please, don't say that, Sakura-chan…don't say that!" His voice was shrill, and broken. He reached over to touch Hinata's cheek, and shuddered at the cold.

His nightmare had come true. Even after all this time, it came back to him clearly. Before he had awoken, he had cradled Hinata's tiny frame in his arms, rocked her back and forth, and howled into the sky, cursing whoever might be listening.

And so he did again.

He could not bear to hold her. The hardness of her skin disgusted him, and at the same time he feared he could never let go. Hot tears blinded him, spilling down his cheeks and splashing against Hinata's face.

"Please, Hinata…don't leave me…don't go…"

_Let her go_.

His eyes widened, and the tears halted. Hiashi was standing in front of him, shaking his head sadly.

'_Do you see what has happened? If only you had done as I asked, my daughter would not have died. Why didn't you let her go?'_

The words were cruel, and they laughed cruelly at him, mocking the girl he held in his arms, and his inability to save her. The called him weak, and foolish. They reminded him that a monster would never find love.

"N-no…"

His voice had been so soft, Sakura had almost not heard him. She leaned in closer, and reached out to touch him, but Naruto disentangled him from her hand.

"No…I won't let her go."

He laid her down against the ground. Before Sakura realized what he was doing, two shadow clones appeared on either side of her, and they started to drag her away. Even though she was looking at his back, she could see the glow emanating from his hands.

"Stop it, Naruto! You can't help her!" She turned to the others nearby. "Please, somebody stop him!" The clones held her fast, and she couldn't land a solid hit on either of them. She watched on, desperately calling out for Naruto to stop before he hurt himself.

Naruto swallowed a lump in his throat, ignoring how she looked, and concentrating on healing her. His hands glowed brightly, and the wound started to close, if only a little, and for a moment, Naruto had hope. He forced as much chakra as he could, to try and speed up the process.

But then, a terrible feeling grasped his heart, and he watched his hands go from green, to red. The wounds began to fester and open, and Naruto was forced to stop.

He stared at his hands. What was going on? He had gained control over the Kyūbi's chakra! He was sure of it! Naruto tried again, focusing with all he could, but again the chakra glowed with a foul red, and Hinata began to bleed once again. He tried several more times, pushing Sakura's pleas out of his mind, and each time, Hinata looked worse and worse. By now a large portion of the tainted chakra was forced into her body, and Naruto had to stop.

"No!" he suddenly shouted, pounding the ground with his hands. "No! No! NO! NO!"

Only then did he hear the laughing. That cruel, deep sound. Huge red eyes stared down at him, and rows of razor sharp teeth gleamed in the darkness of his cave.

"**WHAT'S THE MATTER, NARUTO? YOU SEEM TROUBLED." **He threw his massive head back and laughed again.

"Wh-what's going on?" Naruto asked feebly, his legs wobbling underneath him. "What are you doing?"

The Kyūbi feigned ignorance. **"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. IS YOUR CHAKRA CONTROL UNABLE TO HOLD MY OWN CHAKRA BACK? BUT, YOU HAD GAINED **_**SUCH**_** MASTERY OVER IT. OR…DID YOU?"**

Naruto froze. The Kyūbi laughed again, and suddenly it all made sense. Naruto never learned to hold back the Kyūbi's chakra, never learned how to properly heal someone. The Kyūbi had lied to him, and allowed him to think he had learned to control it. Now there was nothing he could do.

His body suddenly became too heavy for his legs to support him, and he fell to his knees. He stared at the ground with unfeeling, deadened eyes, as the Kyūbi laughed and laughed.

"**WHAT'S THE MATTER BOY? I THOUGHT YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE GOING TO PROTECT HER? HOW CAN YOU PROTECT HER NOW, NARUTO? HOW CAN YOU?"**

**(4)**

"Naruto will save her, because _you_ will not get in his way. Not if I have anything to say about it."

Naruto felt a warmth throughout his whole body, like the light of the sun, or the strength of someone's arms around you. It lifted his spirits, and gave him a feeling of hope. Suddenly, huge streams of yellow chakra erupted from his body, wrapping around the Kyūbi, and pinning him to the floor. Naruto took a closer look, and saw that the chakra resembled chains, preventing the Kyūbi from moving.

"**WHAT? THIS CAN'T BE!" **The Kyūbi seemed to be genuinely frightened, and struggled against the bonds that held him fast.

Naruto heard the voice again, soft and sweet. "He won't stop you, Naruto. Go ahead…I know you can do it."

The cage in front of him started to fade away, and Naruto's vision blurred. Before it all faded away completely, he saw someone standing in front of him, but could not see who. They held a hand to their heart, and smiled at him.

"Who…are you?" Naruto asked.

"Someone who loves you," the voce said softly.

And then Naruto was back, hunched over Hinata's body. His hands began to glow, and this time, there was no foulness in the air. The chakra was his, and his alone.

With a surge of hope, Naruto began pumping every bit of his chakra into his hands, and Hinata's entire body began to glow. He remembered Sakura's words, that you cannot force medicinal chakra into healing through sheer quantity of chakra, and did his best to forget about that. Perhaps if he used enough…

"**STOP IT, BOY! THE GIRL IS DEAD. YOU'LL ONLY KILL YOURSELF IF YOU KEEP THIS UP!"**

Naruto suddenly felt a burst of pain spread through his entire body. It rattled in his skull, and it felt like his bones were shattering, but he ignored the pain.

"NARUTO, PLEASE STOP!" Sakura was screaming at the top of her lungs now, until her voice grew hoarse and her lips cracked open. "PLEASE!"

Another wash of pain, and Naruto nearly doubled over. He did not stop, only increased the amount of chakra he pushed through his hands. Hinata's blood began to fade away, and her wounds began to heal.

"**WE BOTH DIE IF YOU KEEP THIS UP! LET HER GO!" **The Kyūbi shouted, his voice booming in Naruto's ears. He suddenly coughed up a large amount of blood, and it spilled over Hinata's body, dripping onto the sand. His vision began to fade.

And yet, Naruto Uzumaki could not help but smile. "No," he said. "I'm going to save her."

"**WHY WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR LIFE FOR THIS GIRL'S? WHY WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SACRIFCE YOUR LIFE, AND ALL YOUR DREAMS, FOR THIS ONE, WEAK LITTLE HUMAN?" **The Kyūbi was at a complete loss for words, stunning at Naruto's sheer defiance.

Naruto looked at her. Even though they were closed, he could feel Hinata's eyes upon him. The sun would look beautiful in those eyes of hers, he thought, just as everything started to turn black. The fire in his heart snuffed out, and his body felt cold. The clones that had dragged Sakura way suddenly disappeared, and she ran towards him, screaming.

He looked to the sun, and relished the feeling of warmth across his face. "Because…I love her."

His body fell to the ground, beside Hinata's. He did not move.

Sakura fell to her knees, picking up Naruto's body and shaking him. She screamed at him, hit him, her tears fell onto his jacket, but he said nothing. He saw nothing. He felt nothing. Even as the sun shined down upon him.

The other villagers crowded around. One bent to try and comfort Sakura, but she angrily slapped them away. She couldn't hear anything but the sound of her own crying. That is, until a tiny voice pierced through the silence. Sakura's eyes widened in amazement when the voice spoke again.

"Naruto…kun?"

* * *

><p><em>Tick.<em>

_Tock._

_Tick._

_Tock._

The sound of the clock on the wall was agonizing. It reminded her that time was passing, more than she cared to see go. It reminded her that the world would move on, even though her own was laid in front of her, still and quiet. It reminded her that every second that passed, was another second that Naruto Uzumaki did not wake, and was not there beside her.

They had arrived back at the Leaf Village several days ago. It was hard to have watched both Gaara and Kakashi wake, asking where Naruto had gone. Harder still to show them. Kakashi had knelt down by his side, a calloused hand grazing his cheek. Gaara did not move, but the look in his eyes was almost unbearable. He had looked scared, and ashamed that they were was nothing he could do.

Kakashi's ninken had carried back both Naruto and Kiba. The Inuzuka had woken once or twice along the way, and both times had flown into a rage when he saw the body next to him, before passing out again. It only served to remind her what had happened, and she would cry again, for hours on end.

There was life still in him, Tsunade had told them when they had finally returned. They had waited at the gate to give a hero's welcome, unprepared for what they saw. Tsunade had spent hours poring over Naruto's condition, and she finally came to the conclusion that Naruto was not dead. But he did not react to anything they tried to say to him, and his eyes remained closed. He was in a comatose state, and nothing any of them tried would work. It should have relieved her, to know that Naruto had not left this world, but she felt no comfort in her heart.

Hinata Hyūga sat with Naruto Uzumaki in front of her, and Kiba Inuzuka at her back. Both slept peacefully, but only one was guaranteed to wake. She remembered when Tsunade had told her that there was a chance that Naruto might _never_ wake up, and now it was all she could think of.

They were giving a speech today, holding a celebration to honor Naruto's, and Kiba's, and all of their sacrifices. Naruto had saved another village, this time not his own, with the help of the Kazekage, and nearly the entire village had shown up, even those who still only had a grudging acceptance for the boy. Gaara had desperately wanted to attend, to visit his dear friend and thank him, but his duties to his own village kept him confined in Sunagakure. He could only send a letter, to be opened when Naruto awoke. Even though it was sealed, Hinata could see the stains that dotted its surface from where he had been crying.

**(5)**

She reached out with a tiny hand, and stoked a whiskered cheek, clinging to the hope that her touch might wake him. Each time, she drew away disappointed. Hinata hadn't left his bedside since, sleeping on the floor, and taking any scrap of food one of the nurses managed to push to her. They dared not ask her to leave.

"Why…" she quietly asked herself, hand wrapped around his own. "Why do I always h-have to be so weak? If I had been stronger, you w-wouldn't have had to save me, and you wouldn't be…you wouldn't be…" She did not finish her sentence, fearing that if she said it aloud, she could no longer deny it.

_"As long as I have people like you, there's nothing for me to be afraid of."_

It was Naruto's voice she heard, yet his lips had not moved. And then she remembered. When Naruto had returned to the village from his mission, and he had walked her home, he had confided in her his fears of the coming war, and the fear that he might lose his friends. She remembered his smile, and his promise that perhaps as long as he had people like her, there was nothing to be afraid of.

And as she stared into his face, peaceful and serene, she felt that very fear begin to fade away. Naruto had not left her, not yet. And as long as he was beside her, there was nothing she should be afraid of. A time would come when he would open his eyes, and they would be together again.

His hand suddenly felt warm, and Hinata rubbed her fingers across his. There was a dream she had been having, for the past few nights, and as the warmth tickled her arm, she remembered the dream once again.

She was walking alone, in a dark, lonely place. No matter how long she moved forward, she never seemed to go anywhere, and she began to grow afraid. She would run, this way and that way, trying to find a way out. The first few times, she would fail, and wake up in a cold sweat, in the dark of the hospital. But last night, the dream had not ended that way. A light appeared to her, soft and far away, but there. The light grew as she stepped closer, and she felt calm. There was a voice, and Hinata instantly recognized it as Naruto's.

She asked why he would come to this dark and lonely place, all for the sake of her. She could not begin to fathom why he would, until she heard his laughter, and he told her that it was because he loved her.

Hinata had lain down with Naruto that morning, unable to cope that it had only been a dream. She laid down beside him, stroked his hair, and kissed his cheek. Others had come and gone, nearly half the village at one point or another, but Hinata barely noticed.

But this time she did. The footsteps rang as loud as the clash of metal in her ears, and she stood to greet their newest visitor. Her breath caught in her throat, as her eyes met Hiashi's.

He looked awkward standing there, lacking the grace and imminence he usually carried with him as the head of the Hyūga clan. He fumbled with his robes, and could barely meet Hinata's gaze.

"I…I came to see Naruto," he said finally, his voice low and humble. Hinata stared at him curiously, but to her own surprise, she moved aside, and let him approach.

Hiashi sat down where Hinata had been, and looked at Naruto's face. He reached out with a hand, but drew back, as if he did not know what he could or should do. With a sigh of resignation, he let it fall to his lap.

"Tsunade-sama told me what happened, what Naruto did…and what you did."

"I should have been stronger," Hinata said firmly, looking not at her father, but at Naruto. "Maybe if I had been stronger, Naruto-kun would not be here. Maybe we would still—"

"You are not weak, Hinata."

The urgency in his voice surprised Hinata, though she said nothing. Hiashi was watching her, studying her features. "You are not the weak one in this family, Hinata."

He turned back to Hinata, and this time he felt sure of hand. He clasped the top of Naruto's head, burying his fingers in a bed of golden hair, like a father would a son. "This boy…I am finally starting to realize how wrong I was about him, and about you."

Hiashi stood, to his full height ,and offered Naruto a small smile, before looking to his daughter. "The love you have for the boy…it was wrong of me to step in the way. He gave you strength, just as you give me mine. I have done terrible things in recent times, and I do not expect you to forgive me."

When he took a step forward, Hinata took a step back. He was initially surprised, but that quickly faded. "Maybe the time will never come. But that does not mean I cannot begin making amends. You are strong, Hinata, truly…it was _my_ weakness that held you back from your true potential."

Hinata looked down. He had offered her a hand. "There is no doubt in my mind that Naruto will awake someday. He is far too curious a boy to let his story end here."

And for the first time since she had woken up that dawn in Sunagakure, Hinata smiled. But the smile was reserved for Naruto. She firmly pushed Hiashi's hand away, but conceded in following him out the door. She hesitated when they stepped through, turning to look back at Naruto and Kiba.

Kiba was sleeping peacefully, even snoring a little, but Naruto did not make a sound. That did not stop Hinata from hearing his voice, wishing her luck, and telling her that he would always believe in her.

She rushed back over to his bed, leaned over, and planted a soft kiss against his lips. One last tear fell from Hinata's eyes, trailing down her cheek and splashing against Naruto's own as sunlight poured into the room, bathing Naruto in its warm glow. She wiped her eyes, smiled again, and followed her father out of the room.

'_I'll wait for you, Naruto-kun…I'll wait as long as it takes.'_

**END OF BOOK TWO**

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>So there you have it. So many questions that have yet to be answered, so many emotions...quite the roller coaster ride, yes? And perhaps a little bittersweet. Feel free to PM me if anything's confusing.

For those who were around for Book One, you'll know what's coming. It's time to take a step back and reflect, and begin planning the third book. That may take a month, or more, or less, but I _will_ be back eventually. I need to sort out the plot for that book, and it might take a while. I'm also going to list the story as complete, until Book Three is ready to begin, just like I did last time with Book One's ending.

There's a few things I'd like to tell you. As an apology for these chapters taking so long, I have new chapters for both **Collateral Luck**, and **Naruto: The Reruns!**, and I encourage you to check them both out. They're both more humor oriented, and may be updated more frequently while I break from Entwined.

Now, I like to think I've been a good writer to you guys. My update schedule is _fast_ to say the least (far faster than pretty much everyone else, to say the most), and it's always a lot of content. I love replying to your reviews, and hope to get to know many more of you in the future. I'd like to think I've treated you well, and as such, I think it's fair to ask for a few things, if only every now and then.

-First off, I'd like you to read my other stories if you haven't yet. This isn't the only story I'm proud of, and when most people only read the Opus Magnus, it can be a little disheartening, you know? I'm quite proud of all of the other three, and since this story won't be updated for a while, why not go see if there's something else that can occupy your time?

-Secondly, I have a new goal to share with you. First and foremost, as I have said before, I want to make this the best story for _you_, since you're the most important. However, I now have a new goal I have set for myself, and I need your help.

I want this story to be in the **Top Five Naruto Fanfictions**. Yes, you read that correctly. I mean, only FOUR out of the top 10 are even fucking finished, and leaving a story unfinished is the cardinal sin for Fanfiction, at least to me. In order to reach that goal, it means at least 8,000 reviews, or over 5,500 for the top 10. I'm not demanding that all of you review every chapter, but seriously, if you only reviewed every 4 chapters, we'd get 1K additional reviews per 10 chapters. There are over 450 people who have followed/favorited the story, and I'm lucky to get around 20 reviews a chapter. This is me, a 20 year old college student, who's given you a new chapter every four days like clockwork without any worthwhile compensation other than what you have to say, asking for your help. To those that have reviewed, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. To those that haven't, well...I hope that changes soon enough.

So that's what I hope the future of **Entwined by Love, Enslaved by Fate** to be, and I hope you'll help make it a reality. We got around 70 reviews when Book One ended. How about we at least double that, as a favor to me? Pretty please with a ramen on top?

Until next time, bitches.


	53. On the Move! Hinata's Journey!

**Author's Note: **Durr hey wat's up guiz.

-So yeah, Book Three has officially begun! However, work is pretty hectic right now, so the next update might be a day or two late. Once this week settles down, however, I should be on track for an update every 4-5 days. Things are going to go CRAZY, because I have a much better idea of what you guys want. Awesome fights, but lots of NaruHina fluff. The mystery that is Raia Uzumaki, without forgoing the characters we already know and love. We're going international and cerebral in this bitch, and it's gonna be a wild ride! One where (if you remember our little chat at the end of Book Two) we'll be able to reach our goal. I hope you'll help out when you can!

-We've been together, what? Almost a year now? And all of you guys know practically nothing about me. I figured that was due for a change.

To see all the confusion to rest, even though it's been hilariously entertaining, I am in fact MALE. Dude. Bro. A MAN. Surprised? How do you think I felt when one of you first called me 'she'? As a plus, I don't see the harm in finally giving you a face to go with the words. After all, if you hunted me down and killed me, the story wouldn't get finished, amirite? Add this tag to imgur (an awesome website with oodles of funny shit) if you're curious. - **/****9YoQfKb**

I am a 20-year-old student attending Georgia Southern University with a major in Multimedia Communications, and I'm thinking about minoring in Writing. Video Games are what I do to pass the time when I'm not writing, and I love me a good adventure game with a great story. Mass Effect, Red Dead Redemption, and Okami come to mind. I also play Team Fortress 2 with one of my best good friends, and I've gotten pretty good at it, actually . That great story stuff actually extends into everything else, including books and movies. I'm working through the third season of Breaking Bad right now, and plan to start on BBC's Sherlock afterwards. That's actually something I love: British television. Monty Python, QI (GO WATCH THIS NOW), Top Gear, and anything narrated by David Attenborough are all wonderfully entertaining for me.

I like to sleep late (but wake up early), I eat shit-tons of plain spaghetti, and watch old cartoons like Samurai Jack, Tom and Jerry or Dr. Katz because they're awesome. I have an identical twin brother (no lie), and once spent an entire lunch period trying (and succeeding, bitches) in naming all 151 original generation Pokemon. I'm a nerd, and I love every minute of it.

Hit me up with a message if you want to know more, or if you just want to chat. I do like seeing new PM's in my inbox, and I always respond as fast as I can. But for now, how about we get you to Book Three? I bet you're anxious.

Songs you need to worry about:

**(1) - /watch?v=l-27-fK1CR8**

**(2) - /watch?v=iDxcir3RX1I**

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 1 - On the Move! Hinata's Great Journey<strong>

_(1)_

_Lost. Frantic. An upturned root caught her, held her fast until she fell to the ground. A bolt of pain ran up her arm, but she tried not to feel it. There was no time to feel pain, or to fall. She had to run. She must._

_The woods around her scared her, mocked her. Arms of wood with fingers of leaves reached out for her, trying to grab her, but she pushed them away. She stepped on a rock, and almost lost her footing. The trees and the ground were enemies, helping the one who was hunting her._

_She could never see his face, nor did she ever want to. She had been hunted, chased after for as long as she could remember. Everywhere she turned, she could see a glimpse of the hunter, or hear his footsteps, louder than her heart, than anything she had ever heard before. She was terrified, and was always trying to escape the hunter, but he never slowed, never stopped. He would have her, and she would be dead._

_The moon above was her only friend, lighting the way so she would not stumble or fall, and be captured by the hunter. When there was a time for rest, before she must run again, she would look at the moon, and feel calm. Its pale light gave her comfort, rooted out the fear that held her heart. But it never lasted long. She would see or hear the hunter coming, and she knew it was time to run again._

'_He's getting closer,' a voice in her head screamed. 'He's getting closer, and there's nothing you can do about it.'_

'_Run while you can,' the trees told her. 'The hunter will find you eventually. He will kill you.'_

_She ran faster, digging her heels into the uneven ground. Her heart was drumming in her throat, and she felt like she was choking. Must keep running. The hunter would catch up to her if she did not concentrate._

_There was a tree nearby, larger than the others. Its branches did not try to grab her, or hold her fast. Maybe she could be safe there. Maybe._

_She ducked around the trunk, and held her hand over her mouth to silence her ragged breathing. Maybe if she was quiet enough, maybe if she was still enough…_

'_No!' the moon warned her, bathing her in its light. 'You mustn't stay! The hunter is coming, and he will kill you.'_

_She turned her head, and a figure stood in the darkness nearby. She could not stop the scream that erupted in her throat, that vicious, primal scream. Why was she so afraid? There was no time to think about it. If she stopped, the hunter would catch her._

_And he would kill her._

'_The hunter will kill you,' the trees told her, reaching out with their arms of wood and fingers of leaves._

'_The hunter will kill you,' the ground told her, throwing rocks and roots before her feet._

'_The hunter will not kill you,' the moon insisted, comforting like a mother to her child. 'Follow my light, and I will keep you safe.'_

_The light helped her through the forest, helped her run and hide from the hunter. When she needed to run, the light would be there to guide her. When she needed to hide, the light would offer its shadows to conceal her. In both light and darkness, it was there for her._

_But the moon was far away, and out of reach. It could not truly help her if the hunter caught her. The moon could not truly stop the hunter from killing her, not with only its light. Light cannot kill. But the hunter can, and he was getting closer._

_Her ears screamed with silence, and she froze. No longer did she hear the sounds of footsteps, and the trees and ground no longer tried to stop her. Even the light was obscured by clouds, dark heavy clouds that made her afraid. Where had the hunter gone?_

_The sound of a twig snapping nearly frightened her to death. She whirled around, ready to face the hunter. She dared not run any longer. Perhaps it was time to be brave._

_But the hunter was not there. Instead, a fox limped towards her, once-brilliantly colored fur dulled by dried blood and caked earth. The fox whimpered, a pitiful sound, and fell before it could reach her. She was not afraid. Had the hunter been chasing this fox as well?_

_She hurried over, cradling it in her arms. It felt warm to the touch, even as its breath grew quieter and quieter._

"_Are you…okay?" she asked, startled by the sound of her own voice._

_The fox did not answer. When she reached out to touch it, to stroke its fur and whisper soft words into its ear, it lapped at her fingers with a warm tongue. She tried again, but the fox did the same. It was pushing her away. There was nothing she could do._

_And then she knew. The hunter had abandoned her. The fox had thrown itself into her place, and gave the hunter what he wanted. It had given the hunter its own life, in place of hers._

"_Why?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes. "Why would you help me? Why would you give your own life for mine?"_

_The fox lifted its head, and gave her a curious look. The fur around its head had been spared; neither blood nor dirt dulled its orange sheen. She thought it was beautiful. Almost as beautiful as the fox's strange blue eyes. She felt like she knew those eyes. They gave her comfort, even as they grew duller with each passing moment._

'_Because I love you,' the fox told her, watching her with eyes of blue, of infinite depth. They closed, and did not open._

Hinata opened her eyes, and saw darkness. The trees and the ground and the fox were gone, replaced by walls and a ceiling and a bed. Nothing was trying to grab her or hunt her, but she felt no less vulnerable.

She scooted to the edge of the bed, and bent over to lace up her sandals, before she chose to shower first. Close by, there was a large pack, waiting by the door.

Stumbling around in the dark, Hinata's fingers found the switch. Light from a bedside lamp flooded her room. She stood, stretched, and wandered into the bathroom.

The water was scalding hot, but she liked the heat. Everything else felt cold, had been that way for weeks, and there had been many days when the water might as well have been the rain, drenching her and soaking her to the bone. She felt no cleaner than she had before.

Her sandals were still waiting on her when she sat back down on the edge of her bed, and as she bent over again to lace them up, clumps of damp hair dangled in front of her eyes or bunched up along her back. Drops of water fell from her hair onto her sandals, and onto her hands as she tightened them around her feet.

Soon Hinata was out the door, full dressed, and the pack slung over her shoulders. She looked to her left. Her father would be waiting for her by the gate. He insisted she head straight for the gate, to her left. She turned right, and started to walk.

The sun remained hidden by the horizon, and the village did not stir as she walked through its streets and beneath its structures. She was not noticed; the village would continue on without her.

One foot in front of the other. Left than right. Right, after left. Sometimes she needed to stop to make sure she wasn't going backwards. No one noticed, and she walked on. The familiar building swung into view, and Hinata felt her breath catch in her throat. She reached into her pocket, and fumbled with the key.

Hinata had offered to check on Naruto's apartment every now and then, to make sure everything was in working order. It had been hardest the first time. Miso had come bounding to the door, yipping with excitement. When Naruto didn't show up, he had cocked his head to the side, not understanding what Hinata had tried to tell him. The pup refused to listen, whimpering and pawing at the bed, waiting for Naruto to come home. Eventually, Hinata had to take the pup along with her to the hospital, and that night, and nearly every night afterwards, Miso had slept by Naruto's side, curled up against his arm.

He was waiting for her when she opened the door, bigger than she remembered. He was growing fast, maybe even faster than Akamaru had. He was always happy to see her, but his tail wagged half-heartedly, because he knew that there wouldn't be someone else coming in behind her. Silently, he leaped into her arms, and the warmth made her feel a little better. Not much, but better.

Without Naruto in it, his apartment was horribly depressing, the dark of the wee hours of the morning clinging to the windows like a sheet. Hinata refilled Miso's food bowl for whenever he might come back, and left. Standing in there made her feel uncomfortable if she was there for too long.

But apartment was not the only stop Hinata had to make, and she walked and walked, until the doors stood before her, uninviting and sterile. She pushed one aside.

The woman behind the desk did not seem the least bit surprised to see her, nor did she even rise from her seat. Hinata knew where to go. She hated that she knew.

Why they designed hospitals this way, Hinata could not understand. Everything felt so cold and clinical. This was supposed to be a place of healing. Why was the stink of death the only thing she smelled? Even the pup in her arms did not like the feel of this place, burying his face in her jacket.

Hinata did not even need to look at the number on the door. She could have counted her footsteps, and she would have known where she had stopped. She hated that she knew.

But as Hinata reached for the door, there came a sound. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers frozen in midair. Someone was crying on the other side of the door.

As silently as she could, Hinata turned the handle down, and pushed the door open. It didn't make a sound, and Hinata stood in the doorway, watching Sakura Haruno from a distance. Miso squirmed in her arms, but she didn't let him go.

It was obvious that Sakura had been here for some time. Tissues littered the entire floor, and as she cried, she sounded exhausted. Another tissue was flung towards the trash bin nearby, but it fell short.

"You…idiot…" she head Sakura say, as she wiped her nose. "Why do you have to be such an idiot?"

Naruto did not answer, nor could he. Hours had turned to days, days had turned to weeks, and weeks had become almost a month before Hinata even realized it. He hadn't moved, or even opened his eyes.

Sakura suddenly screamed, and slapped him across the face. His cheek began to turn red, and for a moment, Hinata almost intervened. Sakura muttered something under her breath, and slapped Naruto again, half-heartedly. She stumbled back into her chair, and sobbed quietly.

"I c-can't do this by myself…" Hinata heard her whisper. "First Sasuke-kun, and now you…do you have _any_ idea what this is like?"

"You were the only one who m-made me feel like I was strong," she continued, louder than before. "I always thought I could take on the world when you were with me. Seeing you like this…it's…it's—"

"It's a terrible thing, isn't it?"

Sakura jolted in surprise as Hinata revealed herself. She swore, and rubbed her arm across her eyes until they were red. "Hinata! I d-didn't see you there. What are you doing here so early?"

Hinata approached Naruto's bed. Sakura tried to leave, but with one gentle touch, Hinata kept her in her seat. Miso trotted over, and jumped into Sakura's lap, rubbing his wet nose into the palm of her hand. With delicate fingers, Hinata reached out and stroked a whiskered cheek. A shadow danced across his sullen face, and Hinata cursed herself for getting her hopes up, if only for so short a time.

"To see him like this…it's unbearable," Hinata said softly, pulling her hand back to her side. "Out of everyone in the village, he was always the brightest. He was full of life. This isn't him. He should be outside, in the sun and with his friends."

"Tsunade-sama is still trying to figure out how he's…well, how he's—" Sakura was finding it difficult to say the words.

"It's alright, Sakura-san," Hinata assured her. "You can tell me."

"Tsunade-sama has no idea how he's held on this long. When we got him back to the village, he should have been d-dead." It hurt her to say that, and Sakura bit her lower lip to try and keep herself from crying again. "We're not even sure if these machines are what's helping him. By everything I or even Tsunade-sama knows…he should have slipped away by now."

"He'll wake up," Hinata said, voice as firm as steel. "You know you don't believe that. Deep down, you know he _will_ wake up. Naruto-kun will not die."

"Yes, but what—" Sakura started to say. Hinata held her hand up, and turned to look her in the eye. She wasn't angry; there was such a surety in Hinata's eyes, a complete and utter trust, that Sakura could not help but smile. "…you're right. I'm being ridiculous. Naruto will wake up, and there's no doubt in my mind you'll be the first to know."

Without knowing it, that had tugged against Hinata. She shook her head, sadly. "I won't. I'm leaving today, Sakura-san."

(2)

Sakura did not understand. "What? Leaving? Where are you going? What are you talking about?"

"My father and I…we're leaving the village for a while. I…I want to become stronger. For Naruto-kun, and everyone else."

"Hinata, you—"

"It was because of me that Naruto-kun is like this," Hinata said. It was not a question. "He almost lost his life trying to save mine, and I won't let that happen again. I'll train as long as it takes."

"But, your father?" Sakura asked. "Will you really be okay with that?"

She nodded. "It's for Naruto-kun. This is a small price to pay. But, Sakura-san…"

Sakura turned to Hinata, and could feel the strength emanating from the young woman. "Yes?"

"If Naruto-kun wakes up…please, find a way to tell me. I don't know where we'll be at the time, but if there's _any_ way—"

"I'll find it," Sakura finished for her. She stood, and enveloped Hinata in a hug. "You were right earlier. I don't know why I ever thought that Naruto wouldn't wake up. When he does, I'll let you know as fast as I can."

Hinata squeezed her back, shutting her eyes. "Thank you, Sakura-san. That means so much to me."

When they separated, Hinata was looking at Naruto again. She drew close to his bedside, bent down, and kissed him, leaving a little mark on his forehead.

"Goodbye, Naruto-kun. I p-promise that when I come back, I will be stronger. I love you." The stutter caught her in the throat. Naruto would have laughed to hear her stutter again.

Hinata left without another word, leaving Miso behind. He jumped out of Sakura's arms, and crawled over to Naruto, where he curled up into a ball, whimpered once or twice, and fell asleep.

Sakura sat back down, contemplating their conversation in silence. Perhaps it was just another shadow, but Sakura would swear for the rest of her days that she spied Naruto smiling as he laid there in that bed.

The air felt warmer as Hinata stepped back outside, even though it had grown no brighter outside. It would still be a an hour or so before the first fingers of dawn stretched across the sky, and by then, Hinata and her father will have long left the village.

It had been a complete surprise when Hiashi had come to her that night, solemn as ever. They had spoken little since Hinata had returned home, and not because she spent most of her time at the hospital. Hiashi looked guilty, incredibly so, and Hinata knew right from the start that whatever had been on Naruto's mind, was something Hiashi had been the catalyst for. And yet he still held his silence, the stubborn old fool.

But then he had come to her, offering to train her. Hinata had not thought much of the offer at the time, until Hiashi had explained further.

The Dairyokō, or Great Journey, was an ancient Hyūga tradition, according to her father. Long, long ago, perhaps even before the Leaf Village had been founded, the leader of the clan would take their eldest child, and wander, wherever their feet might take them. Where they went or who they met along the way mattered little. They would not return until the child had completed their training. As her father explained to her, the practice had been abandoned for several generations after others denounced it as barbaric. The training would be grueling, he warned her, and there had been many Hyūga who had been broken by the journey.

There had not been a moment's hesitation, and Hinata had accepted immediately. It had taken a great deal of patience to convince Tsunade, and even a few outright lies to some of the more stubborn members of the council, but eventually they were free to go, and the date had been set.

"I will not let up on you, Hinata," Hiashi had told her. "This will be difficult. Incredibly so."

"I would not be going otherwise," Hinata had replied.

And though with every step, she drew nearer to the gate, nearer towards leaving the village behind, Hinata did not waver. For with every step, she saw Naruto's face, smiling and laughing, wishing her luck. It gave her the courage to continue on.

Hiashi Hyūga was waiting for her in the guardhouse, speaking in hushed tones with Kotetsu and Izumo, who had been stuck with watch duty that night. They were nearing the end of their shift, and had only just caught the Hyūga clan head as they were cleaning up. When Hinata drew near, they bowed low, staring at the ground.

"We wish you the best of luck, Hinata," Kotetsu said, offering her a small smile.

Izumo shared the sentiment. "Naruto would be proud of you. I'm sure he'll wake up soon."

Hinata was happy to hear it, and bowed back with respect. "Thank you, the both of you. That means so much to me."

They waved goodbye, and left Hiashi and his daughter alone. For a time, neither said a word to each other, standing there in the cold winter air, listening to the sounds of silence. Hinata could not yet see the sun, but felt the chill lift from her shoulders.

She turned to her father. "I will say this now: I am doing this for Naruto-kun, not for you. I don't know what it was or what your reasons were, but something was upsetting him during our mission in the Land of Wind. I want to know what happened between the two of you. If you claim there to be _any_ love still between us, please…tell me what happened."

Hiashi watched her carefully, his eyes as pale as the sky above. His features had always been heavily lined, but these were not the lines of a stern man, or an irritated one. He looked tired, like the journey had already neared its end before it had even started. Perhaps her words had wounded him, though Hinata did not care much whether he was upset with her. There was still too much tension between them.

"I will not deny you that right, my daughter," he said softly. "But please, let us wait for a time. I will need to collect my thoughts."

His daughter narrowed her eyes. "I cannot force it out of you, so I will accept. But do not keep me waiting too long, Father."

He nodded, turned on one heel, and began to walk. Hinata made to follow him, but something caught her, and rooted her to the spot.

This was it. She was leaving the village, and she didn't know when she was coming back. Doubt suddenly gripped at her heart. What if she never came back? What if Naruto was awake, and was asking for her? What if—

'_I love you, Hinata. Do your best!'_

It was Naruto's voice. She desperately wished she would find him standing there, smiling and waiting for her to run into his arms. But he was not, though that did not stop Hinata from firmly believing that Naruto had spoken to her. Perhaps, in some mysterious way, he called out to her, and told her that he loved her. A feeling of such warmth and comfort spread through her entire body in seconds, and Hinata let out a laugh, joyous and excited. She raced to catch up to her father, saying a little prayer for Naruto to whoever might be listening.

* * *

><p>The sound of footsteps and hushed conversation echoed off of the corridor, growing louder and louder until Tsunade was finding it hard to hear herself think.<p>

"Would you two please keep it down?" she hissed, turning on Shizune and Inoichi. They were both startled by her sudden snap at them, and hurried to catch up to her.

"But this is unprecedented, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune complained, holding Tonton in her arms. "I don't think the other Kage will agree to such a request."

"Shizune has a point, Tsunade-sama," Inoichi agreed, picking his words carefully. "Especially the Tsuchikage and the Raikage. They've always been a little more…unstable."

"I don't care what they think," Tsunade said stubbornly. "The attack on Sunagakure was unprecedented. Official reports say that former Kazekage Monzaemon Chikamatsu attacked the Sand of his own free will, but I'm not too sure. There's still someone who was there that we haven't heard from."

"You mean Naruto?" Inoichi asked, despite already knowing the answer. "Tsunade-sama, I highly doubt that Naruto has any more information he can give us. Gaara-sama was there as well."

"You and I both know Naruto has a habit of getting involved in these things in ways no one else does," Tsunade reminded him. "I just have a bad feeling about all of this. Shizune?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" she said, hurrying to the Godaime's side. "What do you need?"

The older woman did not look at her, but Shizune could still see the look in her eyes. "…how is he doing today? Anything?"

Shizune shook her head sadly. "No, I'm afraid not. Sakura kept an eye on him all night again, and Hinata went to see him before she left with Hiashi-sama."

Tsunade bit her lip. "That's the third time that Sakura's spent the night there. I won't have her slacking off in her duties at the hospital to see after Naruto. He's not going anywhere." The words tasted foul in her mouth, but Tsunade refused to lie to herself.

When would Naruto wake up? What would he have to say? Would there be any permanent damage? Tsunade had no answers to any of these questions, and it was starting to eat at her whenever her duties to the village were pushed into the back of her mind. This entire situation had been completely new to her, even with her vast experience as a medic. The amount of chakra needed to _force_ healing through such grievous wounds would be mind-boggling to say the least, and when you add that Naruto actually survived the process…well, it seemed just like something he would do. But that did not mean she had to like it.

And then there was Hinata. Tsunade had not been there, but Sakura had. She was a complete wreck when Tsunade had to ask her about everything she saw, and when she managed to compose herself, Sakura informed Tsunade that Naruto's chakra control had struggled in the beginning. She knew that red glow of the Kyūbi's chakra by heart now, and she could offer no answers to Tsunade why it had all of a sudden disappeared, allowing Naruto to revive Hinata.

'_That boy…he's one of a kind.'_

She pushed the heavy iron door out of the way, and a familiar sight welcomed her.

The Chakra Transmission Communication Device had been worked on extensively since the last time she had used it. It was significantly less bulky, but still far too large to be used portably. Using the subject's own chakra supply, combined with those on the other end, users could communicate across vast distances, without the need to travel to a neutral location. Technicians raced back and forth, carrying clipboards and figures, making sure the machine would be running at full capacity before Tsunade-sama needed to use it.

"Is everything working alright?" Tsunade asked, approaching one of the technicians.

The man wiped some sweat from his brow. He was a thin, reedy man, ready to tip over at the slightest breeze. "Yes, Tsunade-sama. A few more minutes of calibration, and everything should be ready."

"Try to hurry," Tsunade insisted. "The longer the other Kage have to wait, the less likely they'll be willing to cooperate."

The man nodded so many times his head looked like it might detach from his shoulders, scurrying off to push the other technicians to work faster. The machine above hummed and creaked to life, and Tsunade strode over to lone chair in the middle of the room. She took her seat, and the headset was lowered onto the Godaime's head.

"You and I will be forming a full report once this is finished, Shizune," Tsunade informed her, before the machine activated. "Inoichi, keep an eye on everything here. I don't want any distractions."

Inoichi nodded, and then Tsunade was gone. At least her mind was. She could no longer see or hear them, instead moved to a neutral space where she and the other Kage could speak in private, without that ridiculously outdated practice of meeting in person. The day these things became handheld was a day Tsunade hoped for.

Nothing but white, empty space greeted Tsunade when she opened her eyes, but that was only for a moment. She heard someone clearing her throat behind her, and turned to find Gaara waiting for her.

"Tsunade-sama," he said with great respect, bowing. Tsunade had always been charmed by the young man's manners, and even bowed a little in return, despite it not usually being her style.

"How is everything in the village?" Tsunade asked him. "I hope our additional crews have been of some use."

The Kazekage nodded evenly. "Very much so. Rebuilding has gone slower than usual, due to some strange sandstorms blowing through the area, but we are still making more progress than we could have hoped for. I cannot thank you enough for helping us in our time of need."

"I have no doubt you would have done the same," Tsunade replied, watching for the others. But she felt the eyes of the Kazekage upon her, and turned back to him.

There was a far-off look in his eyes, which was saying something considering Gaara's usual personality. He looked…lost. Yes, lost would be the best way to describe it.

"How is he doing?" he asked quietly, unsure of whether or not he even wanted to hear the answer.

Tsunade offered him a genuine smile. "He's doing just fine, Gaara. Sakura and Hinata both have sworn they've seen him move now and again, and nearly the entire village has visited him at some point. Some people have even come all the way from Suna to pay their respects."

"I should have been there as well," Gaara said, in a self-accusing tone. "If Naruto had not been forced to use more of his chakra than needed, to save me or—"

"I don't care if you're the Kazekage. I'll knock you into next week if you really think that."

Gaara was surprised by Tsunade's casual tone, and she regarded him with curiosity in her piercing bronze eyes. "You and I both know that Naruto would have found one way or another to get him into this. He has a knack of overdoing it."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Gaara asked, almost angry before he remembered his tone. "Naruto is in a coma, Tsunade-sama. And no one is aware of whether or not he will wake."

Tsunade shook her head. "You're wrong. I'm sure. Hinata's sure. Sakura's sure. The entire village is sure, and so are you. If even deep down, you don't _know_ that Naruto will wake up soon, than you shouldn't call yourself his friend."

Gaara felt ashamed. Perhaps it was because he was not used to the idea that Naruto was in such a position of weakness, but even then, he realized how foolish he had been. He nodded to Tsunade, relenting. "You are right. I…don't know what I was thinking."

"We were all there, Gaara," Tsunade replied. "At some point or another, everyone in the village has thought like that. They're just not used to the quiet around the village since Naruto got back. It's making them a little restless."

The Kazekage could not help but smile. "I am sure that Naruto will fix that when he wakes up."

Tsunade smirked. "_When_. You catch on quick, Kazekage-sama."

Just then, other figures appeared in the hazy white space, and Tsunade and Gaara both turned to greet them. Surprisingly, Ōnoki was the first to arrive, muttering something under his breath (more than likely something about his rapidly aging back). A, the Raikage, was the next to arrive. He grunted in greeting to the others, apparently still none too pleased they were even considering such a thing.

Mei Terumi was the last to appear, and it was obvious to everyone present that something was wrong. She was considered beautiful by many, though when her features came into focus in this neutral space, they looked ragged and withdrawn. Large bags under her eyes clung to her face like dirt, and her long hair was matted and hastily brushed.

The only other woman there, Tsunade immediately felt the need to check on her. "Mei-sama, is everything alright? You look…tired."

The Mizukage was quick to diffuse the growing tension. "It's nothing, I assure you. Some minor political troubles, but nothing we are not fully equipped to handle. I just haven't had the time to fix myself up properly. I do apologize for that."

Her entire being said otherwise, but her smile dared anyone to try and continue arguing. Not that anyone had even been considering the idea. Tsunade and Gaara had looked concerned enough, but Ōnoki and A didn't seem to pay her much mind, instead concentrating on why Tsunade had brought them here in the first place.

"I'm sure that whatever it might be, the Mizukage can handle it," Ōnoki said stubbornly, rubbing his side. "Tsunade-sama, there was something you wanted to discuss?"

"Excuse our concern for the Mizukage, Tsuchikage-sama," Gaara cut in quickly, with the slightest hint of disappointment, "but we were only worried for her well-being. After all, the alliance between our villages is still active, correct?"

The Tsuchikage ignored the gibe, turning to Tsunade. "Well, go on then. We have very important duties to attend to."

Tsunade had been running through a mental checklist of everything she had practiced with Shizune over the past few days. It would be a tough sell, to be sure, but Tsunade was confident in her persuasive abilities, as they had come in handy for years against stubborn debtors (though she had to admit that _other_ talents came were used). When Ōnoki addressed her, she spread her arms wide, offering them her most sincere smile.

"The chūnin exams, held once every two years, have been a way for our five great villages to gauge one another's strengths, as well as assess the overall health of our respective villages."

"Do you mean to lecture us on practices we are already aware of?" A asked, folding massive arms across his chest.

"You didn't let me finish," Tsunade replied. Honestly, this man had less patience than Naruto, which didn't really go well with the power he was given. "However, the chūnin exams will not be held for quite some time, so I feel that we must share our strength in other ways."

"The jōnin selections will be next year," Gaara reminded her. "Would that not suffice?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, that will not accomplish what I have in mind. Our villages are strong, to be sure, but would they not be stronger if we were to combine our forces?"

Ōnoki snorted. "We had already planned such an action, for when the Akatsuki mobilized their forces. No such mobilization has happened, Tsunade-sama. It is a waste of resources."

"That's not what I had in mind, Tsuchikage-sama. What I am saying is that our villages will become even _stronger_ if we were to exchange shinobi from one another's villages, to strengthen the ties that bind us. Our worry that secrets and strategies will be revealed has held us back from truly becoming an Alliance, and with the attack on Sunagakure so fresh in our memories, it would be foolish not to act now."

Not a word amongst the lot of them, and Tsunade knew she was offering them a hard sell. "It may seem unusual at first, but how good is such an alliance if the only thing representing it is a flimsy piece of paper?"

"So you suggest we hand over our shinobi to you?" Ōnoki asked, raising an eyebrow. "What on earth would possess you to believe that we would agree to such a thing?"

"Because we would _all _take part. I would offer some of my shinobi to each of your villages, just as you would do the same. By building relationships among our people now, we can strengthen this alliance for generations to come."

Gaara nodded. "I understand your concern, Tsunade-sama, but there are those of us that cannot spare that many ninja." He was of course referring to himself, something that did not escape the watchful eyes of the Tsuchikage.

"What a terrible thing, a former Kage betraying his own village," Ōnoki said, shaking his head. His opinion of Gaara was tenuous at best, but the elderly man felt nothing but sympathy for his plight. Perhaps he would not admit it, but the Kazekage's words to him during the summit in the Land of Iron had had quite the effect on him.

Tsunade nodded. "Your mind is well-placed, Gaara, but I think we can all agree that we shall spare whomever we can. You are the leader of Sunagakure; whatever decision you come to, we will support it."

"Who are you thinking of trading amongst ourselves?" A asked, mulling the idea over. A few months ago, such an idea would have been insulted, but A was growing fond of the idea of showing off his village's superior strength to the other villages. Konoha had fallen into disarray after the Akatsuki attack, which had allowed Kumo to rise to the top.

"Whomever we might agree on," Tsunade replied. "That does not mean that we will be trading genin among each other. I feel that it would best to offer those we feel have the most to learn, or the most to teach other villages. Who that ends up being for each of the villages depends on your opinion."

"Can we trust these shinobi?" Ōnoki asked, ever cautious. "These men and women hold loyalty to another village, another people. How will we know that they shall not betray us?"

"You think too little of them, Tsuchikage-sama, and too much of yourself. As long as our word is strong, the alliance will not be defiled, and the men and women we strengthen this bond with will follow our commands. Acting on their own in a foreign village would be…unwise, to say the least."

The old man snorted with laughter. "Too true!"

Silence fell among the five of them once more. It was certainly an interesting proposition, but would this course of action truly be among the villages' best interests? To be sure, each of the villages had their strengths and weaknesses, and though they still clung to the days when they were on their own, each of the Kage could not help but consider the idea that united, they would be stronger as a whole. Strategies that had once defeated them would become their own knowledge, and perhaps even a few secrets would fall into their hands. The idea that some of their own might fall into the others' hands left a strange taste in their mouth, one not as foul as they thought.

A was the first to speak. "Your proposition is an interesting one, Tsunade-sama. One that I'm sure all of us will consider deeply and thoroughly."

He made to leave, but Tsunade stopped him with her hand. "That is not the only thing I wish to discuss, Raikage-sama."

"Out with it, then. If we are to take your offer seriously, I will need ample time to decide who might be a good candidate for the program."

"I believe there is more to the attack on Sunagakure than meets the eye."

That got everyone else's attention, especially Gaara's. He had an idea of where the Hokage was going with this.

"Such an attack was completely unprecedented, and by total surprise. It could be assumed that Monzaemon would never have left the isolation of that mountain. That is, unless, someone coerced him into attacking his former village."

Ōnoki rustled underneath his robes. "And you mean to say that someone forced him to attack Suna?"

"Perhaps not forced. Maybe he was convinced, or something we cannot yet realize. However, the night of the initial attack, Gaara allowed one of his most capable shinobi to escape the village with a political prisoner. Both of us believe that the attack was a front to sneak into the village, and try to kidnap this prisoner."

The Kazekage stepped forward, understanding where she was going with this. "The man's name was Raiā Uzumaki. He was found operating within the village under a false name and history, and is now in custody in the Leaf."

"What does this have to do with the rest of us?" Mei asked, having remained silent until then.

Tsunade's grew dark. "You are all aware of what happened to Uzushiogakure during the wars. One of its most powerful clans, the Uzumaki, were scattered across the world, hiding from the rest of us to escape being wiped out entirely."

'And this Raiā was a member of the Uzumaki clan?" A asked. "What do you plan on doing with him? Is he related to the boy?"

Tsunade bit her lip. "As of right now, we are not sure if Raiā is an anyway a blood relative to Naruto Uzumaki, apart from being of the same clan."

"But the boy's father was of the Namikaze name," A insisted. "Why would he be considered a true Uzumaki?"

"The Yondaime had little family to speak of; perhaps a clan might have formed if they had lived, but there is nothing we can do about that." Tsunade ran a few fingers through her hair. "But the Uzumaki blood is strong, filled with vitality. It would not be so outrageous to assume that Naruto's heritage is more strongly tied to the Uzumaki clan, to his mother's blood, than to his father's. For all purposes, I consider him an Uzumaki."

"You have made your point, whatever it is," Ōnoki said, growing bored. "But what is it you truly wish to tell us?"

"Months before, our village was contracted to investigate a murder in the Land of Rivers, in a small village close to the border. We took the proper precautions, because as we learned more from the villagers, we were soon under the impression that the man who was murdered was also an Uzumaki."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "I do not know if the Akatsuki are involved in any way, but I highly doubt these are just isolated incidents. Perhaps they are even after Naruto for additional reasons beyond his status as a jinchūriki. However, he is safe within the walls of the village, but only because we are aware of his existence. I insist that you each devote resources where you can to rooting out these other clan members, and making their existence known to the public."

"The Uzumaki were wiped out for a _reason_, Tsunade-sama," Ōnoki said. "Why would we wish to give them the chance to regain their power?"

"We are offering them no such thing," Tsunade insisted. "They have no village to return to, and to found one underneath our noses would be just short of impossible. What I am asking is for you to seek them out, and offer them protection. Perhaps these have just been coincidences, but I doubt it, and if we can slow their plans in any way, if not halt them entirely, should we not give it a chance?"

The other Kage considered the idea. "The resources needed to search for these Uzumaki would not be too much," Tsunade offered them, to help sway their decision.

"The Hokage makes a good point," Gaara said quietly, his eyes closed. "If there is any chance of throwing the Akatsuki's plans into disarray, whatever they may be, it would be foolish to pass that up."

"You ask so much of us, Tsunade-sama," A said, almost with a little bit of humor.

"I am only trying to be progressive," was the Hokage's response. "The attack on Sunagakure has shaken me, as I am sure it has shaken all of you. It has led me to thinking about this in whatever spare time I might have."

"What if these Uzumaki turn out to be criminals, like this Raiā?" Mei asked. "Would we imprison them, just as you have your own?"

"Whatever you do with them is your own decision," Tsunade told her. "However, if you trust them…I would ask that you send them to me."

A did not like the sound of that. "What do you take us for? First you demand we exchange our own shinobi like cattle, and then demand we offer any Uzumaki we find to you? They were feared throughout the entire world for the prowess, Tsunade-sama. I will not have you amass all that power."

Tsunade's eye twitched with annoyance. "That is not why I ask you, Raikage. I ask this for Naruto."

Ōnoki almost laughed. "Your care for the boy is touching, but one child does not warrant such a request."

"He has done more for our villages than anyone I have ever seen!" Tsunade said, perhaps with more intensity than what was wise. "I only mean to give him what he has been fighting for his entire life. People he might could call family."

A and Ōnoki did not budge, and the Mizukage did not seem to like the idea either. "We will accept your request to search for these Uzumaki clan members, Tsunade-sama, as will we consider your proposition to strength the alliance between our villages, but we will not allow you to amass some of the most dangerous people in the sealing arts in your own village. That is asking too much."

They began to fade away, one by one, back to their own villages and their own problems. Gaara was the last to leave, regarding Tsunade with curiosity and sympathy.

"I am surprised they agreed to that much, Tsunade-sama. Their concern for your intentions is not unfounded."

Tsunade scowled. As much as she would not like to admit it, the Kazekage was right. It had been a steep price, one none of the others, save for perhaps Gaara, would allow. For now, she could only hope that a few more Uzumaki were hiding in the Land of Fire, underneath her own jurisdiction.

"Give my regards to Naruto," Gaara said, almost sadly. His visage faded away at last, and Tsunade was alone once more.

The helmet lifted into the air, and Tsunade was overcome with a slight feeling of dizziness, and Shizune needed to hurry over to keep her from losing her balance.

"How did everything go, Tsunade-sama?"

She steadied herself, aware that the eyes of everyone in the room were upon her. "Better than expected, but not as well as I had hoped. They'll look into sniffing out the other Uzumaki, but they're still on the fence about strengthening the alliance. Still, they said they would prepare recommendations, so we will do the same. Let's go, Shizune. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

* * *

><p>Darkness. As far as the eye could see, or <em>couldn't<em> see, as it were.

The bandages rubbed his face raw. He had tried adjusting them several times now, but they had been wrapped across his face far too tightly, and refused to budge. He relented to leaving them on, and scowling in the dark.

Sitting and waiting had grown tiresome for Sasuke. Tobi had insisted that he wait until his eyes had fully adjusted to their new body, or maybe it was until he had adjusted to his new eyes. Sasuke was never sure which.

The masked man had revealed he was in possession of his brother's eyes, and offered them to Sasuke for his own use. He had been hesitant at first, but his own Sharingan were beginning to fade away from overuse, and Sasuke could not overcome blindness. Now, as he lay down in the dark of the caves of the Mountain's graveyard, he could feel the power in those eyes, in _his_ eyes. Coursing through his entire body like an electric wave, Sasuke had never felt so powerful.

And he liked this feeling.

He now carried a part of Itachi with him, for the rest of his life. Now, when his revenge drew near, Sasuke could use Itachi's eyes against the very village he gave his life to protect, or wasted, as Sasuke so more apt to describe. Every man, woman, and child would know those eyes, looking into them, and despair. They would be the last things they ever saw in their lives, before Sasuke stole them away, just as they had stolen Itachi's life away from him.

The sitting and waiting had done little to soothe his hatred. If anything, the knowledge that his power would increase tenfold with his brother's eyes made him restless, eager to leave the darkness and prove himself. Tobi had offered him a place among his plans, and Sasuke had readily accepted. What a fool.

He trusted that man no more than he trusted Kabuto, or anyone else for that matter. The snake had come to him a time ago, when they had been left alone in the Mountain's Graveyard, offering his help with taking Tobi down. Kabuto was eager to learn anything he could about the man, he had explained, and appealed to Sasuke's desire to carry out his revenge his way to try and lead him into working with him. Sasuke was not fooled by Kabuto's attempts of befriending him, nor was he with Tobi. He knew he would be used from the very moment he showed his face here. But as long as Tobi was under the impression that he was being used as well, Sasuke could learn something that might help him destroy the Leaf himself. He did not need help. He was an Uchiha. To destroy was in their blood. He only need bide his time, and wait. Something would come along eventually, and along the way, Sasuke would cater to Tobi's plans, learning what he could.

There were footsteps in the darkness of the cave, but Sasuke did not turn his head and greet his guest. He barely even acknowledged his presence, frowning through his bandages.

"How are you feeling?" he heard Tobi ask. An empty gesture. He doubted that Tobi cared in the slightest.

"When can I take them off?" Sasuke demanded, running his fingers across the linens bound across his face. "You've had me sit here for weeks now."

"I told you Sasuke, you could take them off when you were ready."

Sasuke sneered. "And how am I supposed to know when 'ready' is?"

"Do you feel ready?" he heard Tobi say quietly.

He considered it for a moment. His head had stopped throbbing days ago, and sleep was coming easier. He rolled his neck around. Nothing felt out of place.

"That is not what I mean," Tobi snapped derisively. "Do you _feel _ready?"

Sasuke flexed his fingers. His body felt strong, but that was not what Tobi wanted. Sasuke's resolve is what he was after, and to Sasuke, it had never felt stronger.

Tobi seemed satisfied. "Good. Then you can take the bandages off."

His arm reached to tear the bandages from his face, but for a moment, he stopped. When they fell to the floor, discarded, Sasuke would see the world from his brother's eyes. His body tensed, but he forced himself to relax. _'Itachi deserves vengeance,'_ he reminded himself. _'I cannot be weak.'_

Slowly, he unwound the tattered rags around his head, again and again, until they fell to the floor. Sasuke scooted to the edge of his bed, and stared at the hard floor. At first, he could see nothing, just as before. But it was not long before his new eyes began to adjust, adapting to the dark and cold. He could see his feet in front of him, his hands on his knees. He could see Tobi, standing in front of him, and he could see the man's Sharingan gleaming in the dark.

"I need your help," Tobi explained, as Sasuke got to his feet. "There have been several developments in our absence, and it is time we acted."

"What am I doing?" Sasuke asked, as he slipped into his clothes.

"I will explain with the others. Follow me."

Sasuke scowled, but did as the man said. They did not have to walk long. Sasuke heard hushed conversation, and was surprised to see everyone in the same room.

Suigetsu was currently trying to bait Kisame into another fight, mocking him every chance he got. "Come one, Kisame-_senpai_," he spat. "Just for fun. It'll be fast, I promise.

"Nice try, kid, but I'd rather not have to pick bits and pieces of you out of this sword for the next 5 hours." The taller man grinned at Suigetsu, beady eyes glaring at him. Sasuke was especially surprised to see one of the few remaining members of Akatsuki there. Kisame had been away nearly the entire time Sasuke had been here, away on Tobi's orders. What he was doing, Sasuke never found out, but he was starting to get the idea that he was going to find out soon enough.

Karin and even Kabuto were there as well. Karin instinctively huddled a little closer to Sasuke, unnerved by the way the snake was looking at her. That monstrous tail of his swung back and forth, like a pendulum, and every now and then a long, wet tongue darted from his mouth, licking the corners of his lips.

Tobi did not say a word as he approached the center of their group, and merely looked to Kisame. The man stepped forward, his jagged teeth shining in the dark. "It's done," he said. "Everything's in place. You only need to give me the word."

"I give you leave to go whenever you wish." Tobi turned to Suigetsu, watching him with curiosity. "And take this one with you. He might be useful to you."

Suigetsu didn't budge. "I'm not your toady. I'll need a better reason to go along with this than just your say-so."

Tobi almost seemed to smile. "You and Kisame will be going home, to the Land of Water. I have a very important task for the two of you. But if that is not enough for you, consider what lies there for you? It was your goal to revive the Seven Swordsman, is it not? You'll find more than one sword locked away behind the walls of Kirigakure."

Suigetsu grinned, his teeth as sharp as Kisame's. "I think I could handle that."

Kisame enjoyed the idea as well. "This should be…interesting. I wonder how many times he'll try to kill me?"

Tobi ignored the question, handing him a scroll. "There are the instructions for your mission, including any details you may need. I will not tolerate failure."

Kisame scowled. "Nor will you get it. I know what I'm doing." He looked at Suigetsu. "Come on, kid. We've got work to do."

Suigetsu didn't like being called 'kid', nor did he like the idea of Kisame ordering him around. The two were already embroiled in a bitter argument over whether or not they were partners before they disappeared from sight.

"Where are they going?" Sasuke demanded. "If you want my help, you'll tell me what you're planning."

Tobi almost seemed amused. "I want your help, yes. I never said I _needed_ it. I could do with or without you, and nothing you say or do can change that. But this time, however, I will tell you what you want to know."

He produced another scroll from his sleeve. "Kisame and your teammate will be traveling to the Land of Water, where Kisame has been…well, let us say he has been placing the seeds of discord within the village or Kirigakure. Certain ideals will be exploited for our own gain."

"What do you want with Kiri?" Sasuke asked.

There was a time, many years ago, when I controlled the Mist. Their bureaucracy was hoped to be helpful with attaining certain information I was keen to acquire. I abandoned the prospect when there was little to support the time and effort, but I did sway Kisame to my cause as a result. Some manner of consolation prize, I suppose. But now, in light of recent events, I have found it worth my time to retake the village for my own."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You mean to take down an entire village by yourself?"

"You talk like it's something difficult. I do not rely on brute strength, Sasuke. There are ways to circumvent outright war. Perhaps it will be months before everything reached fruition, but I am a patient man."

"What information are you trying to get from Kiri? What would be so important in another village?"

He could tell Tobi was smiling through his mask. "Information on the whereabouts of the remaining Uzumaki clan members."

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. He had not meant to show so much, but he recognized Naruto's name in an instant.

Tobi could see that. "I have no intention of going after Naruto, Sasuke. I'm certain you want that honor for yourself. No, I have very specific Uzumaki that I am looking for, though any will do. Contacts have heard rumors that when Uzushio was destroyed, many of the Uzumaki fled to the Land of Water, and Kirigakure's records will make it that much easier to track them down."

"The Uzumaki clan was one of remarkable virility," Tobi explained. "Larger than the Uchiha and Hyūga clans combined at their peak, I imagine. They were also blessed with an incredibly strong life-force, and live much longer than any of us do. Even those suited for the life of a shinobi often lived through injuries you or I would find fatal."

"Why are you hunting them down? What would they have that you want?"

Tobi shook his head. "That is a story for a different time. I have told you more than enough. In the meantime, I wish for you and Karin to patrol some of the outer islands of the Land of Water, as well as the coast of the Land of Fire. The Uzumaki have become paranoid. The first sign of trouble, and they will flee. I want you to keep them from leaving, and bring them to me anytime you can."

"Why would I?" Sasuke snorted. "You don't _need_ my help."

"By now, many of them have probably heard of Raiā's imprisonment in Konoha. If such a dangerous man is being kept in relative comfort, many others will flee to the Leaf, hoping for the same level of protection. Can you imagine the power Konoha would gain if they hoarded such powerful masters of the sealing arts?"

By now, Sasuke understood what Tobi was saying. The more Uzumaki that reached Konoha, the harder it would be to attack the village. Keeping them away wouldn't help him weaken the village, but it would prevent them from getting stronger.

"I understand you wish to do something that would directly cripple the village," Tobi said, walking towards the door. "But this will have to do for now. Perhaps in the future, should Kisame's venture into the Land of Water prove fruitful, we will be able to undertake a more direct approach on the Leaf village. As long as Raiā Uzumaki is protected in that village, I am just as interested in destroying it as you are."

He left without another word. Kabuto, who had remained silent during the entire ordeal, suddenly laughed softly to himself, stepping out of the shadows.

"He has you wrapped around his finger, doesn't he?" Kabuto taunted. "Running around, doing his dirty work. Where has your drive gone, Sasuke?"

"I'm not the one being used," Sasuke growled. "He can think that if he wants."

"He _is_ helping you, though," the snake insisted. "One of those many Uzumaki might have some interesting information about Konoha."

"Why?"

Kabuto licked his lips. "Uzushio and Konoha were on _such_ good terms before the Whirlpool's destruction. I'm sure secrets were shared amongst them. The Senju and Uzumaki clan were even distant relatives, you know."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"

"I make it my business to know things not many others do. It's served me well in the past, Sasuke. But I wonder how well it will serve you?"

"Is that a threat?" the Uchiha demanded.

"Of course not," Kabuto said with a laugh. "We're friends, you and I. Besides, I would not have the time to play with you. Tobi has given _me_ a task as well."

Sasuke was not convinced. "Now who's the one being manipulated?"

Kabuto laughed again. "I am far better at this game than you are, Sasuke. He has no power over me. But I do…yes, I have quite a bit of leverage over him."

He suddenly regarded Sasuke with devious curiosity. "Perhaps I will share it with you one day. For the right price, of course."

The snake slunk back into the darkness, leaving Sasuke and Karin alone.

"I hate that guy," Karin said with a shiver, turning away from where he had left the room. "What now?"

Sasuke looked down. There was a scroll resting there, most likely with details on what Tobi wanted him to do. He stared at it, feeling less in control of his own life than he had ever before. All these men, sneaking and planning and betraying…they were cowards, nothing more. But cowards could be dangerous.

He picked the scroll up, placing in his pack. "We do what he wants. For now. Let's go."

* * *

><p>'<em>Where…am I?'<em>

It was hard to move. He opened his eyes, and searched aimlessly, looking for something recognizable, something that could tell him where he was. His legs felt weak, and his body, sickly. Pushing with all his might, he wobbled to his knees, but lost his balance and fell to the ground. His face rolled against the dirt, and he could taste in in his mouth. He spat the earth back out. it dribbled over a dead leaf, and then another, and then another, before falling out of sight. For now, he would have to sit here and wait until his legs regained their strength.

Earthy smells filled his nostrils. Pine, Oak, and dozens of other trees. Decaying leaves. Running water. He could hear that one as well, and followed the sound around the base of a large oak. The dirt and mud felt good squished between his toes and underneath his feet. Through the trees, the sun shined down on him. So many questions to ask, but they did not seem so urgent as he smelled those smells, and listened to those sounds. He felt happy without them.

'_But where am I?'_ his mind repeated, and the words echoed in his ears, reminding him of what he must do. Perhaps that knowledge hung at the back of his mind, hidden from him. He tried to remember what he had forgotten, but his memory failed him. There was nothing to look for, nothing to remember. Best to push it out of his mind, and continue on.

The stream was only fifty feet or so away, hidden behind a dense grove of bushes and shrubs. There were some berries on one of the bushes, but they didn't smell right, so he left them alone. The stream was blue and bright, reflecting the midday sun into his eyes. There was a fish lurking at the water's edge, but when he jumped towards it, the fish swam away, and all he did was muddy the water. He squinted in frustration, shrugged his shoulders, and lapped at the water nonetheless, grateful for the cool liquid spilling over his tongue and down the back of his throat. He was happy.

'_But…where am I?'_

The water was cool and plentiful, but it could not give him what he truly sought. So he left the stream behind, eager to explore. There was a squirrel foraging along the ground for fallen nuts and seeds, but it darted away before he was close enough to pounce on. Oh well, there would be more time for squirrels later.

The forest was alive around him, truly _alive_. The sounds of sparrows and hawks and crows sang and cackled off the branches of the trees, adding a vivid melody to the song of the stream and wind. He closed his eyes, letting the song fill his ears. There were still so many questions to be answered, even more to be asked, but when he stopped and listened to the song of the forest, he was happy.

"Where are you?"

The voice scared him. He darted behind a tree, cowering against its trunk. The voice was scary and loud, and closer than he had realized. Was something after him? He couldn't tell.

"Where are you?' the voice called out again. He felt calmer, less afraid. The voice didn't sound so bad. It actually sounded kind of nice, but he would still be wary. He still needed to figure out where he was. Maybe the voice would know!

He left the safety of the tree, and stared in front of him. A fox was watching him, larger than any other fox he had ever seen, with brilliant red fur that burned with fiery intensity.

"There you are," the voice said again. He looked around. It hadn't come from the fox, had it? He looked back. The fox was coming closer to him, and when it was close, he finally understood. The fox was not big; he was just very small.

'_Where am I?'_ he wanted to ask, but he could not form the words. Nevertheless, the fox seemed to understand him, almost smiling with big, beautiful eyes.

"You're home. I've been looking all over for you." It was a woman's voice, he could finally hear, and it was definitely the fox speaking.

'_Can you…hear what I'm saying?' _he asked.

The fox nodded. "Of course I can. Now, let's go home. We've been worried about you."

He was confused. Worried? Why? Was he something to be worried about? He looked down.

Four legs. That didn't seem right. He twitched his ear in surprise, and raced back towards the stream. The voice called out to him, but he ignored it. Something was wrong. Something didn't feel right.

The stream was right where he had left it, and with hesitance, he approached the water's edge. The reflection had cleared, and for the first time, he saw his own face.

His eyes were the same, as blue as the ocean as the sky. Fur, the color of gleaming copper, covered every part of his body, and when he lifted a paw into the air, the paw in the water followed his movement. Another paw, another mirror. He cocked his head to the side in confusion, and so did his reflection. It was him, of that there was no longer any doubt.

He felt at odds with his eyes. This did not seem right, but try as he might, he could figure out why. Everything seemed so strange and unfamiliar. So then why did it all feel so natural? He felt both in and out of his body at the same time, and wobbled on his feet, suddenly dizzy.

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

The fox was behind him, and it seemed to be smiling again. "Everything will be okay." It trotted over, helped steady him, and nuzzled against the back of his head.

'_Who are you?'_ he asked, filled with questions. _'Where am I? Who am I?'_

The fox studied his face carefully. "Why would you ask all these questions? You're safe; you're with me. I'm your mother, Naruto."

_Naruto_.

'_That's my name…isn't it?'_

"Yes. Your name is Naruto, and I am your mother. You're safe with me," Mother said, nuzzling Naruto's head again. "Let's go home. You've had quite a day, haven't you?"

'_Home?'_ Is that where this was? Was he home? Had he ever left?

He followed Mother, still a little wary. But the more he walked, and the more he stayed by Mother's side, the more at ease Naruto felt. The earth between his toes, the sky above his head, the birds and squirrels chirping in the trees…it felt right. It _did_ feel like home.

There was a burrow dug into the ground, and Mother led him inside. The smells of roots and bugs was heavy in the air, and Naruto's nose crinkled in delight. He heard the sounds of a mole digging in the earth above him, and the stream and birds and squirrels fading away.

There was another fox standing in the burrow, golden-furred, and blue-eyed like Naruto. But he seemed different than Naruto. He looked graceful, and powerful at the same time. Naruto didn't really know what to think, and he found himself hiding behind Mother.

Mother laughed. "It's okay, Naruto. This is Father. He loves you too."

'_He looks scary,'_ Naruto thought to himself.

Father looked like he had heard him, tilting his head to one side. "Is everything okay, Naruto?" He turned to Mother. "What's happened? Is he okay?"

Mother nodded. "Maybe he's just feeling a little sick. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Father drew close to Naruto, watching him with his blue eyes, just as Naruto did with his own. He was still a little scared, but Mother seemed to be accepting of him, so maybe Naruto should be too. With a great amount of caution, he approached father, and sniffed all around him. Father seemed to like that, laughing softly.

"You're right," he told Mother. "He'll be just fine soon enough. Would you like to go to sleep, Naruto? I bet you're tired."

Naruto yawned. How did they know? Even he hadn't felt it until now, but his muscles ached and his head throbbed dully in his skull. Sleep sounded wonderful.

Mother led them to where they would sleep. Only a pile of leaves pushed to the back of the dirt wall, but Naruto found it extremely comfortable. He rolled around, laughing and sneezing whenever some dust fell into his nose. Mother and Father lay down on either side of him, protecting him and keeping him warm.

'_I think I know everything now,'_ Naruto thought with pride, as sleep began to overtake him. _'I'm with Mother and Father. My name is Naruto.'_

'_And I am happy.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I won't lie to you. It will be some time before Naruto and Hinata share some screen time again, at least in the way you think. I won't rush things just for the sake of writing more fluff, but you may get what you want from other sources, perhaps.

But anyway, what could all of this mean? So many strange and exciting things are happening. It's PALPABLE, bitch. If something's confusing, remember that you have to TELL me, via review or otherwise. Hopefully you're just excited where all of this is going, though.

Now, two things are requiring your input:

1- If you have a suggestion about who you want to see go to what village, and vice versa, let me know! Some are set in stone, but others are up for grabs.

2 - I'm starting a new story. Nothing that will interrupt the updates for these, so don't worry. Inspired from a prompt offered by **Foolish Little Brother**, I wrote a quick little one-shot about Naruto and Hinata for him to read. I decided I want to turn it into a series, with you guys providing all the prompts. The catch? I only have an hour to write them. I'll start when we exchange PM's readying me up, and I have exactly one hour to write the one-shot. Fun, yeah? Send me your ideas!

Lastly, a big thank you to **Darkhope** for offering to mention the story on the Naruto forums for people to check out! People like you are awesome, in so many ways. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Until next time! Let Book Three begin!


	54. Whispers of the Sleepless Mind!

**Author's Note:** How many of you actually read these things?

I try to put relevant information up here, but sometimes I get the feeling you just skip over them without even reading. Obviously, this is not directed towards anyone who actually _does_ read these.

I bring this up because I asked some things of you last chapter, and pretty much none of you responded. Maybe that's just because no one was interested, but I thought I'd re-post it, just to be sure if maybe you didn't just miss it:

In Chapter 1 on Book Three, I revealed that the Kage are thinking of exchanging shinobi with one another. If you have a suggestion/idea about who you want to see go to what village, and vice versa, let me know! Some are set in stone, but others are up for grabs.

I'm starting a new story. More specifically, a series of one-shots/drabbles/whatever. Nothing that will interrupt the updates for these, so don't worry. Inspired from a prompt offered by **Foolish Little Brother**, I wrote a quick little one-shot about Naruto and Hinata for him to read. I decided I want to turn it into a series, and alongside one-shots that I'll have thought of myself, you guys can provide extra prompts. Any time you ever might have envisioned in Naruto's and Hinata's relationship is up for grabs. The catch that makes it interesting? I only have an hour to write them. I'll start when we exchange PM's readying me up, and I have exactly one hour to write the one-shot. Fun, yeah? Send me your ideas!

I also got the feeling that more than a few of you thought the opening for Book Three was a little...meh. Remember, I want you to be more vocal about your opinions, since I can't give you more of what you want if I don't at least know what it is.

Anyway, I have a little more to say, so do take a look at the bottom. I'm recommending another author to you guys! So be sure to read the A/N at the bottom as well, kay?

Music time:

**(1): /watch?v=f0Evk7o5NpI**

**(2): /watch?v=Hy0mcPDOQAA**

I hope you like it!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 2 - Whispers of the Sleepless Mind: Dreams and Illusions<strong>

A gasp of air, and a sudden chill.

Hinata ran her fingers through her hair, damp with sweat. Her breathing was hard and labored, made worse by the freezing air, and her vision was hazy and out of focus.

The dream had come to her again.

Before her were the remains of a fire. A few embers still singed and glowed amongst the ashes, but any warmth she may have received from the flames had long since evaporated. She huddled further into her blankets, but they did little to help. An owl hooted at her from above, before leaping into the nighttime sky with talons outstretched. She heard a squeal, and knew the prey had been caught. Lording over the stars and black, the moon watched her, bathing her in its pale spotlight.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, and winced in pain. The day's training had been grueling, almost unbearably so, but her father would not hear a word of complaint from Hinata. Today, she had been told to strike the base of a powerful old oak, again and again until her knuckles bled. Her father had examined her hand, his fingers wetting from the spilled blood. Without a word, he snapped two of her fingers out of place. She had fallen to her knees in shock, and he roared at her to get up, and to continue hitting the base of the tree.

"Pain is what truly holds us back," he had told her. "When faced with unimaginable pain, even the bravest of humanity withers and breaks. You must be braver than the bravest. You must block out the pain, and fight until your body cannot, and then you keep fighting."

Hinata had done as he asked, wincing and holding back tears every time her hand landed against the base of the oak. By the end of the day, her hands were numb, and everywhere up to her shoulders screamed with any movement. But she was not blind; she could see that Hiashi derived no pleasure from hurting her. She would watch his eyes dull every time he spoke to her, as if he was pushing out what he undoubtedly felt for her. That did not stop her from caring less and less with each passing day.

She rose to her feet, wobbling before balance came. The owl came back, roosting on a branch above her head, with its kill in between its beak. It watched her, turning cocking its head to the side. Perhaps it had never seen a human before. Maybe it just thought she was odd-looking for an owl.

Other sounds of the night accompanied her as she walked through the woods, uncertain of where her legs might take her. A few stubborn birds cried out their lonesome songs, splitting across the cool air like the crack of a whip. Off in the distance, she heard a wolf howl, and shivered underneath her jacket.

She strode up a hill, and the trees began to thin. Ash and Pine grew thinner and thinner, replaced by smaller, scrawnier plants, until soon there was nothing put a pitiful layer of grass to batter the worst of the winter away from the soil. Far away, to the west (or maybe east. Hinata had no sense of direction in these woods) there was a light. She squinted, and one became many. A village, with a bed and a fire. It was within walking distance, but Hinata would never forgive herself is she allowed her resolve to weaken.

The Dairyokō offered no comfort for the duration or her training. Meals would be small and plain, and the hours set aside for rest were drastically reduced. The point was to send you to the edge of yourself, as Hiashi had described it, and then it pushed you over. Rebuilt you from the ground up. They had been at it for only a few days, and Hinata could already feel the exhaustion set deep into her bones.

Beneath her, at the bottom of the hill, she heard something rustle about the bushes, and she finally remembered why she had woken up in the first place.

The dream.

It had been the same every night she was cursed with it. Running, always running, away from a mysterious hunter who wanted her dead for reasons she could not yet understand. Sometimes the dream was at home, in the village, and no matter how many times she cried out of for help, no one could hear her, sleeping soundly in their homes. Other times, she was thrown into a vast ocean, black and murky. A great shadow was always hovering just out of reach, and if she screamed, the water would fill her lungs, and she would suddenly be awake, and cry out into the night. Sometimes Hiashi would see to her, and ask her what was wrong. Other times, he was just as tired as she was, and slept on, unaware of his daughter's troubles.

But most of the time, it was in the forest, that horrible forest with the trees that grabbed at her and tried to hold her fast. And each time, just before the hunter would catch her, the fox would choose her life over his own, and she could only watch as the life faded away from his broken body.

(1)

It had not taken her long to understand that the fox was Naruto. Even after she had only seen it once, Hinata recognized that look in the fox's eyes. It had been the way Naruto had looked at her, for so brief a time. A cross between puzzled and happy, the fox did not seem to mind that it had died for her, always telling her that it was because he loved her. Did this mean that Naruto felt the same way?

There were times she heard his voice, sometimes carried over the wind, or hushed in the deep recesses of her mind. He would tell her he loved her, and no matter how many times she called out to him, he never said anything more. She actively told herself that this was just a product of her feelings for him, that she was just imagining things. But there is a part of the human mind that is not so easy to convince, and Naruto's declaration of love had laid its roots deep.

He was what was getting her through this. When the blood would splash from her knuckles to her cheek, she saw Naruto slurping up another bowl of ramen, getting more broth on the two of them than in his mouth. When her muscles ached and moaned, begging to rest, and at last she could collapse onto the ground and bury herself in her blankets for warmth, she saw Naruto bringing her into his arms, strong and soft at the same time. With every grunt of pain, she heard him laughing. With every bruise, she saw him smiling.

"You sure do miss me a lot, don't you?" he asked her, grinning like a fool.

Hinata was more than surprised to find Naruto himself sitting next to her, and she almost screamed before the rational side of her brain took hold. "I'm dreaming…aren't I?"

'Naruto' nodded. "Yep! At least this time it isn't a bad dream though, right? But let's not worry about all that bad stuff. You worked really hard today! I'm sure your dad is really proud of you!"

"I do not care what Father thinks," Hinata insisted. "I'm doing this for you, Naruto-kun. Perhaps if my father hadn't told you what he had…" she stopped for a moment, biting her lip. "What _did_ he tell you?"

She felt stupid when he looked at her that way. "Hinata, if you don't know…I can't know either."

"R-right…I'm sorry." Her cheeks flushed red. Having a conversation with an imaginary Naruto was not how she pictured the rest of her night going. "But s-still! If he hadn't told you…well, _whatever_ he had told you, none of this would have happened! You'd still be awake, and I wouldn't be out here. I'd be there, with you!"

Naruto frowned. "I don't think it's fair to blame your Dad for this, Hinata. I mean, he's not why I did what I did." He suddenly smiled. "_You_'_re_ the reason I did what I did!"

And suddenly, Hinata realized how low she had allowed her opinion of her father to fall. He was no longer a father to her; more like a temporary annoyance through which she could achieve her goal. Perhaps he had utterly failed as a parent, but at least his skills as a shinobi hadn't dulled over the years. Now Hinata felt foul for just thinking of her father like that.

Naruto cocked his head to one side. "I'm not gonna try to say you two should just make-up and be family again, but I think he loves you. I think he loves you a lot. Maybe he has a funny way of showing it, but then you can help show him the right way! I bet you'd be really good at that."

"How can I just forgive him like that?" Hinata asked, frustrated that the only person she was arguing with was herself. "The things he's done to you; the things he's done to me…"

She felt his arms around her, and fought against herself not to cry. It felt so real, having him hold her like that. He rubbed the small of her back, and breathed in her ear.

"It's not gonna be easy, but he's your dad. Did I ever tell you how angry I was with my dad when I got to talk to him?"

Hinata shook her head, having buried her face into the crook of his shoulder. In truth, he _had_ told her the story before, of how he had finally gotten to meet the chance to talk to his father, but it had only been a tangent off of another story Naruto had been in the middle of telling, and Hinata had forgotten about it. Hinata felt a little silly for neglecting to remember something so important.

"Well, I was _really_ mad at him!" He was still smiling, that much Hinata knew, but his voice had dropped, more solemn than before. "I couldn't understand why he would want to give me this kind of life. To seal a demon away inside his own son…I hit him. I was so angry with him that I had hit him."

Hinata's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.

"But he wasn't angry with me," Naruto continued. "He even said he deserved that much. But he told me that all of this was for a reason, and that that's all a parent can do for their child; to be there for them whenever, or however, they need them to be. Maybe your dad _did_ mess up. Maybe he messed up really badly. But he's trying to fix it, right?"

Hinata chewed her lower lip, and wrung at her hands. She heard Naruto laugh softly, and he took her hands into his own. "You don't need to forgive him right away. It might take a lot longer than that. But maybe you could give him a chance?" he said softly, rubbing her knuckle with his thumb.

"…I'll try," Hinata finally said, after a while. "But only if he tells me what he did to you. I have to know before I could even think of forgiving him."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, it's not like _I _can do anything about it." He suddenly got to his feet, and Hinata was suddenly afraid.

"W-wait!" she cried, grabbing onto his sleeve. "Please…don't go. Not yet."

Naruto laughed, long and loud. He took her into his arms again, and smushed his face against hers, and stared at her with those wide blue eyes, in all his corny glory. "I'll stay as long as you want me to! You're dreaming, remember?"

Hinata blushed. "Well then, m-maybe we could…well, I was thinking we might—"

'Naruto' shut her up with a kiss, and lifted her into the air, before he repositioned the two of them, lying on the ground, with Hinata on top of him. She laughed with him, and what had only been a surreal experience became the most blissful kind of dream.

Hinata could not say how long they lay there, entangled in each other's bodies. Naruto was not truly there, and she knew she was only dreaming, but it felt so real, like he was actually there, kissing her and holding her close, that Hinata did not care. She only hoped that she might never wake, and a little more time be given.

"Naruto-kun…." She began, with his head in her lap as she fiddled with his hair. "I've been thinking about something."

"Hmm?"

Hinata struggled to find the words. "Is it true? What you said? Did you really…did you really say that you loved me?"

Naruto looked her in the eye, and grinned. "I don't know, did I?"

* * *

><p>"Wake up." The voice was hard, and cold. Hinata cracked open one eye, and instead of Naruto, she saw the figure of Hiashi Hyūga staring down at her.<p>

"What were you doing so far from the camp?" he asked, as she sat up. Hinata looked around, as if she was looking for someone, and overall seemed very annoyed she had been woken up. Her cheeks were flushed, but Hiashi pushed that aside. It was cold out; of course she would look like that.

"I couldn't sleep," Hinata mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "I went for a walk to clear my head."

"Clearly, you got what you were looking for. I am making breakfast now, so return to the camp. Training will begin shortly afterwards."

He made to leave, but something planted Hiashi Hyūga's feet firmly to the ground. Hesitantly, he turned back around, and Hinata saw that scared look in his eyes that she saw whenever he was forced to be harsh with her. "Hinata…I am sorry about your hand. I have overstepped the boundaries of—"

"If that's what our ancestors went through, I will not be treated differently," Hinata said firmly, finally getting to her feet. She only meant to tell him that she would be close behind him, but then she heard Naruto's voice again, asking her to give Hiashi a chance. She didn't have to start now, but maybe she could be a little nicer.

"It's alright, Father. I am not angry with you," she said.

Hiashi watched her carefully. A ghost of a smile danced across his face before he turned back around, and walked down the hill. "Thank you, Hinata."

Breakfast was nothing more than stale bread with a mushy white paste Hinata was fairly certain might have been rice at some point. Some tea boiled in a kettle Hiashi had set over the fire, but some pleasures were only available to him, and as he had explained earlier, it was part of the process to indulge in these luxuries when the other cannot. That did not make the look Hinata have him any less irritated.

They sat mostly in silence. Many of the loudest animals had left the vicinity of their camp, with only a brave bird or two swooping down to see if there were any morsels left unguarded. Hinata covered herself with her blanket, shivering against the cold. A cup of tea sounded wonderful about now.

Hinata had already finished her own breakfast, whilst Hiashi was sipping idly. Bored, she could do nothing more than stare at her own hands. Calloused and grimy, they hardly looked like something befitting a Hyūga, but Hinata enjoyed the feeling. It reminded her that she was doing this of her own free will, for Naruto, and through all the soreness and exhaustion, she felt pride.

She pushed a little chakra into the tips of her fingers. It always felt ticklish first thing in the morning, especially so if long periods of time passed without training, and Hinata struggled to keep the smile to herself. She pushed a little more, and felt the cold wind whip through her fingers. Suddenly, she was reminded of Naruto. What was more, something popped into her head. Something crazy.

"Father…" she began, closing the gap between her fingers. "Does our clan possess an innate chakra nature? Like the Uchiha clan and Fire Release techniques?"

From the choking sound she heard, she guessed Hiashi had not expected that kind of question. He cleared his throat, and sounded densely confused. "The Hyūga Clan has never sought after that knowledge, Hinata. Elemental manipulation is predictable, and can be countered or even neutralized. There is no defense against the Gentle Fist, no training that will make you any less vulnerable."

"But surely such a thing isn't exclusive to one clan in the entire shinobi world. Are there no other clans who excel at a particular chakra nature?"

Hiashi waved the question away. "Perhaps there are other prominent clans in those villages who possess what you are asking about, but it was not something I was ever made aware of. Tsunade-sama and anyone else in a position of administrative power would know, but not me. Why? What are you looking for?"

Hinata did not see the sense in lying. "I was thinking about Naruto-kun. He had a natural affinity for Wind. I was curious about my own. I was curious to find out. Maybe I could learn to use it?"

The Hyūga head almost openly scoffed at the idea. "The Hyūga clan has never found the need to resort to such tactics, daughter. We have overcome any and all opponents using the Gentle Fist. There is no need to increase our repertoire."

"I want to learn my chakra nature," Hinata insisted, staring at him. "I have every right to."

"We have no method of learning that, Hinata. Strips of chakra paper are commonly found in most shinobi villages, but we are forbidden to enter any village for the duration, for anything other than replenishing supplies if absolutely necessary."

"This is something I wish to do. I agreed to come with you under the pretense that I would become stronger for Naruto-kun. I never agreed to come solely to follow every archaic practice of the Hyūga clan to the letter. If we pass by another village, I will want to see if they have them."

Hiashi bristled at that. "Do not insult your own clan."

"The practice itself was abolished from open practice because there were those that claimed it was barbaric and outdated," Hinata argued, frowning. "If our clan decided that it should be cast aside, why should you defend it? Why would you go so far as to think that I insult our own clan?"

"Because I practiced it myself, daughter." Hiashi watched his daughter carefully, seeing how she might react. Her body did not move, but Hinata had always had more expressive eyes than most Hyūga. She was surprised. "Yes, I was just like you. I insisted that I take the Journey myself, to become strong for the one I loved. My own father despised the idea, tried to steer me away in any way he could, but I persisted until he finally relented. Do you know who I did it for, Hinata? Do you know who I undertook such a grueling journey for?"

Hinata already knew the answer, so she held her silence. Hiashi, however, could not.

"I did all of this for your mother. Do you think me so cold and unfeeling a man that to love is something I am incapable of?"

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. The rest of the tea was poured out, dumped onto the cold ground. "Let us begin training." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hinata twiddling her fingers, keeping her eyes to the ground. "It is alright, Hinata. I am not angry with you."

She drew in a quick breath, recognizing those words as those she had told Hiashi not a few minutes ago. Had their relationship really become so strained?

Hiashi closed his eyes. "A lot has happened between us, and I am sure that it is not the end of it . More will come, though I cannot say when or what or how. I have made many mistakes in my life, though few have been as regretted as pushing you away. I will tell you what you want to know, Hinata. Tonight, after training. It is time you learned the truth."

* * *

><p>A clock hung nearby on the hospital wall, ticking and tocking with no regard to anyone else in the room. Time would march on, it would say with every click, time is marching on, and there is nothing you can do about it.<p>

Tsunade stood near Naruto's bed, watching him closely with a hand against his forehead, while Shizune scribbled furiously into a notebook she was holding, sticking her tongue out in concentration.

"You're right, Shizune. There's definitely some strange beta wave activity going on," Tsunade concluded, rolling down her sleeve as he palm left Naruto's forehead, and returned to her side. "When was the first time you noticed this?"

"A few weeks ago, Tsunade-sama, but it wasn't me who noticed first. Sakura was the one who was watching over him when she first noticed it. She said she saw his eyes twitching, far more than they should be. Several of the night shift workers have claimed to hear noises coming from his room at random times in the middle of the night, but those reports are unconfirmed. We've arranged to have someone watch over him tonight, but we felt the information was enough to come forward to you with. What are we going to do, Tsunade-sama?

The Godaime weighed her options. It might be nothing more than naruto's subconscious playing around to keep itself occupied. It was rare but not outright impossible for comatose to have dreams, but there were other factors to consider. Naruto did not have his body all to himself, and Tsunade did not know the ramifications of a jinchūriki being comatose. It might allow the tailed beast within unbridled control over the minds of their jinchūriki, or it might subdue them until the jinchūriki awakens. Whatever the case may be, Tsunade was not one for guesswork. She needed to find out for herself.

There was a knock on the door, and Shizune hurried over to let Ino into the room. She didn't seem to understand why she had been summoned. That would not last much longer.

"Good morning Tsunade-sama," she said, bowing. A more informal greeting for Shizune, and Ino approached Naruto's bedside. She smiled softly watched the sunlight shift across his face. "I'm making a flower display for him," she explained. "Every color you could imagine. Even some I didn't know existed. I think he'll like that."

Shizune smiled back. "I'm sure he will, Ino. That's very sweet of you."

The girl nodded, and turned to Tsunade. "Is there something you need me for, Tsunade-sama? I wasn't expecting the Hokage herself sending for me."

"I'll be honest with you, I did have need of your father first," Tsunade informed her. "But he was unavailable as of right now, so I sent for you instead. Has he taught you how to use the Mind Reading Technique?"

Ino was startled, suddenly understanding where Tsunade was going with this. She nodded hastily. "Y-yes, but I haven't been doing it for very long. It's not like there's lines of people I can practice on."

"Well, you're about to get the best practice you've ever had. Something's going on in Naruto's mind, and we need to know what. For all we know, something's keeping in this coma, something we can prevent. I have faith in you, Ino. I know you'll be a lot of help."

Tsunade and Shizune set the bed up on some wheels, and rolled Naruto out of the room, taking great care to move him as gently as possible. Throughout the entire ordeal, from being led from the hospital, to being brought into one of the interrogation rooms, Naruto didn't make a sound, though Ino could have sworn she saw him twitch every now and again.

"Do we really need to bring him here?" Ino protested, holding the door open for Tsunade and Shizune to lead Naruto into the room. "These things are reserved for criminals and prisoners, not people like Naruto. I feel like we're punishing him."

"It's the only thing available to us," Tsunade insisted. "I'd prefer using something else, but even Inoichi can't read minds without the help of one of these machines. Don't worry, the process is completely painless, and Naruto will comfortable inside. He'll be just fine, Ino." She offered the younger Yamanaka a caring smile, which helped set her at ease. With shaky hands, she helped Shizune and Tsunade place Naruto into the proper apparatus. The stone held him up easy enough, and Ino thought it looked comfortable, but his head wouldn't support itself, and kept rolling to one side or the other. Eventually Shizune had to scurry off and return with a neck brace from the hospital, wrapping it around Naruto's neck. It reached the top of the machine, and so kept his head firmly in place, in relative comfort.

"Just keep an eye out, Ino," Tsunade told her. "Whatever you find in there, let us know. It could be anything from repressed memories to hidden thoughts. And don't forget…you're not the only one in there."

Ino couldn't hide the shiver that tingled up her spine. "Do you think I'll see him?" she asked. "is that even possible? What should I do? Can he…can he hurt me?"

Tsunade calmed her down with a shush and comforting hand. "Don't forget, Ino. The connection is only mental. If it's possible, and you do see _him_, I can't guarantee he won't try to scare you. But I promise you: he can do nothing to hurt you, no matter what he says. It'll all be in your head."

"Just like how I'll be in Naruto's," Ino joked, a weak attempt at reassuring herself. Tsunade and Shizune stepped back, just as the machine that surrounded Naruto's head hummed to life. Steam poured from holes dotting the surface, and Ino felt the ground beneath her feet begin to shake.

She placed her hand on Naruto's head, and began to concentrate. The world around her began to change; colors faded into black, and Tsunade and Shizune became less and less in focus, until they were nothing but shapeless masses, and soon they too disappeared. Ino was in a world of blackness, and there was nothing around her, nor above or below.

"Can you see anything?" she heard Tsunade's voice in the back of her mind. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ino called out, still in control over her own voice. "I can't see anything yet. It's nothing but black in here. Is it because Naruto's in a coma?"

"Maybe," she heard Tsunade reply. "His conscious mind isn't active, but the subconscious will be there. It may lead to some strange things, but I need you to stay focused, and look for anything suspicious."

Ino pushed herself through the darkness, floating in midair. There might not have even been a floor in this strange world, but she didn't want to think about that. But everywhere she looked, there was nothing that jumped out at her. It was all darkness, and it didn't look like it was ending anytime soon.

Wait…no. There was a door in front of her. Plainly furnished, floating at an angle. Ino pushed herself towards it, hand outstretched to the worn handle.

"Remember to _be_ careful, Ino" Tsunade reminded her. "Naruto has been through a lot. You will see things you don't want to. Memories, or private thoughts."

She had continued to speak, warning Ino of what she might see or hear, but her voice faded into the void, and Ino was alone. The door had been opened, and it pulled her inside.

She landed against the ground hard, her knees scraping against the dirt. She winced, and dusted herself off. The air was cold around her, and she regretted wearing clothing with so little covering. Shrugging the cold off as best she could, she stepped out from the alleyway she had been tossed into.

It was Konoha, no doubt, but the village looked different, and recognizable at the same time. She realized that this Leaf village was the one from before both Orochimaru and Pain attacked the village. The sky was grey and hazy, and a light mist fell against her skin as she walked. She didn't know where she might have needed to go.

"Out! I said out!"

Ino was attracted by the noise, and hurried around the corner. An older man was chasing some brat out of a story, trying to hit him across the head with the broom he was carrying. He missed the first few times, but his fourth strike rang true, smashing into the child's skull, and sending him into a puddle of rainwater, just outside.

"You come in my store again, and I'll have you arrested!" the man threatened, brandishing the broom over his head. He mumbled something foul under his breath, and stormed back inside the store. Ino shouted back at him, before remembering that no one would be able to hear such things.

The child shakily rose to his feet, and wiped some blood from his cheek. He turned around, and Ino stared, wide-eyed, at a young Naruto Uzumaki. He didn't notice her, even walking right through her to yell at the owner of the store.

"You'll regret this when I'm Hokage!" he shouted angrily. "I'll have this stupid store closed forever!"

The man came racing back out, throwing the broom at Naruto. He ducked out of the way, but could not escape the man's foot as he kicked him in the back, shouting curses as Naruto ran away, down the middle of the street.

Ino chased after him, but the little boy was quick, ducking through shortcuts and back alleys that Ino had never known existed. He must not have been looking where he was going, because as another man came out of a store, Naruto smashed headlong into his legs, sending him to the ground, and the man off-balance. He was holding an ice-cream cone and a cup of water, and swore loudly when he almost dropped both. "Hey will you watch where you're—"

He suddenly realized who he was talking to. As Naruto tried to get back to his feet, the man roughly shoved him to the ground with his foot.

"You little shit! I don't know why the Third bothers with you, but if you weren't under his protection, you'd be dead. No wants you around here, anyway. Get out here, freak! Go on, move!" To help make his point, he threw the water in Naruto's face, drenching the boy from head to toe in ice cold water, before he ran off. The man mumbled something else, and turned back around. Ino saw his face, covered her mouth with her hand, and resisted the urge to scream at him.

She recognized him. One of her own clan. His name escaped her for the moment, but she remembered that he had always been nice to her, taking her out for lunch or bringing things over when he would visit Inoichi. To see this side of him was a cruel awakening, and Ino earnestly hoped the man no longer felt this way about Naruto.

A sudden pang of guilt hit her. Why should she be taking the high-and-mighty road? There was a time when she was no better, thinking Naruto nothing but a waste of everyone's time and a loser, destined to remain so for the rest of his life. She rubbed her arms, feeling the cold ache in her bones, even though she was in a world of illusions and dreams.

The scenery faded away, and Ino was among the doors again. There were many this time, and Ino was not her father; she had no way of knowing where to go or what information might be valuable. She could only search, and hope to learn of a pattern.

The next door only extended the darkness, but this time, disjointed images flew at her from all directions. They were things Naruto had seen, heard, or felt. She could taste a bowl of ramen he had eaten, feel the warmth of the sun on her skin as he did, she could see Hinata sauntering towards her…

Ino quickly covered her eyes. _That _was definitely something she had no business knowing, but she giggled to herself nonetheless, only imagining where it might have gone from there. Was that a memory, or a fantasy? She could only wonder.

The deeper she went, the more recent the memories became, but other sounds and sights began to crowd into her mind, but these were dark and ominous, remaining in the blackness, so Ino could never get a full sense of what she was seeing or hearing. Angry voices hurled insults at her, she could see a man with red eyes scream in pain, and that terrible feeling of life itself slipping away from her. Ino tried to back away, but the darkness was pulling her in now, faster and faster. The deeper she went, the more afraid she became. She cried out to Tsunade and Shizune for their help, but they could not hear her. She was alone.

(2)

Her eyes began to adjust to the dark. Figures of trees formed in the gloom, and Ino could feel the light of the moon shining down on here. She blinked several times; the trees became clearer, and the outlines of bushes and roots and rocks were illuminated. She was in a forest.

Dusting herself off, Ino got to her feet. She had no sense of direction here. The winds blew in erratic directions, and the stars never seemed to stay in one place. She felt a consistent feeling of discomfort here.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye, and she whipped around to face it. It was only a fox, with dulled-orange fur, and unusually bright eyes. Ino paid the animal no mind, until she heard its voice.

'_Who are you?'_ the fox asked, leaning to one side, ready to run if Ino proved hostile. The girl had to do a double take. She thought she recognized that voice…

"Is that you, Naruto?" she asked.

The fox took a step backwards. '_You know my name? Mother told me a long time ago! I like my name.'_

"Naruto, where are we?" Ino asked, trying to approach him without scaring him away. Something felt off here; it was like Naruto did not recognize who she was. This was all very strange, and Ino could not risk him running away, and leaving her in the dark. If she was possibly talking to Naruto himself, then this information could be useful to what Tsunade had asked her to look for.

'_I'm home. Mother and Father keep me safe. Who are you? Do you know Mother and Father?'_

"No Naruto, I don't. But I'd like to meet them. Will you take me to them?"

Naruto rubbed at his face. _'I want to smell you first. Mother says I should smell everyone to see if it's okay for me to be nice to them. Is it alright if I come smell you?'_

Ino nodded. "Of course. I have nothing to hide."

With a little bit of residual hesitance, Naruto closed the gap between them. Ino felt a little strange as she watched him give her a look-over. He even still looked a little like himself, with his bright eyes and the way he scrunched his face up when curious. He took several sniffs, walking all around her, before grunting in satisfaction.

'_You smell nice, like flowers. Weill you tell me who you are now? You smell familiar, but I don't know you.'_

That hurt a little. "You don't remember me, Naruto? You don't recognize who I am?"

Naruto shook his head. _'No. But that's okay. Mother said I might see a lot of things I don't recognize, but that if they smell okay, I can trust them. What's your name?'_

"My name is Ino."

'_That's a funny name for a girl who smells like flowers,'_ Naruto said, giggling. He turned around, and raced off into the trees. _'Let's go meet Mother and Father! I think they're at home.'_

Ino had to struggle to catch up. This forest was unknown to her, and there many roots and rocks she never seemed to see stumbling her, and she nearly lost her balance more than once. "Slow down, Naruto!" she called out, but he didn't seem to notice. Further and further away he got, and through the trees she could see him stopping to sniff at things, and turning around to check to see if she was still following him. Ino kicked in her heels, and raced around the trunk of a large tree.

Naruto had disappeared.

"Naruto?' Ino called, looking around. "Where did you go?"

He didn't answer. Ino ran faster, hoping to catch him before he got too far away. He was probably just preoccupied with something else. But with every tree she passed by and every clearing she went through, Naruto was nowhere to be found. She couldn't see or hear him.

The forest was getting darker, the trees becoming more twisted and gnarled. A few of the branches suddenly whipped near her face from a huge gust of wind, and she had to shield her eyes.

'_Hurry! It's this way!'_ she heard Naruto's voice say. There was a flash of orange, and she followed it blindly. The forest was completely black now. Ino had no sense of where she was going, and could only follow the sound of Naruto's voice.

But something felt off. Her footsteps had an echo, and Ino felt her feet begin to dampen. She stopped, kneeled down, and felt water at her feet. It dripped from above, almost rhythmically, from the darkness.

"Naruto?" she said once more, listening as her voice bounced off the walls. The forest had disappeared. Where she was now, Ino could not say. There was only one way forward, so with one foot in front of the other, Ino continued on. There was a strange wind blowing against her skin. Back and forth, almost like wind, it whipped against her body, and felt hot against her face. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she could feel the blood rushing throughout. Why did she feel so cold, and afraid? What was it about this place that made her feel so uncomfortable?

And then she saw it. Massive towers of iron, towering in front of her. Inlayed with intricate patterns and well-polished, Ino thought she had stepped into something that resembled a temple. But then she saw the seal placed onto the middle of these iron bars, and finally realized that this was no temple. This was a cage.

She barely had enough time to duck out of the way before the claws tore her to ribbons. Ino rolled into the water, just as they swung over her head; they would have surely killed her had she not noticed.

'_No, what are you thinking?'_ she scolded herself. _'This is all in your mind. Nothing can hurt you here.'_

"**OH, I WOULDN'T BELIEVE **_**THAT**_**, LITTLE GIRL."**

The pit of her stomach dropped at the sound of such a terrible voice. A pair of gleaming red eyes appeared in the darkness on the other side of the cage, as well as a gaping smile, with rows of razor sharp teeth. The shapes drew closer to the dim light, and Ino found herself face-to-face with the Kyūbi itself.

"**YOU HAVE BEEN DIGGING TOO DEEP INTO THINGS YOU CANNOT COMPREHEND, GIRL,"** The Kyūbi said, its voice dripping with malice. **"AND I WILL NOT HAVE YOU INTERFERING."**

"You can't hurt me!" Ino said with sudden defiance. "You're sealed into Naruto, not me!"

"**AND YET THAT BRAT IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND." **The Kyūbi looked around, as if to prove his point. **"WHERE COULD HE BE? IS HE GOING TO STOP ME?"**

He laughed. **"LITTLE GIRL, YOU UNDERESTIMATE THE DIRENESS OF YOUR SITUATION. PERHAPS I AM WITHIN NARUTO'S MIND, BUT SO ARE YOU. HIS MIND IS WEAK…AND SO ARE YOU!"**

The cage separating them suddenly disappeared, and Ino screamed in surprise as the Kyūbi lunged forward with surprisingly agility, pinning her to the ground with one giant, clawed hand. One tapped dangerously close to her head, the sound making her ears ring.

'**SLITTING YOUR THROAT WOULD BE **_**SO**_** EASY…"** The Kyūbi drolled, lazily dragging a finger across Ino's neck; not enough to pierce the skin, but just enough to leave a wide, red mark in the middle of her neck. **"LIKE SNAPPING A TWIG IN HALF. WHY HAVE YOU COME HERE?"**

Ino was petrified. The killing intent, the pure, unadulterated hatred emanating from this monstrosity was incredible, enough to choke her and make her eyes water.

"**ANSWER ME!" **The demon roared, directly into her face. A drip of saliva splashed across her face, and Ino could not hold back the whimper that escaped from between her lips. His breathing was hard and loud, a roar in her ears, and a fire against her skin.

"I'm l-looking for Naruto," the poor girl managed to squeak out. "Tsunade-sama w-wants me to s-see if something's wrong…"

The beast threw back its head and laughed, rattling Ino's skull on her shoulders. Suddenly, it snapped it's jaws close to her face, and this time, she screamed.

"**POOR, LOST, LITTLE NARUTO. YOU CAN'T FIND HIM? SUCH A PITY. DID YOU THINK YOU COULD JUST FIND HIM, LIKE THAT? THE BOY IS **_**MINE**_**, AND I WILL GIVE HIM UP WHEN I SEE FIT."**

Ino's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, _you're _k-keeping Naruto trapped?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Wh-what would you want with him? You're trapped just as much as he is!"

The Kyūbi snarled at herm tightening his grip over her tiny body. If he could have become any angrier, he had at that moment, and Ino saw something strange in his eyes. Confusion, and maybe even fear.

"**WHAT I WANT WITH THE CHILD IS OF NO CONCERN OF YOURS. YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME WITH HIM. I WILL KEEP HIM UNTIL I CHOOSE NOT TO, AND NOT A MOMENT SOONER. IF ANYONE ELSE TRIES TO INTERFERE, AS YOU HAVE, I WILL NOT BE SO GENTLE."**

He reared back with one mighty claw, and Ino had to force herself to remember that this was all within Naruto's own mind. Nothing could hurt her.

And yet, when the Kyūbi's hand slashed across her stomach, the pain was searing, and she screamed and writhed. She was flung back from the machine holding Naruto in place, and collapsed onto the floor. Tsunade and Shizune, who had been trying to speak to her for several minutes now, rushed over to her.

"Ino? Ino! Are you okay?" Shizune asked, cradling her head while Tsunade looked her over.

"She'll be alright," the Godaime decided, after a quick diagnostic look. "She's suffered some psychological trauma, more than I imagined, and might be unconscious for a while, but she's okay physically."

Tsunade sighed. "I never imagined the Kyūbi would have that kind of power in Naruto's mind. A comatose jinchūriki is more dangerous than I thought."

"Do you think Ino learned anything?" Shizune asked, lifting Ino into her arms, while Tsunade freed Naruto's body from the machine, and placed him back into his bed. "She came into direct contact with the Kyūbi. Maybe he told her something."

There was a grim look in Tsunade's eyes. "You might be right. I'm just afraid that we might find out."

Ino woke 20 minutes later, clutching at her head, and asking a nurse for a glass of water. The nurse hurried off to retrieve her request, and came back with Tsunade as well as Ino's water. The Hokage herself handed her the glass, and the girl downed it in seconds.

"Are you okay?" Tsunade asked, rubbing Ino's shoulder. "Is there anything else you need?"

Ino shook her head. "No…I think I'm fine now."

The Godaime sighed. "I never intended any of this to happen. Ino, I'm sorry. I should have been more careful. What I put you through was dangerous. I never expected the Kyūbi to have that kind of power."

She would have apologized again and again had Ino not offered her Hokage a smile. "It's okay, Tsunade-sama. I feel fine, I really do! I knew the risks when we started. I wanted to see if I could help Naruto. I only wish I had more to—!" She suddenly groaned in pain, doubling over in her bed.

"What's wrong?" Tsunade asked, but just as quickly as it had come, it disappeared, and Ino was calm once more. She clutched at her stomach, and with a furrowed brow, Tsunade reached forward and lifted up her shirt, revealing her stomach.

They were faint, but Tsunade could still see them. Red marks, slashed across Ino's stomach. With a steady hand, Tsunade reached out, and stroked the one closest to her. Ino didn't jump in pain; she merely watched in complete surprise, and maybe a little fear.

"Ino, I want you to tell me _everything_ that happened in there," the Hokage gently commanded.

And so she did. Even details that Ino had found relatively useless at the time, Tsunade heard every one of them, taking note of anything that might be of important. She told Tsunade about the strange experiences she had in Naruto's memories, of past, present, and future. She was a little hesitant to mention seeing one of her own clan treating a younger Naruto with disdain, but Tsunade insisted she leave nothing out.

When she got to her meeting with Naruto, however, Tsunade leaned forward, and listened with rapt attention. Her eyebrows descended further and further across her brow, more and more thoughtful of these strange happenings. These kinds of things had never happened with anyone Inoichi had ever looked into. Was this because Ino was inexperienced in the technique, or was this something to do with the Kyūbi itself?

"Naruto did not recognize you?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Ino shook her head. "No, he didn't. He started to trust me early on, though. He kept saying that Mother and Father said he could trust me if I smelled alright to him. Tsunade-sama…why was he like that?"

"You mean like a fox?" asked Tsunade. "It's difficult to say. It might be a way his subconscious is handling his comatose state. There have been stranger cases of patients compensating with something their mind might be comfortable with. However, it could also have something to do with the Kyūbi itself. I am very disturbed by the idea that he is holding Naruto prisoner."

"How is that possible?" Ino sat further up in her bed. "The Kyūbi is sealed _within_ Naruto, not the other way around. How could it have that kind of power over him?"

"The Kyūbi's influence is incredibly powerful, Ino. It's been a miracle Naruto has remained in control as long as he has, considering some of the problems the other villages have had with their own jinchūriki in the past. He may be sealed within Naruto, but he can still greatly affect Naruto's mind, especially when it's weakened like it is now. Naruto's mental defenses are down. This is a dangerous situation right now. The Kyūbi has free reign to influence Naruto however he please."

Ino covered her mouth with her hand. "What can we do about that? We can't just sit here and let it do that to him!"

Tsunade nodded. "Trust me, I agree with you. But I've seen firsthand what could happen to someone if they try directly interfering, as you did. I can't imagine what could happen if someone was trapped in there longer than you were. We're not doing that again."

"But Tsunade-sama! We—l"

"That's only risking one life for another, Ino. There are other options available to us, options that we'll explore while we wait and see if anything more can be learned about this situation."

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed. "The added paradigm of the tailed beast always makes medical diagnosis that much harder. It interferes in ways I never could have dreamed of, and it rarely allows a simple solution to any problem. Perhaps if Naruto didn't have to contend with the Kyūbi for its chakra, he wouldn't even be in a coma in the first place."

She stood from her chair. "You need to stay and rest, for at least a few more hours. I'll go see to Naruto and discuss with Shizune what we might be able to do for him. Perhaps a chakra injection will help fight the Kyūbi's influence. Best case scenario, it pushes him out of his coma."

Tsunade started to leave, but Ino stopped her. "Then what's the worst-case scenario?"

For a moment, Tsunade said nothing. Her fingers drummed against the doorway, anxiously. Finally, she turned around and said, "Worst-case scenario: Naruto has to find a way out himself. But if he has no memories of his old life, and if he's weak enough, he might never wake up."

* * *

><p>The smell of the forest made Naruto feel alive.<p>

Mother had woken him far too early for his liking, nosing him in the stomach. Naruto had growled at her, rolled over to his other side, and feigned deeper sleep, hoping she might leave him for a few more hours. But Mother was persistent, and forced Naruto his feet.

With a great yawn, Naruto sniffed at the air. Even in their little burrow, on their pile of leaves, he could smell the morning dew outside, and could hear the loudest of the birds singing their morning songs. A call to wake up and explore, to see all the strange sights and smell all the strange smells.

Suddenly, Naruto was glad Mother had woken him up.

He squinted away from the sunlight when he crawled out of their burrow, flapping his ears to try and blow the sun away. Mother laughed softly behind him, and pushed him further out of the burrow, so that she herself, with Father close behind, might have room to squeeze out.

Mother was always doting on him. Feeding him when he got hungry, leading him to the stream when he was thirsty, and when Naruto awoke in the middle of the night, with nightmares of fire and blood, Mother would comfort him, wrap him up in her warm body, and make him feel safe, until sleep claimed him once more. He loved Mother, just as she loved him.

Father was quiet. He did not say much, but Naruto always felt safe with him. He would watch Naruto with amusement as he explored the forest, turning over every rock or looking into the hollow of every tree, hunting for their secrets. He gave Naruto gentle encouragement when he needed it, and space if Naruto asked for it. He loved Father, just as he loved him.

Today, Naruto wanted to go to a different part of the forest. The "super-scary" part as he had called it, was filled with thorns and hooting owls, and the trees were so thickly clustered that the sun rarely pushed through. But Naruto wasn't afraid. He had Mother and Father with him, and they would keep him safe.

"Mother...is there anyone else like us?"

They were on their way to the darker part of the forest, but it was a walk away, so Naruto thought to ask a question that had been burning at the back of his mind. In his dreams, and sometimes even when he was awake, Naruto would wonder if there were others like him, other Narutos, and other Mothers and other Fathers. Were they the only ones in the forest, besides the birds and the bugs and the other tiny animals that could not speak?

Mother watched him carefully. "What do you think?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment. "I think there are lots of them. We just haven't found them yet. Do you think they're like us?"

"I think that you're right. There are others out there, just like you and me."

"Really? Will we ever get to meet them? Will they be my friend?"

Father smiled. "If you are theirs."

Naruto smiled back. Maybe if they did lots of looking today, they might find them, and Naruto could ask them what it was like where they lived, and what they liked to eat, and where they slept, and a million other questions.

The passed by a rotting log, and Naruto insisted they stop to look around. The musty smell of mushrooms and moss made Naruto's nose tickle, and he liked to run through the hollow of the log, attempting to avoid the drips of water from last night's rain.

There came two new smells, and Naruto stuck his head outside to investigate. Crawling alongside the top of the log was a beetle, of a kind Naruto had never seen before. He leaned in closer, sniffing at it. It smelled familiar.

The beetle crawled up the side of his nose, in between his eyes. It watched Naruto, just as Naruto was watching it.

"I think you made a new friend already, Naruto," Mother said with a smile.

Naruto's nose crinkled, and the beetle moved to the top of his head. "I guess so. He seems alright. Can I take him with me?"

"If he wants to come along," Father said quietly. "Just remember to let him down if he wants to go back on his own."

Further into the forest, Naruto invented a new game. Trying to run as fast as he could, the beetle would try to hold onto the top of his head, and just when it might fly off onto the ground, Naruto would stop, and the beetle would struggle to keep its balance. It hissed at him every now and then, not as big a fan of the game as Naruto was, but it didn't seem to bother him too much.

They passed a dog too. Naruto was excited at first, thinking it was like him, but when he got a better look at it, with its dull brown fur and sharp black eyes, Naruto didn't give the dog much else thought. The dog, however, took to liking Naruto, and whenever Naruto would turn around, the dog would always be close by, watching him and maybe seeing if he could get closer. Eventually, Naruto grew tired of this, and growled at the dog to try and make him go away, but the dog would not be turned away, and eventually, Naruto gave up, and decided to let the dog get a little closer. It was slow, but the dog was starting to grow on him too. Mother and Father seemed to like him well enough, as well.

And then they were there. The forest stood darker and colder before them, and Naruto felt the breath of excitement fill his lungs. The beetle and the dog didn't share his enthusiasm, and decided it was time they took their leave. The beetle crawled onto the dog's muzzle, and they slunk off back the warmer, brighter part of the forest, with the stream and the birds and the squirrels, with the sunlight and the clouds. Naruto let them go. He wanted to be brave. He wanted to see what was hiding in the dark.

"Be careful in there," Mother reminded him. "Don't go too far, where we can't see you, okay?"

Naruto didn't reply, but he knew Mother understood that he understood. They would be waiting right outside, and he would go back to them if he needed to.

The forest was dark and gloomy, and the smells were cooler to his nose, but he liked it. There was a sort of serene silence here, without all the birds and the stream making so much noise. He could hear every leaf crunching underneath his feet, and the sound of his own breathing as he leapt over rocks and under fallen branches.

There was another sound. He turned his head.

Another fox was looking at him, bigger than him, even bigger than mother and father. Fur the color, with burning red eyes, it watched Naruto, staring at him in silence.

Naruto hesitantly took a step back. The other fox growled, baring its teeth.

He jumped after Naruto, closing the distance between them faster than Naruto thought. He turned around, and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. He ran and ran and ran, with the other fox hot on his heels, snapping at him with sharp teeth and growling at him. Naruto had never been so scared before.

He called out for Mother and Father, but they didn't hear him. He tripped over a root, and fell to the ground. The other fox was upon him, pinning him down with two claw-covered hands. Bits of drool dripped down onto Naruto's face, and he squirmed under the larger fox's grip.

Suddenly, the bigger fox went for Naruto's throat, and he acted without even thinking about it. His own teeth were bared, and he snapped shut against the larger fox's throat before it could do anything. It pierced the skin, but it looked like it only made the fox angrier, and he shook Naruto off, slamming him against a tree.

Naruto's skull reeled from the impact, but he was back on his feet and off again, running faster than before. The adrenaline was pumping now, and the fox grew smaller and smaller into the distance behind him. Eventually, when Naruto dared peek behind him, he could see that the larger fox had stopped chasing him, and was only watching him, as he had before.

Naruto burst back into the warmer part of the forest. Mother and Father were not there. He was alone. He cried out to them, hoping to see them nearby, but they didn't answer his cries. They were gone.

He heard a twig behind him snap, and he spun around, baring his teeth. He tilted his head to one side, confused.

A very strange creature was standing a ways away. She stood on two legs, not four, and had this strange colored hair: purple in some places, and yellow on top of her head, that was long and reached down to her back. In other places, she was actually naked, and Naruto was sure he had never seen so strange a creature.

'_Who are you?'_ he asked.

"Is that you, Naruto?" she replied.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I rarely get to gush, but it's time I recommended you to another wonderful story! Two this time, actually.

She's new to the scene, but **Sprint to Finish **has already compelled me to add her to my Favorite Author's List (a great feat, considering I liked that every list I had was four, lol) with her masterful Naru/Hina one-shots. One, a light-hearted AU with a look into how Naruto might woo the Hyuga's heart. Another, a poetic introspective piece with a focus on Naruto's and Hinata's shared pain. Both were an absolute joy to read, and I sincerely hope you'll take the time to check them out. Her name is **Sprint to Finish**, and the one-shots are called **That'll be Five Dollars** and **Do You Hear It?**. Go check them out NAO._  
><em>

I hope you'll offer your suggestions (see Beginning A/N for details). I've also got a surprise for you guys come Thursday, a.k.a. Valentine's Day. Hmmm, I wonder what it could_possibl__y_ be?

If you liked what you read, or even if you didn't and want to let me know, I hope you'll drop a review off. I would ever so appreciate it.

Until next time.


	55. Chapter 55

**Author's Note: **Work.

Even as I write this now, I'm rushing it so I can get back to work. School decided to rev up the old 'fuck you' machine, and dumped all kinds of stuff on me at the same time. To be honest, I'm surprised I got this chapter out as soon as I did.

There are probably 5 unanswered PM's in my inbox, and like thirty reviews that I want to respond to, but don't have the time. I can't even remember what's due and what isn't, and it's all just really stressful right now. There might be a lot of errors in this chapter too. I hope not, but there probably will be. Big thanks to **OGAFazer89AC** for pointing out several of them at the beginning, and for suggesting some new ideas for this chapter. They turned out nicely.

Don't expect another update in 4-5 days. I have other matters I need to attend to, and while I _will_ be working on it, it won't be enough to have it done in the usual time frame. Maybe just _maybe_, but I doubt it.

Because of this, I tried to make this chapter filled with things you would be interested in reading. There are several 'woah' moments, I'd like to hope, and I also hope you feel the same. If not...well then, fuck me.

I also wrote another one-shot, for those who are interested! Shameless advertising, yes, but I don't really have the mental capacity to tip-toe around it. It's called **My Love For You Grows**, it's NaruHina, and if you haven't read it yet, I hope you will. I'm quite proud of it.

Anyway, there isn't any music to get to, so we'll just jump right into the chapter. There's probably 50 things I'm forgetting about here anyway, but I can't remember any of them. I think my brain is about to explode.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three - Chapter 3: Something Something none of you give a shit about the titles anyway. i'll come up with one later.<strong>

A flock of birds flew by the window, catching Sakura's eye. Their stark black feathers contrasted against the grey sky above, like a dark ripple moving over the clouds and out of sight.

She sighed, turning back to the machine. The steady beeping was rhythmic, and maybe there had been a time when she would have found the sound to be soothing. But not when Naruto was the one laying on the bed, motionless. Sakura would rather it be the erratic sound of someone waking up, or someone pulling the sensors from their chest, and giving her their widest smile, telling her that everything was going to be alright. That was what she wanted, not the steady beeping that reminded her that he was not awake.

How long had it been since Naruto had fallen under? The days had started to bleed into one another, and Sakura was beginning to have difficulty remembering the day they had come home, a comatose Naruto in their tow. Every day, she awoke early in the morning, lacing up her sandals and making sure she was clean all over, before heading to the hospital. Tsunade rarely gave her missions that took place outside the village anymore. She was constantly needed at the hospital, picking up the pieces of whoever might be returning from their own mission.

Sakura began to loathe her duties. Every time she worked with another patient, no matter who they were or what they had done, she wanted to scream at them and tell them to get over it. What had they ever done for the village? Had they ever nearly gotten themselves killed defending thousands of people who once may not have cared whether they lived or died? She did not think so. It was a foolish, childish way of thinking, but Sakura could not shake it off of her.

Naruto didn't deserve to be in a coma. Hinata was right: he shouldn't be in here, cooped up all day, with the shades drawn and covered in shadow. He needed to be out there, in the sunlight and with the people he swore to protect. There were days she just wanted to beat against his skull until he woke up. There were days that anything seemed better than just sitting around and waiting.

Tsunade had shared with her the details of Ino's attempt to learn what was keeping Naruto under, and of the Kyūbi's cryptic threat that he himself held Naruto captive. The Godaime had been cautious not to repeat their mistake, since Ino had nearly been injured despite the only connection between them being mental. Inoichi had volunteered as well, but Tsunade had denied him. Not until they had learned more about the situation, Tsunade had said. Risking one life for another was no way to act. Sakura felt bad every time it crossed her mind that were she Hokage, she would let Inoichi try his hand in an instant. _Anything_ was better than just sitting here.

There was a skittering sound across the floor, and Sakura felt the little paws of Miso against the back of her leg. Bending over, she scooped him into her arms, and scratched behind his ears while he watched Naruto in silence.

The pup had initially distrusted Sakura, the first time she had tried to check the machines monitoring Naruto's condition. He had growled and snapped his teeth at her, and would not let her get any closer. Thankfully, this had been before Hinata had left the village, and the Hyūga had eased the pup's mind, and Miso had slowly become accustomed to Sakura's daily schedule, at least understanding that whatever she was doing at least wasn't hurting Naruto. He had become something of a guard dog for Naruto, sniffing and inspecting anyone who came into the room, unless it was Hinata or Sakura. He trusted the two of them, but everyone else needed to go through him if they wanted to visit the young man.

"What do you think, little guy?" she asked, putting him on the bed. "Naruto feeling any better today?"

The dog yipped, and waddled over to give Naruto's face a good licking. His tanned cheeks glistened, but he didn't react. Still, Miso wagged his tail. Maybe Naruto was having a good dream right now. At least that would give both of them some comfort.

There was a knock on the door, and Sakura craned her neck around. Ino was standing in the entryway, giving Sakura a half-smile. She knew that Sakura had taken Naruto's condition hard; she just didn't know how to make her feel better about it.

"Hey, Ino. What's up?"

"Tsunade wants to see the both of us in her office as soon as possible. I passed several other people getting the same message on my way here, so whatever it is, it must be important."

Sakura looked back at Naruto

""He'll be fine, Sakura. You don't need to worry about Naruto. Maybe he'll even wake up while you're gone!" A weak attempt at raising Sakura's spirits, but she knew Ino was just trying to help, so she gave her longtime friend a smile, and headed for the door.

"You'll take care of him while I'm gone?" she asked Miso, who yelped with as much authority as a growing dog could have. Sakura left the door open, just in case the dog needed to leave, maybe to use the restroom, or to go back home if he got hungry. She made a mental note to start keeping a little of his food at the hospital; he was there almost as much as she was.

"Sakura? Have you been listening?"

Ino had been speaking to her. Sakura flushed red. "Sorry! I was just thinking about something. It's nothing important. What were you saying?"

"I was _saying_ that I'm worried about you. You're parents are worried about you. Tsunade-sama mentioned that there have been several nights where you don't even go home even if your shift is over for the day. You just stay with Naruto, keeping yourself busy with who-knows-what."

Sakura forced a smile. "It's okay! You don't need to worry about me. I'm just making sure that he's alright. When he wakes up, I can make sure he's not confused."

"Naruto knows how to find a nurse," Ino insisted. She was looking at Sakura in an odd way. Maybe not with outright condescension, but it certainly wasn't something good. "You've been spending too much time there, Sakura. Naruto will be fine when he wakes up. He doesn't need you doting on him all the time."

"I'm at the hospital most of the time anyway. Ino, it's not that big of a deal if I just stay a little longer to keep an eye on him. I…I promised Hinata that I'd tell her as soon as Naruto woke up."

Ino was not convinced. "So that means you have to lose sleep, miss meals? Hinata can wait just a little longer to find out if Naruto's woken up. Stop hurting yourself just to—"

"_When _he wakes up!" Sakura hissed, suddenly angry. "_When_ he wakes up. And when he does I want to be there."

"Why? Sakura, are you sure you're okay?"

"Would you stop asking so many stupid questions? What about you, huh? Why did you even think it was a good idea to try and figure out for yourself what was wrong with Naruto? You could have gotten killed! How do you think Naruto would feel if you had died doing something so reckless like that." Her blood boiled. Ino was being so nosy, just like she always used to. Maybe if she kept her big mouth shut, and just listened once in a while…

Ino frowned. "Tsunade-sama wanted to give it a try, and I want Naruto to wake up just as much as you do. You think just because you've known him longer you can act like this?"

Sakura suddenly realized how petty she had been acting. Her eyes dropped to the ground, and for a moment's time, neither said a word to the other. "Ino…I'm sorry. This has been hard on me."

"It doesn't have to be so hard. You have an entire village willing to be there for you. You just have to be a part of it." Ino put her hand on her friend's shoulder, offering her some comfort. "Look, I know Naruto's going to wake up too. That was just me using the wrong words. But I'll be honest: this seems like more than you just wanting to be there for Naruto when he wakes up, whether for yourself _or_ for Hinata."

Sakura chewed at her lip until she could taste the slightest hint of blood in her mouth. Of course it was more than that, it had been since day one. But she could tell Ino; Ino wouldn't understand. Maybe, _maybe _Kakashi would understand where she was coming from, but Sakura had a feeling he would not know what to say, and only make the matter worse. For now, she wanted to keep this quiet. Ino might only spread it around, and the last thing Sakura wanted was everyone stopping her in the middle of the street making sure she was okay. They should be worried about Naruto, not her.

She forced another smile, in her whole body. "Don't worry about, Ino. I'm just a little tired. Look, how about I go to bed early tonight, and you promise you'll stop worrying about me. Is that alright with you?"

For a few tense seconds, Sakura feared that Ino saw right through her, as Yamanaka had a habit of knowing what their friends were _really _thinking, but Ino just shrugged her shoulders, rolled her eyes, and playfully slapped Sakura on the back. "Fine! That's a start, but I don't want you pushing yourself anymore, okay?"

"Deal."

They turned the last corner, and saw several other people heading inside the Hokage's building, definitely more than who could fit in Tsunade's office comfortably. Ino and Sakura shared a look; what on earth could the Hokage want with so many of their shinobi?

People were being redirected to the large conference room, the largest one in the building. With every step closer, they could hear the noise of other ninja just as confused as they were, everyone from medical ninja to genin to jōnin and everyone in between.

Oddly enough, the first person they spotted hanging out in the crowd was the one who didn't seem the slightest bit worried, though with the bored expression on his face, you wouldn't be able to tell that Shikamaru was thinking _anything_.

"You guys got dragged here too?" he asked, seeing them head his way. "Man, whatever's going on, I can tell it's gonna be more trouble than it's worth."

"Getting out of bed is more trouble than it's worth for _you_, Shikamaru," Ino groaned. "But I suppose beggars can't be choosers. You have any idea what she wants with all of us here at the same time?"

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders, flecking a speck of dirt from his sleeve. His small eyes darted around the room, and it was clear to the both of them that he had been thinking about the same thing since he got there. "My guess is it involves all of us, in a way. Even though it might have been easier to just send out letters or something like that, Tsunade wanted to get everyone in the same room, to tell them something that they could talk, or complain, about the moment we were finished her. I imagine that whatever it is, everyone's going to be talking about it for a long time."

Sakura shifted uncomfortably on her feet. She did not like the sound of that at all.

The door slammed open, and in walked Tsunade, looking worse for wear. After another hissed out question from Ino, Shikamaru took a guess and said that she's been at this for a while, and was probably getting more and more frustrated with this process, whatever it might be, with every group she brought in here. By now, he figured, it might be best to keep their mouths shut.

"Okay everyone, shut the hell up and gather 'round!" Tsunade swaggered into the middle of the room, shoving through anyone that was unfortunately caught in her path. Everyone else, seeing how seriously she was taking this right from the start, hurried over to the massive conference table on the other side of the room. The quickest stole seats wherever they could; the smartest realized it might not be that good of an idea to be that close to Tsunade.

"What is this about?" one impatient genin blurted out loud, his voice cracking through the crowd like a whip. Everyone fell silent, glad there had been one idiot willing to say what they had all been thinking.

Tsunade glared at him with sharp bronze eyes, but thankfully, remained in her seat. She took a deep breath, pulled out an absolutely enormous file, and flung it across the table. Files of dozens of shinobi spilled out, and from the way some people started to murmur amongst themselves, they had seen passing glances of their own files, or the files of their friends.

"You're wondering why you're all here, and I'm going to tell you," Tsunade began, lacing her fingers in front of her mouth. "Several weeks ago, I had a very important discussion with the other Kage. By now, most of you should be aware of what happened in Suna. The attack on the village, and the brave shinobi from this very village who risked everything to save it."

By now everyone was whispering to one another, with several people pointing to Shikamaru and Sakura in particular. A cheer was roused, and everyone gave them a round of applause. Sakura waved, grinning awkwardly. Shikamaru tried to hide behind Ino, grumbling under his breath.

"It reminded us how powerful we can be if we combine our forces and knowledge, if we abandon the outdated practices of keeping to ourselves, and working only towards our own goals. I cannot say what the future has in store for any of us, but it will be a rapidly changing landscape, and I mean to go with the flow, instead of letting this village drown in it."

"That being said," she continued, "is why I and the other Kage have decided to attempt a social experiment. A brand new method for strengthening our villages, as well as the ties to each other we sought to create with the Alliance. You have been called here because either you, or someone you know, has been selected for a special program that exchanges the shinobi from each of the five villages, and trades them to one another."

The room exploded like a firework. Friends looking for teammates, people loudly asking their own personal questions, and the loudest voices were those of the opposition. "We can't be traded around like possessions!" one man roared, to the agreement of several others. "We're people, not property!"

The file hit him full in the face, sending papers scattering across the room. Tsunade folded her arms, glaring at him. "What does that paper say?"

"I…I d-don't—"

"Pick it up and tell me what that paper says." Tsunade's voice was dangerously quiet; the kind of quiet that hits just before you were violently tossed out of the building.

The man lunged to the floor, looking for any of the fallen documents. Several of his friends scooped up any of the others, and he struggled to organize them before he was put through a wall. Tsunade tapped her fingers against the table, waiting impatiently.

"It's just my personal information, Tsunade-sama," the man muttered, unsure of what the Hokage was looking for.

"Oh? What is your rank?"

"Genin, Tsunade-sama."

"And what is your age?"

"I'll be 33 next month, Tsunade-sama."

"And what about your place of residence? What does it say there?"

"I live here, Tsunade-sama, in Kono—"

"You live in Konoha!" Tsunade suddenly roared, leaning across the table and snatching the file away from him. "You are a shinobi of Konoha, and you will do your duty as a shinobi. Of. Konoha. Do I make myself clear?"

The man nodded like his life depended on it, and slunk into the back of the crowd, just in case she might have thought about making a fool out of him again later on.

"Did everybody hear that? Are there going to be any more arguments? You are shinobi of Konoha, and the strength of our alliance depends on _you_. To forge bonds between our villages that will last generations, we must begin now. To withstand any evil that seeks to destroy us, we must begin now. Something is happening in the world, and I don't like it. We need to be ready, and it's time we started acting like an allied world, with more than just pen and paper. It's time we took the next step."

Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for any dissent or confusion. Perhaps there were those who were scared or confused, but for now, they dare not say anything that might invoke her wrath.

"I do not mean to isolate you from your own people. The recommendations for each individual have been carefully considered, and there are those who will be visiting people they have worked with before, while others will be traveling to one of the other villages with former or even current squad mates. This does not apply to everyone; we have done the best we can with what we have."

"Who's making these choices?" another asked, stepping forward. "Are you allowed to pick who goes and who leaves? Or are the other villages demanding certain people, and we were forced to accept?"

Tsunade shook her head. "That's a good question, but you need not worry. While there have been certain individuals who have been specifically asked for, even pushed for, we have not accepted anything that might be used against us."

To Sakura's surprise, the Hokage turned to her. "Allow me to give an example. Sakura, Sunagakure was astounded by your medical ninjutsu prowess, and insist you travel to the Sand for the duration of this assignment to help teach many of the other medics they have. You'd be in the top medical position of the village, even more so than their current head medic."

Sakura flushed red as several people offered their congratulations. But Tsunade held her hand in the air, silencing them. "But I would not give you to them. You are far too valuable here. Instead, Gaara and I made a compromise. There will be many of the Sunagakure medical staff coming here, where you will teach them as much as you can. To compensate, several of our own medics will swap places with them, to make sure that Sunagakure is not crippled medicinally."

There were a few murmurs in the crowd; people were starting to agree with the situation they had been presented with.

"While there are those that have been deemed unfit for travel for a varying number of reasons, no one rank is safe. Jōnin, Chūnin, Genin, Medics…all of you have been considered, and all are expected to go where they have been sent with no complaints."

Tsunade stood up, and several people had to back away to make room for her. She started to move through the room, talking with each one of them like they were the only person in the room. "But that is only half of the agreement. Just as I am sending you out to other villages, other shinobi will be sent here. From Suna, Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa, shinobi of all kinds will come to our village. They will learn about how we live, and who we are. It is the jobs of those who stay behind to make them feel welcome, just as it is the job of those who are leaving to put their best foot forward. If I hear anything, and I mean _anything_, about old feuds rising to the surface, or that you are treating those who have left home and family behind for the sake of their village badly…I will _personally_ kick your ass up one side of the village, and down the other. I will take the Will of Fire…" she rolled up her sleeve, and made a _very_ lewd motion with her arm, "and I will shove it so far up your ass, that it will no longer shine. Do I make myself clear?"

"YES, TSUNADE-SAMA!" everyone cried in unison.

The Godaime almost smiled. "Good. There have been several desks set up in the offices alongside the hall leading to this room, separated alphabetically. You'll find if you're being assigned anywhere, as well as where you will end up. If you have any questions, questions that the people working those desks cannot answer, please find Shizune. If Shizune can somehow not tell you what you want to know, then feel free to come to me, if I am available. However, if you have any inkling of simply wasting my time…"

Everyone shook their heads as fast as they could.

"So we're all agreed then?"

Everyone nodded their heads as fast as they could.

Tsunade grinned in approval. "Good to hear. Now, if that's everything, you're all—"

"What is this bullshit!?"

Everyone turned to the sound of the door slamming against the wall as it was slammed open. A murmur rose from the crowd, and Sakura's jaw dropped to the ground.

Kiba Inuzuka was standing there, bristling with anger. The young man had always looked fearsome when he wanted to, but due to recent events, coupled with the look in his eye, he looked downright terrifying.

Throwing himself in front of Hinata had saved her life, but at a very dear cost. Shrapnel punctured many places throughout his body, and Suna had been ill-equipped to properly patch him up, forcing treatment to be held off until they had returned to Konoha. By then, the damage was permanent.

The blast had been powerful, strong enough to blow off most of his left arm from the elbow down, leaving nothing but a stump behind. The same was true for his left leg as well, and until a proper prosthetic was made, there was little he could other than hobble around on crutches. They had offered a wheelchair the first time he had woken up, and Kiba had nearly put the man through the floor in protest.

But the worst of it was his face. Wood and metal shrapnel had shredded a great deal of the flesh around his right eye, leaving gruesome scars. The eye itself was now completely useless, and although fresh bandages had been applied every day that Kiba had been stuck in the hospital, each time he awoke he tore them off in anger, growling that since he was already an animal, he might as well look the part. He had fashioned a patch from some torn cloth since he was out in public, but the edges were rough and jagged, and when he snarled, you could see the scarred flesh peeking through.

Sakura had to force her stomach to calm down. She had not gotten used to it yet, despite having cared for him since their return to the village, when she was not with Naruto or at home. In fact, Sakura seemed to be the only one Kiba had allowed anywhere near him, scaring away most everyone else. He had always looked at her strangely, watching her as she washed his wounds and applied fresh bandages. There had been a few times where she thought he might say something to her, but he always stopped just short, biting his tongue, and holding his silence.

Obviously, it had taken a lot of effort to get this far from the hospital, as he was breathing heavily as he stood in the doorway, and the bandages covering his leg were starting to unravel. People could see the dried blood underneath, probably from where he had exerted too much effort, and began to whisper amongst themselves as he hobbled into the room, leaning against the wall for support.

"What's going on?" he demanded, nostrils flaring. "The whole fucking village gets called in to these meetings, all except for me? I'm not dead!"

Tsunade was livid. "You _cannot _be serious. Did you honestly think I would force you to travel in your condition? What the hell are you even doing out of bed anyway? Your physical therapy doesn't end for several more months!"

Kiba winced in pain with every step. Sakura could tell that the only reason he was even still awake right now was pure stubbornness. He was likely to stay up until he got what he wanted, or until Tsunade knocked him to the floor.

"Fuck the physical therapy! I'm standing right now, aren't I? If I can stand, I can walk, and if I can walk, I can fight. You leave me here, you're calling me weak!"

"I'm not calling you anything!" Just as predicted, Tsunade kicked the crutch out from under Kiba's arm. Flailing, he crashed to the floor, and Sakura turned her head away in disgust. Angry tears sat in Kiba's eyes, having been humiliated in front of half of the shinobi in the village.

"You're lucky to be alive, you little shit!" Tsunade roared, grabbing him by the collar. "If it weren't for Sakura, you'd be a corpse right now. And you're telling me that you can fight in this condition? Do _not _go squandering the life Sakura managed to squeeze out of your useless hide. If you weren't so hard-headed, and had stayed in the village in the first place, none of this would have happened! Sakura!"

The girl jumped to attention, nearly tripping over herself. "Yes, Tsunade-sama!"

"I don't care if you have to beat him bloody, I want him back in his bed this instant! I want him gone! I WANT ALL OF YOU GONE!"

Everyone pushed elbow to elbow to rush out of the room as fast as possible, while Sakura stood impassively by the other wall, waiting for it to clear out. Soon, she and Kiba were the only ones left inside. Tsunade acknowledged neither of them, standing by the window until Sakura heaved Kiba back onto his crutches, and practically dragged him out of the room; he was cursing the entire time, struggling. But Sakura was far stronger than he was, and there was little he could do other than hang onto her shoulder, and try not to fall again.

* * *

><p>They kept silent the entire trip back to the hospital. Sakura had gotten used to it by now, but she could still smell the rubbing alcohol on him, and some of the caked blood on the bottom of his leg. He grumbled something under his breath every now and again, but other than that allowed Sakura to lead him wherever.<p>

It wasn't until they actually got back to the hospital, and he could see his room down the hallway did he start to struggle. "Let me go," he grunted, pushing against her arm. "I can get there myself."

The look she gave him would have had anyone else pissing themselves. "Shut. Up."

She practically threw him against the bed, and he fell onto the sheets, faced first.

"What is your problem?" Sakura exploded, her face turning red. "Tsunade-sama's right! You shouldn't be _walking_, let alone demanding to run off to another village to fight! Have you completely forgotten everything you told me that day?"

He froze, but said nothing. Sakura rubbed her eyes, and shook her head.

"You're not weak. What you did for Hinata proves that you're anything but. Hell, at least you're not in a coma." The words bit back, and Sakura regretted them instantly. That was a low blow, comparing him to Naruto, who might have had something to say about all this. "Look, what I'm trying to say is—"

"You're the only one who cares."

Sakura stopped. Kiba had flipped over on his back, pulling himself into a semi-sitting position and propping up on his elbows. He had that look in his eye again. This wasn't the Kiba she knew. He looked…vulnerable. There was something else in the way he stared at her, and Sakura shifted her weight, suddenly feeling light-headed.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" she asked, not sure she wanted to hear his answer.

"Everyone else seems to have forgotten about me," Kiba said, with not even the littlest bit of defiance in his voice. He sounded dejected, resigned. "Shino, Hinata…even my own family. They don't care about me anymore. Not the way you do."

Sakura felt angry again. She took a step forward. "You _know_ that's not true! Your mother and sister have been here every day they can, and Shino's spent the night here several times, making sure you were being taken care of. Even Hinata showed her face her more than I did, and she had Naruto and her dad to worry about!"

"She's gone from the village now, isn't she?"

Sakura sighed in exasperation. "Yes, but that has nothing to do with you, you moron." She took another step closer, and felt light-headed again. "Would you stop making me so worried about you all the time?"

Kiba shook his head. "I don't think you're worried. I think it's something else."

Sakura moved even closer. "What are you talking about? You haven't been taking too much of your pain meds, have you? Kiba, that can have serious side—" She couldn't speak anymore. Not with his mouth covering hers.

It happened before she had any time to react. Kiba hungrily pressed his lips against hers, and she could feel his tongue tapping against her own, a tongue she did not remember letting in. She wanted to stop, to shove him away and beat him bloody as Tsunade had suggested, but something caught her around the legs, and Kiba had no part in it. _Something _was keeping her there.

Finally, he let her go. He stared at her with that weird look in his eyes, and she slapped him across the face, hard. She slapped him so hard his ears rang, and the scabs on some of his scars peeled away, and began to bleed. It trickled out from underneath the patch of cloth covering his eye, rolling down his cheek like a red tear.

"You…you shouldn't have done that…" Sakura muttered, stepping away. "You…"

She didn't finish her sentence. Sakura turned on her heels, and ran out of the room. Kiba let her go, leaning back against the headboard. He sighed.

'_That could have gone better…'_ he thought to himself, scratching at his eye. He wanted to chase after Sakura, maybe see if there wasn't some way of making sure that she wouldn't kill him the next time he saw her, but nothing came to mind. In all the scenarios he could think of, Kiba Inuzuka was a dead man walking.

He chuckled to himself. _Walking_. That almost seemed like a joke, albeit a cruel one. A prosthetic would be made, they had told him, and he'd be able to walk around like nothing had ever happened. But he would know something had happened. He would always know.

"Regretting what you did?"

He turned towards the voice. The first thing he saw was the giant body of Akamaru leap up on the bed to greet him. His faithful companion licked his face, whimpering. He heard someone else, and Kiba craned his neck to find Kurenai walking into the room.

"So that's where you ran off to…" Kiba said to himself, stroking Akamaru's fur. He had run off the moment Kiba had started hobbling his way towards the hospital, and only know did Kiba understand that Akamaru left him to retrieve Kurenai, who he guessed might have been able to stop Kiba before he got there.

As if to answer his concerns, Kurenai slowly made her way to his bedside. She eased herself onto a spot on the bed that wouldn't hurt Kiba, and then she slapped him against the back of his head. Not hard, but enough to make him notice.

"You're the second woman to do that to me today," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"I don't know what you did, but if Akamaru was willing to leave you to come get me, it couldn't have been good. Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to sit here and figure it out for myself?"

She was smiling, but Kiba knew she wasn't joking. Those red eyes of hers had a way of getting the truth out of people, and to be honest, he wasn't in the mood for that right now.

"I may have…well, I sort of pissed off Tsunade-sama again."

Kurenai sighed loudly. "You said you made her angry _again_. You never should have made her angry in the first place. Kiba, do you know what you did when you left the village? The sheer amount of disrespect and disobedience that shows—"

Kiba lifted his severed arm into the air, waving the stub in front of him. "Trust me, Kurenai-sensei, I know what I did."

"You know I wasn't antagonizing you, Kiba. I was scared to death when they told me what happened to you. If it weren't for Sakura and Tsunade-sama…you wouldn't be here right now, and I wouldn't be asking you what you did to make her angry."

"Who? Sakura or Tsunade-sama?"

Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Okay, apparently you made Sakura upset too. I thought I saw her run out of the room. Well, we'll get to that later, but first I want you to tell me what happened between you and Tsunade-sama."

Kiba fussed with Akamaru's fur in his hand, avoiding eye contact with either of them. Eventually Akamaru shoved his massive head up underneath Kiba's chin, and whined. Kiba gave up.

"It's not fair!" he said, bunching his hand into a fist. "All the training I did, all that hard work…and they still think I'm weak! And now look at me. I'm some freak of nature. Half a man more than anything else!"

"That's not true. No one thinks you're weak."

"Oh yeah? Then why is everyone else taking part in this shinobi transfer program, while I get sidelined? I could handle it easy! I mean, I made it to the Hokage's building like this!"

"Which was stupid, by the way," Kurenai interrupted. "But Kiba, you're _wrong_. Just because you're not being included in the program doesn't mean anyone thinks you're weak. In fact, it could be the opposite."

Kiba tried to hide his interest, to no avail. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, what if Tsunade considers you too valuable to let go? You're one of the best trackers this village has, Kiba. Even the Byakugan has its weaknesses. Everyone has their strengths."

Kiba felt foolish, unbearably so. How had he not considered that? Maybe Kurenai was just telling him these things to cheer him up, but Kurenai did not lie to her students. She had always believed honesty was key in shaping young men and women into adults able to understand the world around them. She certainly seemed sincere as she sat there in front of him, smirking.

"You seem surprised. Tsunade-sama has her reasons for everything, Kiba. Some of them are unpleasant, but it comes with the job. I would not be the least bit surprised to learn that you were to remain here because Tsunade did not want you in the hands of the other villages. She might even be bringing other trackers from all the other villages to train under you."

"As if!" Kiba scoffed. "Now you're just trying to flatter me. There's no way they'd do that, not with my mom still around."

"Your mother has her own duties to attend to, Kiba. And your sister is just as busy. You'd be the only one, and you and Akamaru are rumored to have the potential to become the sharpest noses in your family. I'm _not_ just saying that to make you feel better, by the way."

"All I'm saying, is that it is our job as shinobi to see what's underneath the underneath. Look before you leap. Exercise a little caution. You're impulsive; you always have been."

Kiba smiled at that. "Yeah, it's one of my greatest flaws, I guess!"

"I'm glad to see your mood is already improving. I doubt Tsunade-sama will just leave you to stew about all this, so you might should expect her in here in the next few days, just I expect _you_," and she accentuated this by pinching his cheek, "to apologize to her for being so rash. Tsunade is a kind woman, provided you are kind to her. You owe her some respect."

"Yeah yeah, I get it!" Kiba said, rubbing the red spot on his face. "I'll apologize the very next time I see her, won't I Akamaru?"

His canine companion would make sure Kiba kept his word, and barked happily in agreement.

Kurenai nodded. "Good. But we're not done yet. Kiba, you are _not_ weak, and you don't need the approval of others to get there. Didn't you yourself decide that you needed to stop trying to surpass Naruto, or anyone else, and focus on trying to surpass yourself?"

"H-how do you know about that?" It was a silly question. Hinata was always talking to Kurenai about whatever might have happened in the past few days.

Kurenai laughed as she looked at the expression on her former's student's face. "Yes, Hinata told me. Have you already forgotten about that?"

Kiba frowned. "I guess…I guess it's harder than I thought it would be. I'm selfish, aren't I? Always wanting to get everyone's attention. I'm just like Naruto_ used_ to be. Always looking for attention."

"We're human. You might be selfish, and that's a hard habit to break, but you can do it if you put your mind to it. It helps that you're so stubborn."

They both laughed.

"Besides," Kurenai continued, "I have a feeling you'll get the recognition you deserve. You _do_ know an entire event was held in yours and Naruto's honor right? Tsunade-sama gave quite the speech."

Kiba shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, they told me about it. I just can't shake the feeling that Naruto was in the spotlight." _That_ sounded petty and selfish, but Kiba was tired of trying to hide it, or pretend he wasn't. Kurenai was right; it was time he tried giving it up, for real this time.

"And how would you feel if Naruto Uzumaki, the hero of the Leaf Village, got on his hands and knees and praised you until the sun came down? What you did for Hinata…he'd be eternally grateful."

"I didn't do it for him," Kiba insisted. "Hinata's just as much my teammate and friend as she is his girlfriend. I don't know why I went, actually…I was just sitting there in my backyard, hanging out with Akamaru. Something just kind of convinced me to go, you know?"

"It was a horribly reckless thing to do, but I'm happy you did. Hinata was here even when you weren't awake too, and there wasn't a visit where she didn't go on and on about you. If you hadn't shown up, she might not be alive to thank you. I'm sure she will again the next time she sees you."

"Now…" she put her hands on her hips. "Do you want to tell me what happened between you and Sakura just now? It couldn't have been good. I saw the look on your face when I walked in, and Sakura didn't seem too happy when I passed by her earlier."

Kiba rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, that's actually a _really_ long story, Kurenai-sensei."

"I've got the time."

"Or you're just really curious…" Kiba grumbled. "To tell the truth, I'm almost as confused as you are. I feel like…well, that's the problem. I don't what this is I'm feeling. It's weird and I don't like it, but I've always acted on instinct. This time it just bit me in the ass."

"I think I have an idea of what happened now," Kurenai said, all too familiar with the way Kiba's mind worked. "Something tells me that Sakura wasn't happy that you did…_whatever_ you did."

"No, she didn't. At least, that's what it looked like when she slapped me across the face and ran out of the room."

"Sakura might be more confused than anything, Kiba. She's going through a lot right now, and this is just another thing to stress about."

"But I can't be the only one!" protested Kiba. "I've seen the way she looks at me, even when she _thinks _I'm asleep and everything. I don't know, it just felt like the right thing to do! I bet she won't even talk to me anymore…"

"You're thinking to lowly of the both of you. Sakura's bound to come back here eventually. She works here, and that would just be too much for her to try and forget that it happened when you're just down the hallway. And you—" she said, pointing a finger at his nose, "Need to relax. You're only thinking she won't come back because you think maybe you're not worth the time."

Kiba grinned, scratching at his cheek. "Nah, that _can't_ be it!"

The two shared a laugh, and Kiba leaned back against his headboard once again, smiling. "How do you do it? You always know how to cheer a guy up."

Kurenai patted his shoulder. "I had a lot of practice. I used to have this team, you see. They weren't a very talkative bunch, besides _one of_ them, so I had to learn how to get through to them."

"Speaking of which, I have to go to take care of a few things, but Shino should be coming by later today, so you won't be alone much longer. Do you need anything?" she asked.

Kiba shook his head, shuffling further down into his bed. "Nah, I think I'm good." He waved her away, with a smile on his face. "Go now. I have no further need of you."

Kurenai playfully punched his arm, and stood from her chair. "Things have a way of working out for the best, Kiba. I wouldn't count yourself out just yet."

* * *

><p>Naruto suddenly felt a cold nose tickling him under the stomach. He growled, bared his teeth at whatever it might be, and rolled back over on his bed of leaves. Five more minutes, surely.<p>

His peace didn't last long. The cold nose found its way back onto his belly, and he shivered from side to side, trying to wriggle free. Whoever this nose belonged to, they did not want him to sleep. He cracked an eye open, ready to give them a piece of his mind.

Mother stared back at him, pawing his back. It was time to get up, her eyes were saying, but Naruto was confused. He suddenly realized that he was on his pile of leaves, his bed, and was back in his burrow with Mother and Father. A worm crawled in between his paws, and he shook it free with a squeal of surprise. Mother laughed, but Naruto wasn't very happy.

"What am I doing back here?" he asked, getting to his feet, and shaking the dirt from his fur.

"You fell asleep," Father told him, "We brought you home."

"Where were you? You were supposed to be there with me when I went into the dark part of the forest. There was this really big thing, and he chased me away. You weren't there."

Mother sat on her hinds legs. "We wanted to be there for you, Naruto, but that is a place we cannot go. We can keep you safe here, but the dark part of the forest is a place only you can go."

"I can't go there anymore. That thing will chase me away again. I think he wanted to eat me."

"You must go back, Naruto. There will come a time when you have to go back to the darkness, and face your fears. "

"She is right," Father added, stepping forward. His gaze was calm, but firm. "There will come a time where you will throw him out, and you will make the darkness go away. You will defeat him, and he will be forced back, into an even darker part of the forest."

Naruto was amazed. "There's a place that was even darker? What is it? Is that where he came from?"

"It's where he must go, and that is all that matters. That is up to you, Naruto. We can help, but only a little. It is up to you to defeat him, and force him into that darkness."

"How am I supposed to do that? He's so much bigger than I am! He'd squash me! Why can't you and Mother do it? You could both beat him if you teamed up, you know?"

Mother shook her head. "We cannot go in there, Naruto. Only you can. This is something that you have to do yourself. If there was another way—if there was a way we could help you more, we would. But we are growing weaker with every day."

"And soon we will be gone."

Naruto drooped. "What are you…talking about?"

"Our time with you is limited, Naruto. We spent as much time with you as we could, but the time has come for you to do what needs to be done. The monster must be pushed back, so you can retake control."

"What do you mean your time is limited?" Naruto parroted back, ignoring the monster for the time being. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I don't want you to leave!"

"We didn't want to worry you." Father was looking at him curiously, with serenity and pride. Naruto felt a sense of familiarity in the way he looked at him, but could not think of why. "If we could have spent more time with you, there would have been nothing we'd have liked more, but it is time for you to move on. We will help you in any way we can. After all, that is all a parent can do for their child."

Naruto's eyes widened. Something tugged at the back of his mind, threatening to spill out into his brain and reveal some truth Naruto was sure dogged away from him, but it would not come. He could only sit there, hurt and confused.

"What…do I have to do?" he said after a time. "How can I beat something like that? He's so much bigger than me, and stronger too."

"You have your friends to give you strength," Mother told him. "They can help you much like we can. With all of us, you can do it."

"Friends? Like who?"

"Do you remember that girl who visited a few days ago?" Mother asked. "Well, she was a dear friend of yours, even if you don't remember it. People like her can help you if you let them. I know you feel lost and angry and confused, but it will all come back to you soon. I promise."

Over the new few weeks, Naruto realized that Mother and Father were telling the truth. With every passing day, they grew weaker. They couldn't go outside with him as many days as he would like, and spent much of their time sleeping. Naruto would wander the parts of the forest he knew well, thinking about what Mother and Father had told him.

It didn't make any sense. He was small, and helpless. How was he supposed to fight and beat a monster that big, hiding in the dark part of the forest? He had been so scared when it chased him out, with his sharp claws and jagged teeth. It was impossible. It had to be.

But when he would come home, Mother and Father would be waiting for him, and they would tell him how proud they were of him, and they knew he was strong enough. He began to feel bad about using his time away from them to play and explore, trying not to think about what they wanted him to do. He began to understand.

The trees surrounded him now, as he stood in the middle of the forest. The birds had fallen silent, and the stream did not reach his ears. It was a painful, crushing silence.

His foot moved. Than another. And another. He began to run, to where, he did not know. The trees rushed past him, faster and faster, until they were only a blur.

He leapt. High into the air, one of the trees came rushing forward to meet him. But Naruto was not afraid. Somewhere, deep inside, he knew what to do. Somehow he had always known.

His feet landed gracefully against the tree's trunk, and with a single fluid moment, he pushed away from it, towards another. The branch reached out towards him, offering a foothold, and Naruto took it. He took to the air.

The forest burst into life. He heard sounds he had never heard before, voices calling out to him. Some familiar, others foreign and confusing. They gave their voice to the trees and the stream and the bugs and dogs and earth and sky. A world of communication.

Anger. Naruto felt anger, towards the monster that had weakened Mother and Father, that had driven him away. He was no coward. He would not be bullied by shadow and claw.

In a fit of rage, Naruto thrust his hand towards the tree he stood upon. But it was not fur and claw that met against the surface of the wood, but a fist. Five fingers, curled into a ball.

He pulled back in surprise, and fur and claw returned. His eyes narrowed. There was more to this, hanging at the back of his mind, just as Mother and Father had told him. The hand…he knew it was his own.

"You are ready," a voice from behind told him. Naruto whirled around, but it was only Mother and Father, watching him.

"How can I be ready?" Naruto asked. "I haven't done anything yet. I've let you down."

But Mother shook her head. "No, Naruto. You were _always _ready. You only needed to realize it." There was a flash of light, and for an instance, Naruto did not see Mother. He saw something else, standing on two legs like the girl from before. Her fur was long and red, just as before, but her face was different, with pink flesh and a beautiful smile. The light burnt away, and Mother returned.

"It is time for us to go, Naruto," Father said. "We have given you all we can. You will be by yourself, but you will not be alone."

Another flash of light, and Naruto was surrounded. He saw the girl again, and dozens of others that looked like her. They were like shimmering masses of smoke; he could reach out and touch them, but they only slipped through his grasp. Who were they? Why did they look so familiar?

Mother and Father were gone, replaced by more of the two-legged creatures. The woman stepped forward, and took Naruto into her arms. She did not slip through him, as the others did.

"We are here for you Naruto. All of us."

Naruto blinked, and realized that he too stood on two legs. His fur and claws were gone, replaced by fleshy fingers and toes. In the woman's grasp, he stared at them. This was him, there was no doubt. Memories deep within his mind began to rise, and soon they would reach the surface.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am your mother, Naruto, and you are my son." She smiled at him, and Naruto knew she was telling the truth.

Father stepped forward, and Naruto felt something flash in the back of his mind. He knew Father, but could not force the memories back. "It is time for us to go, Naruto. We have done all we can. The rest lies with you."

They all started to drift away, like the wind was pulling them back into the forest. Naruto felt Mother begin to slip in between his arms, and he reached out for her, but she could not be held.

"I don't want you to go!" he cried, supporting himself against the tree. "Please, don't leave me!"

Mother smiled. "We'll never leave you, Naruto. We'll always be with you."

Just before she flittered away, into the wind and sun, Naruto suddenly felt the urge to ask her a question. "What's your name?"

Mother disappeared, but he heard her voice tickle his ear. "Kushina. I love you, Naruto. Be safe."

The forest fell silent once again, but Naruto did not remain still. Almost on their own, his feet leapt from the tree, and he began jumping from branch to branch, straight towards the darker side of the forest. The blood pounded in his ears, in his chest, and in his heart. He could hear nothing but the sound of his own breathing.

The dark, deeper part of the forest rushed into view, and Naruto flung himself headlong into it. He landed on two feet instead of four, and searched the darkness, trying to find the monster.

"Get out here!" he shouted, spinning in place. "I know you're hiding in there. You and I have unsettled business."

"**YOU WERE NOT MEANT TO WAKE YET," **a voice said from the darkness. **"YOU WERE MEANT TO REMAIN IN MY THRALL, UNTIL I SAW FIT TO RELEASE YOU."**

Naruto did not understand what the voice meant by that, but he hid his confusion. "Too bad. Get out here, or I'll come in there and find you."

"**WHY? SO YOU CAN RETURN TO THAT PATHETIC EXISTENCE YOU CALL A LIFE? EVERYTHING YOU AND YOUR KIND DOES MAKES NO SENSE TO ME. DRIVEN BY MOTIVES ENTIRELY FOOLISH. ENTIRELY…HUMAN. YOU'RE WEAK, YET YOU CONTINUE TO FIGHT. IS THAT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE STUBBORN, OR STUPID?"**

The brush behind him rustled loudly, and the fox emerged, burning bright in the darkness. It leapt towards Naruto, baring his teeth, but Naruto rolled out of the way. When the fox pounced again, Naruto forced his foot into the fox's stomach, sending it sprawling against a tree.

The fox grunted in pain. **"INSOLENT CHILD. I COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED. A FAMILY, THE CHANCE TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS WITH THAT GIRL. INSTEAD, YOU CHOOSE REALITY? YOU CHOOSE A LIFE OF PAIN AND DEATH?"**

"It's no life if you're the one controlling it!" Naruto growled. "I won't be trapped here anymore!" The words had little meaning to him, but in the back of his mind, he knew they were the right words to say.

The fox roared in anger, and jumped at him once more. Claws extended, he shredded Naruto's arm, splashing blood against the both of them. But Naruto grabbed onto him, and smashed him against the ground.

The fox's tail suddenly whipped into view, and tossed Naruto aside like a toy. Before Naruto could get his bearings, the fox was upon him, pinning him down on either side with his clawed hands.

"**I WILL NOT LET YOU LEAVE!"** he yelled. **"NOT UNTIL I UNDERSTAND WHY? WHY? WHY WOULD YOU RISK YOUR LIFE FOR SOMEONE SO WEAK? STRENGTH IS ALL THAT MATTERS IN THIS WORLD. STRENGTH AND POWER! WHY WOULD YOU GO SO FAR?"**

The beat shook Naruto against the ground, his eyes feral and erratic. Naruto ignored him, and struggled to escape his grasp.

Something rough touched his palm. He looked to the side, and saw a stone in his hand, pointed and hard. Something he could use. A weapon.

With a cry, Naruto slammed the stone into the beast's head, sending it tumbling head over foot onto the ground away from him.

"I owe you nothing!" Naruto yelled, and he was enveloped in a bright light. The forest burst into action. Branches and roots erupted from all sides, grasping the monster, binding him. The beast roared and growled and fought against his shackles, but he began to weaken. They started to drag him underground, and the forest began to darken.

"**TELL ME! TELL ME...TELL—" **The beast was gone, disappeared under the earth.

Naruto's vision began to blacken. The world around him melted away, replaced by an endless expanse of nothingness. But there was a shape, off in the distance. A person. A girl.

Hinata.

Naruto suddenly gasped for air. His body felt weak, and he could move no matter how hard he struggled. Light poured into his eyes, but instead of a forest and a stream and sky, he saw a ceiling, heard the beeping of machines, and felt the comfort of a bed beneath his back.

He heard a gasp of surprise come from his right. His muscles would not obey him, but he could still see the nurse standing frozen in the doorway. In her hands was a clipboard, before it clattered to the floor.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Like I said above, I hope you found this chapter very eventful, since the previous two seemed to have been just okay in your opinion. I can't say when you'll see another new chapter, but hopefully it will be soon. Please go check out my new one-shot, **My Love For You Grows**, if you haven't already. I would wholly appreciate it.

Back to work. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Heeeere's CODARAM.

God, I need a break.


	56. Thunderstruck! Violet-Eyed Girl!

**Author's Note:** Sorrryyyyyyy.

I'm sorry this chapter is late. I'm sorry it's not as long as you're used to, and I'm sorry if it doesn't completely blow you out of the water. This past 10 or so days has been hell.

My workload has lessened, but not evaporated. The next update might be late, but this time only by a day or two. Midterms are a bitch, amirite?

This chapter introduces some new elements into the story, but I think I have enough surprises for you to enjoy yourself. You'll also find considerably less errors from now on, as I now have a betareader! **kylekatarn77** has gone above and beyond, and spied out errors that I never would have noticed, and gets them back to me with surprising speed. I look forward to a long and prosperous partnership, so give him a thank you! (the second half of the chapter might still have some errors, because I edited it myself since I wanted to get this to you soon.

I really want to thank you guys who have taken the time to review. I'm not going to lie; I've had my low points several times since I started this story, and more often than not they had nothing to do with school. To see that so many of you take time out of your day to say a little thank you...it means a lot.

I hope you like the chapter. If not, please tell me what I can improve. There's no music, so let's just get to it.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 4 - Thunderstruck! The Girl With Eyes of Violet!<strong>

"Kisame-senpai, are we there yet?"

"…"

"Kisameeeee-senpai, I asked you a question. Do I have to cut the answer out of you, _partner_?"

The thinly veiled malice was not lost on Kisame. He turned on one massive heel, and bared his teeth at Suigetsu. "You're an annoying little pest. If Tobi hadn't wanted you to come with me, I would have left you for the crows months ago."

"Who's saying I'd let you?" Suigetsu countered, scratching at his ear as if the threat meant nothing. "I bet you couldn't even get one scratch on me."

"You want me to take you up on that bet, kid?"

"I want you to try."

Kisame snorted. He realized his hand had been sitting on the hilt of his greatsword, Samehada. This boy had crawled under his skin more than he originally thought, and considering the thickness of Kisame's skin, that was quite an achievement. His hand fell back to his side.

The mist was starting to grow thicker around them. They had departed the Mountain's Graveyard several weeks ago, and had been lazily making their way towards the Land of Water; more specifically, Kirigakure. They usually traveled by night, which suited the both of them better than during the day. Neither of them enjoyed the company of strangers for very long, and while Kisame was openly hunted, Suigetsu was liable to garner his own reputation just by slaughtering anyone stupid enough to get close to him. Not like Kisame would have any intention of stopping him. This trip could use for a little excitement.

The Land of Fire was slowly beginning to fade away behind them, the rich forests and sun-kissed plains growing damper and murkier with every kilometer they traveled. They were walking in the middle of a marshland currently, stepping over mud and pools of green water to find stable footing. They both felt right at home.

"What? Lost your nerve?" Suigetsu asked, still hoping for a little bit of 'late-night' sparring between Kisame and himself. Maybe Kisame had the age and experience on him, but ever since they had left the Graveyard, Suigetsu had been practicing. He had felt like a fool since their scuffle in the Land of Wind with the Konoha shinobi, and didn't plan on losing that badly anytime soon. Never, if possible.

"We don't have time for a fight, nor am I in the mood for one," Kisame growled. "We'll be working together for quite some time. Might as well try to play nice."

"Yeah, that's not really my thing," Suigetsu informed him, swinging his own sword through the air, desperately wishing there had been something in his path he could cut. "But hold on a sec…we're gonna be working together? Does this mean you actually plan on telling me what it is we're doing once we get to Kirigakure? Sitting around without any idea has started to get a little old."

"I had thought you would have figured it out by now," Kisame said with a yawn. "But seeing that you were just asking me if we were at Kirigakure, I shouldn't have overestimated your intelligence like that. I promise it won't happen again." He smiled, and rows of razor-sharp teeth shined in the moonlight. Suigetsu considered smashing the blunt side of his sword into those teeth, but at the last minute, his better judgment caught the better of him. For now, he could use Kisame's help in getting the other swords together, which had been the only reason that Suigetsu agreed to go along with Tobi's plan.

That was before, though. Before Kisame had let slip that Suigetsu would actually be extremely important in what Tobi had planned for the village. At first, his 'partner' had been intentionally vague on the details, just to annoy him, but he couldn't keep Suigetsu in the dark for too much longer. They would reach Kirigakure soon enough.

Kisame seemed to agree with his thoughts, for that's when he decided to speak again. "Your brother was quite the warrior, wasn't he?"

Suigetsu smiled with pride. "Better than I was, at least for a while. I heard he mastered all of the swords before he kicked the bucket. Is that true?"

"As true as you want it to be, provided you're lenient with your definition of the word 'mastered'. The kid had talent, that's for sure, but he lacked the chakra reserves for some of the…pickier of us."

Samehada practically growled behind him. Mangetsu Hōzuki's chakra had been deliciously dark, but not very filling. At least, that's what Kisame told Suigetsu. Suigetsu, in the meanwhile, gave the sword a weird look. "This thing talks to you? I'm not gonna have to listen to it when I take it off your corpse, am I?"

Such confidence. Kisame almost thought it was amusing. _Almost. _"Not if it doesn't like you, and trust me, if it doesn't like you, you'll know. It may just get you killed if it doesn't like the taste of your chakra, and yours might be a bit too watery for its' taste."

"We'll see." Suigetsu suddenly realized that Kisame had brought his brother up out of nowhere. Something fishy about that, and not just because his partner was a walking pile of scales. "Any reason you decided to bring up my brother, or are we just sharing about family? I bet when the doctor saw you, he slapped your mother instead."

Kisame chuckled. "I bring up your brother because he was part of your clan. Not many of you left, are there? Are you the last one, or can I expect there to be a few more of you smart-mouthed brats in Kirigakure?"

"My father's an ANBU for the Mizukage," Suigetsu revealed casually. "I haven't seen him in a long time now. He never really saw eye to eye with me or my brother."

"Will he be a problem? I wouldn't mind getting the chance to cut at least _one_ of you into ribbons."

Suigetsu didn't even blink. "Nah, we're just of differing opinion. He was always proud of my brother for becoming part of the Seven Swordsmen, said he was doing Kiri proud, but when Mangetsu died, he just of stopped caring. That's why he joined the ANBU. Didn't want to the recognition anymore. He just wanted to disappear. Wasn't helping me with anything anymore, so I ditched. Got stuck with that snake bastard, the rest is history."

"Why are you so interested in my family?" Suigetsu suddenly asked, suddenly curious why Kisame was asking all these questions. "We're not exactly best buddies, you know. Is there something I should be aware of?"

"Your ancestor was the second Mizukage, right?"

"Yeah, and even further back, a Hōzuki was the very First Mizukage. What of it? Dad used to talk about them all the time; I think the Second was my grandfather or great grandfather or something. Not all clan members are directly related, so maybe Dad was just bullshitting to make us look better, and he wasn't as closely related as we thought."

"Still, they were well-liked by the villagers, weren't they? Your ancestors ruled over the village quite well, and many considered those early years to be their golden years."

"If by golden, you mean piss-colored." Suigetsu scowled. Bureaucracy had always irritated him. Better to carve a politician in two and find the information he was likely hiding from you, rather than kiss his ass until he willingly gave it up.

"You might change your tune in a few months' time."

Suigetsu didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean by that? You expect me to start up politics? Become some pencil-pusher? I came here for the swords, not to help you or anyone else. If you want my help, I expect something to gain out of it."

Kisame laughed. It was an eerie sound, as they trudged through the marshes. "Oh, you'll have your gains. After all, I think it wouldn't be too hard to procure the other swords once you become the Sixth Mizukage."

Suigetsu almost tripped and fell face-first into a pile of muck. "Excuse me?" he asked. "Did I hear you right, or is there mud in my ears?"

"You heard right, kid. It's time a Hōzuki reclaimed the power of Kirigakure."

* * *

><p>Her blood dampened the wood in front of her. It dripped from her hands, it crusted around her knuckles, and pooled at her feet. Were it not for the blood, Hinata would have forgotten she was human.<p>

She grunted with every blow, slamming her fist or her palm into the base of the tree. Her hands were numb. She no longer felt the pain. Not the physical pain, anyway.

It was the middle of the night, with a cloudless sky watching over her. A gentle breeze wove its way through the branches of the forest, filling the cold air with sound. Hinata paid the night no attention. There was only her blood.

Suddenly, she let out a cry, a horrible, agonizing sound. Her strength left her, and she fell to her knees, breathing hard as her bloodied arm fell to its side. The other, she smashed against her temple. Out. She wanted those images, her _memories_ out, gone forever.

Hinata had approached the campfire with apprehension, the night her father meant to finally reveal what he had told Naruto before their mission to Sunagakure, before he had fallen into a coma, and could not tell her himself. What was it that they shared? Did Hinata truly have any business knowing this? But Naruto's face always came rushing back to her, frozen and silent, and her resolve was renewed again. Even now, she could hear his voice in her head, over and over again.

"_Before you and Naruto left for your mission," Hiashi began, shifting on the log that served as his seat, "he had asked several times about your mother."_

"_My mother?" Hinata repeated, clutching at her sides to ward off some of the cold. "What did h-he want to know?"_

_Hiashi's face was grim. "He wanted to know why she died. Why I was so protective of you, and if the two were related. He was concerned for your safety, just as I was."_

'_You were obsessed with my safety,' Hinata wanted to correct, but she held her tongue. There was no room for strife between them. Not tonight._

"_And I promised to tell him one day, though at the time I did not realize that it would be so soon. I did not expect Tsunade-sama to pair you on another mission so soon, especially after what happened the first time you traveled to the Land of Wind together."_

_Hinata subconsciously brushed against her scar, when Naruto had unknowingly struck her in his Kyūbi-induced rage. The flesh had long since healed, but each time her fingers grazed the surface, Hinata felt like it was not her own skin._

"_The day you came to settle with me, was the day I revealed to Naruto all I know about your mother's death. "_

_Hiashi stopped for a moment. It was no easy task, to tell of what had happened to his wife, and Hinata felt pity for the man before her. She could not even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose Naruto, to not even have the chance to be by his side before his body went cold…it was a terrible thought._

"_As I have told you, your mother died as a shinobi of Konoha, on a mission of great importance for the village."_

"_And now you mean to tell me what that mission was?" Hinata finished, her heart thudding in her chest. Something felt wrong. She couldn't shake the fear that gripped at her body, tightening her breath and stiffening her muscles._

_Hiashi nodded. "Yes. In the middle of the night, a boy was kidnapped from the village, stolen under our very noses. Your mother was one of the finest trackers in the village, and was summoned to the Hokage with several others to chase after the kidnappers, and return the child to the village."_

"_How c-could someone kidnap a child?" Hinata asked, more to herself than to her father. Hinata understood all too well what that felt like; Kumogakure had tried numerous times to retrieve a Byakugan for their own, including several attempts to steal her own, through kidnapping or otherwise. She remembered how frightened she had been, and her heart went out to whomever this child was, forced to endure the same thing as her._

"_The mission was shrouded in complete secrecy. Your mother and the rest of her team tracked the child to almost a dozen kilometers away from the village, in the middle of a clearing." Hiashi did not speak for a moment, and Hinata was frozen with fear._

"_The child….w-was he—"_

"_The child was unharmed. But that was only discovered after yet another team had been sent from the village, when your mother's never returned. It had been a day or two, and everyone was getting anxious."_

_Hinata's head fell to her chest, and her hands wrung in her lap, trying to hold back the torrent of emotion that threatened to spill over. So this was what had happened. Her mother had died, defending a child from foreign attackers. But…why had it upset Naruto the way it had? She was not sure she wanted to know, but Hiashi was not done._

"_The other team arrived to find a massacre," he told her, his mouth drawn into a thin line. "There was not a single body that could be recovered, only scattered remains. Even the clearing itself, as I had told you, had not been a clearing when the second team arrived. It had been in the middle of the forest, and was only cleared from the monstrous battle that took place. Your mother's body was no recovered, though there were traces of her blood present."_

_It was hard to fight the tears that threatened to spill over, but Hinata fought with all her might. The story was becoming harder and harder to hear, and she desperately hoped her father would not lead this tale where she feared it would be led._

"_Hinata, the boy was the only survivor. We found him in the middle of the devastation, covered in the blood of several of your mother's team, as well as his initial kidnappers. He was lost, hungry, and had no idea what was going on around him. He passed out moments after the second team had arrived, and remembered nothing by the time they returned to the village. The Hokage refused to reopen the case, and your mother's death, as well as at least 4 others, has remained unsolved ever since."_

"_P-please…don't say it…" Hinata could almost see the hate in Hiashi's eyes. Not for the boy, but that he must be the one to tell his daughter the truth._

"_Hinata…the boy was Naruto."_

_She remembered screaming at him, kicking at him, and wailing. Hinata had been at the edge of an abyss, and she allowed herself to fall in. Anything to shut out those horrible words._

_Hiashi tried to speak with her. "Now you know why I was so frightened, daughter! He was only a child, then! It was likely the stress of the ensuing battle around him forced control over the demon out of his hands, and he—"_

"_Shut up!" Hinata screamed, tears openly spilling from her eyes. "Shut up! Naruto-kun would NEVER do something like that! He would never! Never!"_

"_Please, Hinata— you must see reason! I do not hold it against the boy any longer! You have shown me that he meant no harm, even if he was the one who is responsible for your mother's death, albeit indirectly."_

_To hear him outright say that Naruto—HER Naruto-kun, had been the one to take her mother away from her…it was too much for Hinata to bear. She had jumped to her feet, and disappeared between the trees._

And here she remained. Her knees wobbled as she tried to get to her feet, but she leaned against the tree for support, gritted her teeth, and rose. Seconds later, she was back to slamming her hands against the base of the tree. Her mind said training. The rest of her body screamed otherwise.

What was she to think? What was she to _do_? This was not something that happened to people. This was meant to stay a story people told to each other to scare them into peace. Hinata loved Naruto with al her heart, as she had for a long time. But so had she loved her mother, and to hear that one had taken the other away from her…

'_No!' _a voice in her head shouted. _'Naruto-kun did not do this! You know it's not true. Naruto-kun is NOT the demon he holds inside himself. They are not the same person.'_

'_But she was your mother!'_ This voice was dark and deep; the selfish corners of her mind stirred. _'He has hurt you in the past when he lost control. Now you finally know that it was not the first time! All those years of crying, lost and in pain…was it not his fault? Was it not Naruto that forced you into your shell? Imagine what your life might have been like had Naruto not killed your mother!'_

'_Imagine what your life might have been like if you hadn't met Naruto!'_ the first voice urged, soft and sweet. _'He is your light, what keeps one foot in front of the other when everything else seems against you! He brought you laughter, and happiness! He is NOT the monster within!'_

'_But there is STILL the monster! What is stopping it from freeing itself once again? It could take Hanabi away from this time, or Naruto himself! The beast will not stop.'_

"S-shut up…" Hinata whimpered, her voice having long since turned hoarse and weak. She sounded like another person, wearing her skin. The voices bickered bitterly with one another, two sides of Hinata, and she did not know which one to listen to. She was lost, and afraid, and where Naruto would have brought her comfort, she did not know what the sight of him might bring now. Anger? Hatred? She shuddered at the thought.

Hinata turned her back against the tree, and slid down the trunk until she was sitting against its roots, her head in her arms.

She didn't know what to do anymore. She felt so weak, so lost…she didn't want to train anymore, she didn't want to fight, she didn't want to do anything but crawl into a deep, dark hole, and stay there, letting her problems run wild.

"Hinata? Are you okay?"

She jerked her head up in surprise, and nearly recoiled. Naruto was sitting in front of her, legs crossed, like there was nothing wrong in the world, nothing at all.

Hinata almost laughed. She must have fallen asleep again, exhausted by everything that had happened that day. This had happened one or two more times since the first, and they used to be something Hinata hoped for every time. This time…she was not so sure.

Unconsciously, she scooted away from him. Naruto made a face, a face he tried not to show, but Hinata saw it all the same, and was again conflicted

"Hinata…I'm s-sorry. I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing _to_ say," Hinata mumbled. "Not until I f-figure this out for myself. Naruto-kun…I still care for you, more than you can ever know, but…"

"I was hoping there wouldn't _be_ a 'but', Hinata."

"What am I supposed to do!?" her voice was loud and harsh. It was something she never wanted to hear directed at Naruto. "Even if all of this is a mistake, _even if_…You kept this from me. You knew about this for such a long time, and you thought it was best to hide it? She was my mother! I deserved to know what happened to her, and not from someone like m-my father!"

Her fingers wrapped around a pebble, and she feebly tossed it in his direction. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"What do you _want_ to think?" Naruto asked.

"I want to think that all of this is a lie, that someone made a mistake. Father told me that no one actually saw what happened, so maybe…"

Hinata thought about it more. Her father had _promised _to tell her the truth, he swore it, and it came from his own lips that they only saw the aftermath of what happened. It did not rule out the possibility that whatever Hinata was told happened, was what her father concluded happened. The evidence pointing towards Naruto was strong, with the blood and his own circumstances, but still, Hinata began to feel a creeping doubt in the back of her mind.

"M-maybe I was too hasty," she began, inching a little closer towards Naruto. He smiled, and welcomed her to his side.

"I bet we'll have a lot to talk about when we get back," Naruto said with a smile. "I may not know what I'm thinking right now, but if your dad told me the same thing that he told you, I'd have my doubts as well. I don't know, it just seems like something I should remember."

"It's enough for me," Hinata told him, leaning against his shoulder. "Until I get back, and we can find out for ourselves, it's enough to know that something may be wrong."

"I hope you won't be too mad at me." Naruto shifted against her, uncomfortable. "I probably really wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to worry you. Guess that makes me kind of a hypocrite, huh?"

"Yes, it does," said Hinata bluntly. There was no point in dodging around this detail; Naruto had kept this from her, despite his own disinclination to being led along. There would be a long discussion when Hinata returned, and it would be hard enough to think about without her own training to do.

But during this short time, Hinata's motivation to fight came rushing back. She had been just as before, if not worse, when her father had brought her the truth of her mother's death. Scared, lost, crying…Hinata did not want to be like that anymore. Not when she had people she needed to protect. She could not afford to be weak. Not anymore.

"What are you doing?"

Hinata snapped awake at the sound of the foreign voice, and instead of Naruto, she saw a girl in front of her. She couldn't have been more than two-three years younger than Hinata was, but there was a very traveled look in her violet eyes, a look that Hinata was not entirely sure she was comfortable with. Dressed in simple traveler's garb, mostly black, the only other possession this girl seemed to have was a pack she slung over her shoulders, more than likely with supplies.

And that was the odd part. Even shinobi weren't sent out alone when they were this young, not unless there were special circumstances. But this girl had no headband, nor did she even look like she knew what she was doing out in the middle of the woods. Just…passing through.

"Excuse me?" Hinata asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What are you doing?" the girl repeated, picking her nose as she spoke like there was nothing odd about it. "You're out in the middle of the woods talking in your sleep. I wanted to see what you were saying, but you talk really quiet."

"Uhhh…thank you, I guess." To be perfectly honest, Hinata wasn't all that confused; she had been through far weirder situations in recent memory. "If you don't m-mind my asking, what are you doing out here in the middle of the night? All by yourself, too? Don't you have anyone with you?"

"What are _you_ doing out here in the middle of the night, all by yourself?" The girl questioned for the third time. She wasn't likely to leave Hinata alone until her query was answered.

"I'm training."

"What kind of training?"

"A special kind of training, for my family."

"Who's your family?"

Hinata blinked. "I answered your question. Now you answer mine, please."

The girl seemed to consider it for a moment, before rapidly shaking her head. "Nah, I don't think I want to."

"Uhmm…why not?"

"Because you're weird," the girl informed her, as if that wasn't rude to say. "Talking in your sleep is weird. But thanks for asking."

Hinata blinked again. "Do y-you want to come back with me to my camp? My father and I can feed you tomorrow morning, if you'd like."

"What if I was hungry now?" the girl asked.

"I suppose I c-could wake him if you really were—"

"I'm not actually hungry right now. I'm just going to keep going." And just like that, the girl started to walk away.

"W-wait!" Hinata called after her. "It's dangerous to travel alone!"

"I'll be fine!" the girl with the violet eyes called back. "You can go back to talking in your sleep now!"

She disappeared before Hinata could say anything more, and when she shifted her weight to one side to peek around the base of the trees, the girl was gone.

Hinata wandered back to their camp, utterly confused. For some reason she had a feeling that this would not be the last time she ran into this girl, though she had absolutely no idea what might happen upon their next meeting.

She slept well enough. On days Hiashi meant to travel, he allowed her an hour or two more, since that meant he would be allowed more time as well. Breakfast was plain, but filling, with buttered bread and an orange for more nutrition. Hinata was finishing off the last few of her bites in silence, while her father worked to clean up the camp.

"Hinata, do you still wish to find slips of chakra paper? For your training?"

It was a little peevish acting like last night had not happened, but Hinata could at least understand his position. Were they in opposite places, Hinata would be just as lost on what to say or do. She nodded silently, and a little bit of juice trickled down her chin.

"There is a village a few kilometers from here," he informed her. "Our supplies have started to wane, and it is clear to me that whether or not this is as strict of a Dairyokō means little to you. I can understand, however, that the results of your training are what's most important. Because of this, we will try to find what you are looking for. But I would not get your hopes up. Strips of chakra infused paper are a tool of a shinobi village, and are more than a rarity anywhere else."

Hinata nodded, making a mental note to keep her expectations in check. Still, she felt the spark of excitement spread through her body. This was something no Hyūga had ever attempted before, and it thrilled her to be 'breaking the mold', as she saw it. There were also other opportunities being presented here. A village would offer more security and comfort, allowing Hiashi to relax a little. Hinata did not like where they had ended their discussion, fully aware that was of her own doing, and wished to find some kind of closure between them before they restarted their training, and her father was back to barking orders.

She would have started immediately as they traveled, but it was clear from the beginning that her father did not wished to be disturbed. He kept his eyes firmly rooted to the path in front of them. She could see his eyes harden every now and then, and Hinata felt bad. Bringing up the death of his wife must have been hard, maybe even harder than Hinata took it as her daughter. She hadn't known her for nearly as long as Hiashi had, and although her relationship with her had been very strong, it more than likely paled in comparison to her bond with Hiashi. The Hyūga head had never been a hugely emotional man, but Hinata remembered times during her childhood when Hanakō had been alive where Hiashi would smile and laugh almost as much as Naruto did. They were few and far in between, but they had existed. Now, Hinata was lucky to see the man sneer.

They walked for most of the day, and it was nearing the evening by the time the outskirts of the village came into view. A popular destination spot because of its scenic views, the village took advantage of the increased traffic by setting up many shops for travelers, and prided itself on providing good service, a far cry from the cheap tourist traps that attempted an imitation.

Hinata felt the pangs of homesickness strike her heart when they walked through the gate. She hadn't a single other person since the start of their journey, not counting that strange girl Hinata met in the forest. Perhaps she would see her here somewhere.

During the winter, while the Land of Fire didn't get incredibly cold, it still forced a chill onto the lower areas, and instead of the colorful lamps of the summer, shopkeepers and other businesses took to stamping torches into the ground outside their doors. People would crowd around them during conversation, and the owners hoped they would be enticed to come inside and inspect the store's wares. Hinata herself felt her body being drawn towards a delicious smell, cinnamon and spices, crisp pine scents…her legs started to move towards the shop.

Hiashi's hand latched around her wrist. Not a tough grip, but a far cry from the gentle excitement Hinata had come to expect from Naruto. "We cannot wander, Hinata. Be on the lookout for chakra paper, and I will look for a proper store to garnish more supplies, but that is _all_ we have come for."

Hinata nodded, almost sadly. It would have been nice to do a little window shopping, even though the only money she carried with her was some she had left in her bag from her last mission. More than likely it wouldn't be able to purchase anything more expensive than a snack. Hiashi gave her some additional funds, but she dared not use it for anything other than chakra paper, provided this village even had any.

As her father disappeared into the crowd, following his sense of smell to the market, Hinata found herself aimlessly wandering. It might have been easier to ask a passerby if they might know where to look, but all these people looked far too busy to be bothered. They were running back and forth, permanently in a hurry. It was busy and exciting. Naruto would love it here.

Several of the pushier shop owners called out to her, promising their wares were of the highest quality and the finest luxuries to be found. Hinata politely declined them all, even interrupting a man mid-sentence when she saw a crowd forming on the other side of the street.

"Excuse me," she said, pointing a finger, "But what's going on over there?"

The merchant before her was a tall, dignified man, and had paced after her down the street trying to persuade her to look at some of the selection of jewelry he had for sale. When Hinata directed him towards the crowd, he frowned, and turned his nose up.

"You won't want to bother with _that_ man," he said with disdain. "That hack is always peddling his cheap trinkets on the street here. It is a waste of time, if you ask me."

'_As it is, I _didn't_ ask you,'_ Hinata thought to herself with a subtle roll of her eyes. She thanked the merchant for his time, but politely shooed him away.

The crowd was getting bigger by the second. Hinata could hear the excited cries of children and older men and women alike. They were pressed too close together, and Hinata was not the sort of person to force her way into the front of the group. Thankfully, she had _other _means of spying out this man.

Her Byakugan blazed to life, and her sight pierced through the crowd like a spear. There was a short, balding, sweaty man standing in the middle of them, hoisting something into the air. Spittle dotted his thick mustache as he bleated out the amazing mystical properties of his wares.

Shinobi tools, from far and wide.

He offered them to the crowd as if they were magic, something amazing and terrible to behold at the same time. Some of the more pragmatic dismissed him immediately, but many of the others were excited by the prospect of something with that kind of power. Obviously, they hadn't seen many ninja in their lifetimes, if any. To Hinata, the man was selling common tools as if they were passed down from the Sage of the Six Paths himself.

Which was the root of the problem. Even now, as he spun a tale of false grandeur about the mystical fire-breathing scroll he carried, Hinata knew it would be horrendously overpriced. There was a sign set up next to several stacked boxes, and all the zeroes made Hinata's head spin. To call this a rip-off would be an understatement.

She heard a gasp of amazement behind her, and turned around to spy two children watching the man with awe in their eyes. A girl only a few years younger than Hinata's sister held the hand of a boy who couldn't have been older than six or seven. The boy was holding a loaf of bread, but when he realized Hinata was looking at them, he hid it under his shirt, and forced his eyes to the ground. The girl tightened her grip on her brother's hand, and took a step backward.

"Is something wrong?" Hinata could not help but ask. Surely there was something she could do for the two of them. They were practically dressed in rags, and slowly Hinata was beginning to think that maybe some food for the two of them might be more worthwhile than anything she needed.

"It's okay," she began. "I just want to—"

The children bolted, frightened when Hinata stepped forward. They pushed their way through the crowd, and were gone in an instant. Hinata was not worried. She calmly stepped away from the man peddling his overpriced ninja tools, and followed after the children.

They did not run very far. They ducked in and out in between a few buildings, thinking they were giving Hinata the slip. Eventually, they came to a stop in an alleyway between two of the nicer stores, and Hinata saw a young woman greet them, pulling them into her arms. The boy was smiling, until he looked around and realized something was missing. His lip trembled, and he began to cry. The woman's attempts to soothe him went unheard, and if Hinata strained her ears, she could hear his wails from where she stood.

She smiled.

"Looking for this?" she asked them.

All three jerked their heads in her direction, and the boy ceased crying immediately, burying himself into the woman's shirt. From the way they stood so close to her, Hinata guessed that this woman was their mother, or maybe a sister. Hinata had found the bread on the ground nearby, and picked it back up to take it along.

"Please," the woman began "They didn't know any better. They were just trying to help."

And then she saw Hinata smile. She was a complete stranger, yet she felt immediately more at peace, maybe even safe.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to get you in trouble," Hinata told them, producing the bread from behind her back. Immediately the girl tried to grab the bread back, but Hinata was quicker. She yanked it away, just out of reach, and the girl gave her an angry look.

"Stealing is _wrong_," Hinata insisted. "The person who made this worked very hard for it. So I am going to keep it here with me."

The girl pouted, but Hinata reached into her bag, and pulled out all the money her father had given her, as well as most of her own. "So instead, how about we trade? I keep the bread, but you can have all of this, and use it however your mother tells you."

"Y-you would do that for us?" The woman seemed genuinely surprised someone would be so willing to help her, and Hinata felt a pang of sadness against her heart. Was it so hard to help someone else in need in this village?

Hinata nodded. "Of course. I only wish there was more I could give you!"

Upon the realization of what this woman had done for them, the little girl and her brother ran up to her and gave her a hug, before the pulled their mother to her feet so they could go find something to eat. Hinata waved goodbye, a warm feeling spread throughout her body.

"That was really nice, what you did."

Hinata spun around. It was that girl again. Hinata had had a feeling she would see her again; she just hadn't expected it to be so soon.

The girl was staring at her again, though this time there was a different look in her eyes. From the main road, the torches' fire leapt and danced in her purple eyes, as she regarded Hinata with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "Why did you help them?" she asked.

Hinata almost didn't understand the question. "I h-had to," she insisted. "I couldn't just let them go hungry like that. They need food much more than I need money."

"What did you want to buy?" the girl asked.

'_Is this all she does? Ask questions?'_ "I needed to buy some chakra paper."

For a split moment, the girl's eyes darkened. "You're a ninja?" she asked, perhaps a little too casually.

Hinata nodded. "Yes. When we last spoke, that was the training I was speaking of. I'm out here for someone very close to me. Someone I love. I couldn't protect him, and I want to change that."

The girl perked right back up. "I like you," she said, like it was a simple fact. "So I'm gonna help you."

"Help me? How?"

"Just follow me, and I'll show you. You wanted that chakra paper stuff, right?"

Hinata nodded again, and the girl was off. She ducked and weaved through the crowd so easily that even Hinata was having trouble keeping up. They were headed back in the direction of the man selling them on the side of the road, and Hinata felt her stomach lurch.

"You're not thinking of stealing them, are you?"

"Why? Would that make you mad?"

"I w-wouldn't be _angry_, but I wouldn't be happy. Stealing is wrong."

The girl agreed with her eyes. "I know. I just wanted to see what you said. See, I was right; I like you!"

The arrived at the back of the crowd. The girl turned around, pointed to the ground like Hinata was a dog, and said "Stay."

"Wh-why?" Hinata asked.

"You'll see. I promise I'm not stealing anything. Just stay here."

And then she was gone, pushing her way through the crowd. Hinata reactivated her Byakugan to watch as she moved through the men and women and children. Oddly, no one seemed to pay the girl any mind, despite her rather forceful way of squeezing in between some of them. In seconds, she was on the other side of the crowd, behind the man as he waved a kunai in the air, hailing it as the blade that has killed three different Kage. Hinata rolled her eyes.

The crows was particular entranced as of now, so no one noticed as the girl with the violet eyes cracked open another one of the crates, and started rifling through them. For a second, Hinata thought that the girl had been lying, and that she did in fact mean to steal them, but the girl looked up from her task, and gave Hinata a thumbs-up. She held up a slip of paper. A simple locking seal, from what Hinata could see, so not what she was looking for. She shook her head, and the girl looked again. This time, she held up what looked like a paper bomb.

Hinata shook her head as hard as her neck would let her.

Thankfully, the third time yielded precisely what she was looking for; the girl had held up several strips of crisp chakra paper. When Hinata nodded yes, she grabbed several more, and placed them on top of the box that the man was standing next to. He was so busy parading around the common kunai he held in his hand, that when he finally sold it to a man for about five times' what it was worth, he reached for the chakra paper instead of what he would have otherwise. He looked at the strips for a few seconds, confused, before shrugging his shoulders, and encouraging everyone to gather round.

"Our next item is the most amazing yet!" he insisted, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Tell me: this looks like nothing more than ordinary paper, yes? Fit for nothing except a pen and ink?"

There were several murmurs of agreement, and the portly salesmen knew he already had several of them in his thrall. "Ahhh, but you are mistaken! This is no ordinary paper! If you are to channel your chakra into it, the powers of the elements are yours to control! Wash your enemies away with tidal waves of water, or unleash a raging fireball!"

Hinata almost gagged. They didn't do anything _near _that exciting, but it would be too much trouble to convince the crowd that the man was trying to rip them off.

And then the girl's voice rose above them all. "Hey, how do we know you're not lying to us!? Trying to rip us off?"

Immediately, several members of the crowd voiced their agreement. The man tugged at his collar, sweating even more. Just as quickly as he had them, he was losing them.

"Perhaps there would be someone brave enough to attempt to try it out for themselves?" he said quickly, rubbing his palms together. "Is there anyone with the strength to prove my wares are truly the real thing?"

And then Hinata understood. The merchant was expecting no one to step forward, and they would have to silence their doubts, but from across the crowd, the girl have Hinata a wink of her eye, and Hinata stepped forward, suddenly very confident.

The man was surprised someone actually stepped forward, and from the way his eyes glazed over her, Hinata could tell he did not think much of her.

"Are you sure you want to try this, my little flower?" He made a dramatic gesture. "I cannot be held responsible for your health if you cannot control what bursts forth from these powerful artifacts."

Several of the other people sniggered, and Hinata straightened out her back. It was time to prove this pig otherwise.

She snatched one of the strips of paper from his hand, held it between two fingers, and let the slightest amount of chakra leak into her fingertips. Everyone leaned forward, anxiously waiting to see what would happen next.

The paper crinkled.

'_Lightning…'_ Hinata realized, breathless. Her affinity was towards lightning, just like Kakashi's.

Suddenly, there was a crash, and everyone turned away from her to see that one of the crates of the man's wares had been completely destroyed. Hinata had felt the burst of wind, and knew that the girl had something to do with this, but the girl feigned ignorance, and pointed to the wreckage in amazement.

"Did anyone else see that? A bolt of lightning, out of nowhere! They really _do_ work!"

The more cautious left immediately, 'understanding' how dangerous these strips of paper could be. Many of the others members of the crowd, majority the young and restless, began to scramble over one another to try and purchase one, so they could give it a try.

Not only had Hinata discovered what her own elemental affinity was, she also received a 'gift' of sorts from the grateful merchant. He was not a foolish man, and realized to some degree that Hinata was involved with the massive amounts of money he was now making. It more than made up for the stock the girl had demolished, and believing that Hinata may even have the capability to destroy the rest of it should the mood strike her, the man gave her a portion of the profits, netting her more money than her father had given her to begin with.

"Got what you needed?"

Hinata turned around. The girl was smirking at her, quite pleased with herself.

"Y-yes, thank you!" Hinata replied, bowing. "How did you think of something like that?"

"I just had a hunch. He seems like the kind of man who likes money, and I thought we could use that to our advantage."

Hinata was very grateful, but there were a few questions she wanted to ask the girl before she disappeared again, like Hinata had a sneaking suspicion that would happen. "How did you destroy that man's box? Was that a wind technique?"

The girl was about to answer, when she leaned around Hinata, and pointed with her index finger. "Hey, isn't that your dad?" she asked.

For a moment, Hinata forgot herself. She turned around, and did indeed spy Hiashi making his way across the main street, probably looking for her. Hinata turned around to ask the girl how she had known that was her father, but of course, she was gone.

"There you are, Hinata," Hiashi said, when he spied her. "Did you find what you were looking for? Who was that girl you were talking to?"

Hinata didn't answer for a few seconds. She simply stood there and stared at the spot the girl had been standing just a moment before. Who _was_ this girl?

"Is everything alright, Hinata? Did something happen?"

Hinata shook her head, alleviating her father's worries. "To be honest, Father…I don't really know."

* * *

><p>Naruto sat stiffly against the backboard of his bed, glaring at everyone in the room, arms hanging limply at his side. It had been several days since he had first awakened, and he had drifted in and out of consciousness until the strength to stay awake long enough to answer questions finally returned to him. Dozens of people had tried barging inside once news had spread that Naruto was up and talking again, but Tsunade had gotten there first, and had brought along Sakura and Shizune as well, ordering several chūnin to stand guard outside so they wouldn't be bum rushed by the overzealous crowd. Things had gone well enough: they had checked Naruto's vital signs (much to his vocal protest. Naruto did not appreciate being poked and prodded), and had filled him in on events that had transpired up to his waking up. Naruto had taken most of the news as well as anyone might have expected, until today. They had gotten to the topic of who Naruto had immediately asked for the moment the nurse who originally saw him awake rushed over, once they no longer had ways of putting it off. Naruto Uzumaki had just learned that Hinata Hyūga was not in the village, and was <em>not <em>happy.

"Why did you let her go?" he asked angrily, his speech heavily slurred. One of the few pieces of news that Naruto had not reacted well to was the realization that he had been unconscious for nearly three months, and as a result, he could barely move even the slightest bit without someone else's help. When he had first been told that Hinata had left the village, Naruto had forced himself to the edge of the bed through sheer willpower, but had crumbled the moment he lost his balance, and had to be helped back into it with Sakura's and Shizune's help. Tsunade had given him such a look that he dare not try it again, though he doubted he had the energy for it. So while he was forced to sit there, that didn't mean he had to like what he had been told. A small consolation was that Sakura had brought Miso along, coming across the growing pup on her way to the hospital, playing with a few strays. Miso had been overjoyed to hear that Naruto had woken up, and had leapt up to the bed the moment the door swung open. As Naruto sat there, Miso sat underneath his hands, tail wagging. It improved his mood, but it didn't change the fact that Hinata was gone.

"Why did you let her go?" he repeated, staring at each of them in turn.

"I can't force her to stay in the village," Tsunade informed him. "If the reasons are only because someone else wants to keep her here, that is. I didn't want her to leave either, but Hiashi convinced me that they would remain away from villages and even the roadside for most of their journey; I doubt anyone else aside from us know they're even gone. Hinata can take care of herself, and she's got her father with her as well."

"But she's not weak!" Naruto insisted, trying to give everyone a mean look, and only succeeding in looking like he had soiled himself. "Hinata's strong! She didn't need to leave!"

"Try and understand her position," Sakura said gently. "A lot of people were worried about you, but no one else as much as Hinata was. She was here by your bedside more often than she was home. In a way, she blames herself for what happened to you, since you almost died from it."

Her expression darkened. "I don't want you to ever do that again. _Ever."_

"Sakura's got the right idea, Naruto," Tsunade scolded. "I strictly forbade you from practicing medicinal ninjutsu until we learned more about how your status as a jinchūriki would affect it. By some miracle, neither you nor Hinata died that day in Sunagakure, but I swear, I will kill you myself if you _ever_ try that again."

Naruto frowned, but he understood where she was coming from. His saving Hinata had been a miracle, and only now did Naruto realize how he had found the strength to save her.

Kushina.

That had been his mother; he was sure of it. She had never told him her last name, but Naruto had felt the same warmth in his heart as when he had been able to push back the Kyūbi's chakra, and spare Hinata's life. That name hung in the air in the back of his mind; he couldn't remember where he had heard it, but some part of him knew it was his mother, watching over him. He would have preferred they drop all this boring stuff so Naruto could ask Tsunade what she knew about the name, but his head spun with so many other questions, that he had no idea where he might begin.

So he pushed his thoughts of his mother to the back of his mind, and tried answering as many of Tsunade's questions as he could, _after _he promised that he would not attempt medical ninjutsu again.

Tsunade nodded, happy enough that Naruto at least had the brain function to listen to common sense, and held her hand out, asking for a clipboard Shizune had carried in with her.

"On a scale of one to ten, describe how much feeling is in your upper body," Tsunade began. "This includes anything from the neck down to the stomach."

Everyone could see the tension in Naruto's face as he struggled to move, even an inch. His mouth contorted into odd shapes, and he grunted as loud as he could, but his arms remained motionless, and he was forced to offer a 'one' out of ten.

"And how about your lower body?" Tsunade asked "This is from the waist down."

Again, Naruto struggled to move but to no avail. Tsunade jabbed every part of his leg from thigh to pinky toe, but the most Naruto would say he felt was a slight tickle, barely anything at all. Tsunade scribbled down a one, but that wasn't much better.

With Sakura's help, Naruto was eased back into the bed, while Shizune and Tsunade whispered a few words amongst each other. Naruto _would_ have craned his neck to try and hear, just as he _would_ have tried to find Hinata the moment he had been let go. But neither was an option. He couldn't even scratch his own ass, and there was in itch back there that was starting to bug him.

"As I expected, your comatose state has left your body severely weakened," Tsunade said, as her eyes scanned over everything she had written down. "There may be other factors making it worse, but what's important is that you won't be moving for a while, at least not on your own. You'll need physical therapy, and a lot of it."

You could see the light visibly fade from Naruto's eyes. "How long will I have to be like this?"

"Your body sustained a lot of damage, Naruto," said Shizune, choosing her words carefully. "It's not your fault, but three months is a long time, and as Tsunade-sama said, there are other factors at play here. You could have been on your feet sooner, but now we have to extend our estimated timeframe for when you can be back at full strength."

Naruto grunted in forced agreement. "How long?"

"At least several months of physical therapy, with several sessions daily. The feeling will return soon enough, but it will be a while before your body is strong enough to put you back on duty."

Tsunade offered a gentle smile. "I wouldn't worry. In your case, we're probably overestimating, but that doesn't mean I want you slacking off in your therapy. We want you back in the world as much as anyone else does, yourself included, but we're not cutting corners."

Naruto groaned.

"And then there's the matter of your diet. You need proper nourishment while you're healing, and that doesn't include ramen. I won't deny you your favorite food outright, but don't expect it every day. You'll be lucky if it's a weekly thing.

Naruto groaned again, louder.

"Why did I even bother waking up?" he said, throwing his hands into the air, exaggerated tears in his eyes. "No ramen, no Hinata…could you put me back to sleep now?"

Tsunade failed to see the humor in this. "This isn't funny, Naruto. You almost died, Hinata too. I want you to tell me exactly what happened. Anything you can remember while you were comatose."

"What makes you think I'd remember something?" Naruto asked. "I thought people who were comatose had no idea of what was going on around them?"

"There have been special cases before, and as a jinchuriki, I imagine that would apply to you as well. Is there anything you can think of, anything at all, that you might be able to remember from the past few months?"

Miso looked up at him, whimpered, and licked his hand. Naruto tried shrugging his shoulders, before he remembered that he couldn't move. "No…nothing clear anyway. I remember vague shapes and sounds, but nothing I could describe."

"Actually…maybe there was something." The name. Kushina. A face to the name, he saw soft eyes, a warm smile, and long flowing hair. He was reminded of Hinata, but this woman's hair had been the color of fire.

"What is it?"

"Does the name Kushina mean anything to you?"

Tsunade stopped for a moment, but Shizune was less careful to hide her reaction. "Why do you ask?"

"There was a woman with me, like in my dreams I guess. I don't really understand it, but I think I might never have woken up if it weren't for her, or at least as soon as I had. She made me feel really happy, right here," He wanted to point to his heart, but settled with a glance. "And the next thing I knew, I was awake. What do you know about her? Who was she?"

In reality, there was no doubt in Naruto's mind that Kushina was the name of his mother, but he wanted to see what Tsunade would do. The Godaime seemed to be thinking about something, mulling over what she might say, and Naruto was getting a little angry. He was about to say something, but the door swung open, and he got the answer he was looking for.

"Kushina Uzumaki? Wily little brat, but your mother had a good head on her shoulders."

Despite ANBU on either side of his person, and chains coiled around every limb, Raiā Uzumaki stood proud like a free man, grinning at everyone in the room. "I say had, because it couldn't have been that good since she got herself killed and whatnot. Such a pity, eh Naruto?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I expect a lot of you wanted to see Raia again. Well, he'll be here in full next chapter, with all his smart-ass glory intact.

-Hinata has a lightning affinity? Who would have thought? Well, a conversation with **Vital Info** from a long time ago went to some very interesting places, and I have him to thank for the idea. Some you may have expected something else, but I like where this will lead.

-I imagine a bunch of you are curious as to who this girl with the violet eyes is. Well, a long time ago, I think back at the beginning of Book Two even, I discovered that it was the birthday of **LonexAngel**, who has been a reader for a long time. Out of nowhere, I decided to do something a little special, and offered her to put anything she liked into the story. She asked for her own OC to find her way into the story, and I found just the perfect place for her. You haven't seen the last of this girl yet, for sure.

Again, I'm so sorry this chapter was late, Hopefully I can get the next one out sooner.

Until next time.


	57. Face-to-Face! Dark Men, Darker Secrets

**Author's Note: **This is my note. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

-Several people have asked about my choice to make Hinata's elemental affinity lightning. First off, water has been done to death, and you know how I feel about trying different things. Second, I feel that lightning will have a great many versatile uses in conjunction with the Gentle Fist, maybe something with the nervous system alongside the chakra pathway system? Only time will tell.

Also, I need to answers some guest reviews, and the only way to do that is through directly replying here.

**HalemShakinFreak (Chapter 3): Hi heya hellos! Hola senor, lol yeah but can u plz get the heights right? I read all the chapters and wnated to read the begiining again. Yeah so Hinata is 5'0 while Narutos is 5'6 js bcuz i saw when they were makin out u said he was 5'4 i was like wtf? But anywya continue your really gud.!.!.!**

**-**I just use the wiki for my information, which places Naruto at 166 cm, or 5.4 ft., while Hinata is 160 cm, or 5.2 ft. If this information is wrong, and you can easily find the proof, just send it my way, and I'll fix it ASAP! I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed the story enough to back and read the beginning.

**Siege (Chapter 7): you have a good story but your statement of a version 2 cloak is retarded its reaching the four tailed state you dummy not version 2**

-Maybe I am just misunderstanding you, but again, I use the wiki, which explicitly states that a 'Version 2' form is whenever Naruto loses majority control to Kurama, or more literally, 4 tails and up. In a way, I'd say that makes us both right, but maybe I'm just a 'retarded dummy'. However, you _did _point out that earnest error with me calling Neji 'nee-san' instead of 'nii-san', so you have my earnest thanks.

If you don't mind a little bragging, I'm pleased as punch with how this chapter turned out. **kylekatarn77 **is doing a fantastic job Beta-reading, and **OGAFazer89AC **always makes sure the story's going in the right direction. Kudos to them.

There's not any music again (since I reserve them for particularly powerful scenes), so you can just get right on with it.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 5 - Face-to-Face! A Dark Man, with Darker Secrets!<strong>

Naruto blinked. This man was familiar to him; the memory twitched in the back of his mind, tugging and pulling. His face was drawn and thin, with heavy lines etched across his hard, elderly face. His hair fell limp at his sides, and the grizzly look of an unshaven chin was starting to poke its way through the wrinkles.

"What's the matter? Did that knock against your skull strike you dumb?" the man asked, grinning. One or two of his teeth were missing. Naruto couldn't tell if he meant mute or stupid, though maybe he had meant both.

"How do you know about Kushina?" he asked, hesitant to let himself believe what his mind had started to tell him.

"Why wouldn't I? She and I are the same blood, just as you are. We three are Uzumaki. Forgive the rhyming, but I thought it best to try and make it easier for someone like you to understand."

Naruto was too confused to be offended, but the vein in Tsunade's temple was starting to throb. "Hold that tongue of yours in your mouth, or I'll leave it on the floor and send you back to your cell."

"And deprive yourself the wonders of my conversation? Hokage-_sama_, surely you wouldn't be _that_ foolish? After all, I have such interesting tales to tell… should I be persuaded, that is." He chuckled to himself. Naruto's mouth drew into a thin line. If he had wanted to continue to deny it, he could have, but there was no point.

So this was Raiā Uzumaki.

Shizune almost dropped the clipboard she was holding. "Tsunade-sama, is this r-really a good idea?" she asked, her hands shaking. "Surely we can't trust him to be free in the village?"

Raiā laughed, and shook his chains. "Are you blind? What part of me looks anything like 'free'? Besides, I am no fool. I understand that it is safer within the walls of your village than out on my own. I'll play your game for now."

He took a step forward. The ANBU guarding him tensed up, but he only rolled his eyes. "Calm down. I have no intention of murdering a fellow clan member. After all, we've barely gotten to know each other, haven't we Naruto? Even if it was safe outside the village, I would _never _have deprived myself of the opportunity to meet you, the great Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha."

"What do you know about my mom?" Naruto asked. He looked to Tsunade. "Why did you let him in here?" He looked back at Raiā. "Did you know my mom?"

Raiā blinked several times. "Make up your mind, boy. First you want all the answers, next you demand to know why I'm here, as if my very presence offends you."

"It kinda does, actually. You were hiding in Suna because you did something bad, maybe really bad. Why should I like someone who betrays their own clan?"

"And what makes you think I betrayed our clan? What makes you think you have any idea of what I have or haven't done? You have no right to judge, Naruto. We all have our dark secrets, don't we?" Raiā's eyes had hardened, but he was smiling again by the end of it. His eyes watched Naruto's own hit the floor, and he seemed satisfied.

"If you must know," he began, after a moment, "Tsunade thought I might be of use here. Call me a traitor if you will, but I served Suna loyally for many years nonetheless. My medical expertise might come in handy."

Naruto snorted. "I think there are least three other people in this room who are better at medic stuff than you are. I'm not gonna believe anything you say." He stared back at Raiā, defiant.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Tsunade scolded. "Raiā has lived a long time, even by Uzumaki standards. We may not like where the information comes from, but he—"

"I have a specialty when it comes to jinchūriki," Raiā interrupted, unable to resist the urge to brag. "Some might say the _only_ expert in jinchūriki medicine, but if you want to leave it open to interpretation, by all means let's leave it open to interpretation. We'll just ask the next idiot what he thinks happened to you, and have him go fumbling around in that thick head of yours with a rusty scalpel."

"Would you shut him up?" Tsunade grunted, having grown tired of Raiā's pride. One of the ANBU jerked against the chain holding the man in place, and it began to glow. Although he hid it well, there was pain hidden in the lines on Raiā's face, and he struggled to remain standing.

"You'll do well to remember that _I'm_ in charge," The Godaime reminded him, staring down over the edge of her nose. "I don't care how valuable you think you are; keep it up, and you'll be a corpse thrown outside the village walls."

"You wouldn't dare kill me!" spat Raiā.

"I never said _I'd _be the one to kill you. No, I think that whoever is hunting after you could handle that job easily enough. I may even reward him if he brings that tongue of yours on a spit."

She lashed out with one powerful arm, and grabbed onto his clothes. Her eyes were glowing with impatience and rage, and if Naruto had been able to move, he would have cowered under the sheets of his bed. "Now you're going to find out as much as you can about Naruto's condition, or I swear to whatever or whoever is listening up there that I will put you in a full-body cast for the next six months, _before_ I leave you outside of the village walls to die."

Raiā was visibly sweating, and let out a sound more akin to a mouse or rat than something a human would throat. Tsunade roughly let him go, and he struggled to regain his composure. Naruto sniggered to himself, and Raiā glared at him, careful to hide most of his wrath from Tsunade, who now watched him very closely.

Naruto could not mask his curiosity. "How do you know so much about jinchūriki? There have only been a few of us since…well, since ever."

Raiā's eyes twinkled for a moment. "I spent many years in Sunagakure, of which Gaara is a member. You remember the Kazekage, don't you? There was many a time that they relied on my expertise to make sure that their precious 'weapon' did not perish throughout his childhood, though they may not have known it was my knowledge they were using. Wouldn't want the village looking into why a poor old medical assistant knew how to combat the madness the Shukaku brought upon their jinchūriki, now would we?"

"You helped Gaara?" Naruto was wary, of which he had every right to be. Raiā had visibly calmed himself after Tsunade's outburst, but that had just been the forcing of his real opinion down below the surface. Upon the mention of his past, Raiā truly became more docile, as it could be best described, and even though he was playing nice, Naruto could see he was hiding things from him, from all of them.

Raiā nodded. "Yes, I helped the Kazekage on numerous occasions. His seal was poorly designed, you see. The Shukaku had many ways of sneaking its foul chakra past the boundaries of the seals' restrictive powers, especially during sleep. This manifested itself in the most horrid of nightmares, and were the Kazekage of weak mind, he would have surely lost himself long ago. I tried to hold it back when I could, but my priority was always my own safety. It would have been better if they had used the same seal used with you, but that was not an option without revealing myself, which would have been a very poor decision."

"But even the strongest of seals have their weaknesses," the elder Uzumaki continued. "While the Shukaku's seal reacted to the feeling of fear, preying upon that feeling in sleep and twisting the mind to its will, the Eight Trigrams Seal, _your_ seal, reacts to feelings of great rage. I strengthened it as much as I could to resist a tailed beasts' influence, but even I could do little to prepare for the vulnerability of someone who was comatose, like you have been for the past three months."

Naruto struggled to find the words. "You m-mean…that you're—"

A bit of the old Raiā flashed in his happy little eyes. "Yes, Naruto. I am the reason the Eight Trigrams Seal even exists. It was my work, developed by _my_ mind, and perfected by _my_ expertise. I can say with confidence that it's very impressive you've managed to break the seal so many times. You must have quite the temper on you, not at all like the other jinchūriki I've encountered."

"Like who?" Naruto demanded. "Who else?"

"This was not part of our deal," Tsunade cut in. "There will be a time and place for all of this. For now, you will see to Naruto's health, and that's it."

Raiā seemed disappointed he was being forced to move on, and Naruto did not miss the mischievous glint in his eyes as he approached Naruto with caution. The ANBU at his side relaxed at Tsunade's command, and everyone subconsciously leaned forward as Raiā reached out with one clammy hand towards Naruto's person.

"I'll need access to my chakra for a thorough examination," he said at once.

"Absolutely not. You think I'm a fool?" Tsunade shot back almost immediately. "You'll do what you can as is."

"Which is nothing," Raiā said impatiently. "Honestly, do you think I'd throw my chance at safety to harm this brat? He's much more use to me alive, for all of us."

"Let him do it."

Naruto stared back at Tsunade with complete calm. "He won't do anything. Let him do it."

The Hokage struggled with an urge to deny Naruto's request just to spite Raiā, and in her position there certainly wouldn't be much he could do about it. But as Tsunade looked into Naruto's striking blue eyes, she saw complete trust. She saw the same look in his eyes when he tried to convince her to take the mantle of the Hokage, so long ago.

"…Very well, but I'll be watching closely."

"I'm sure you'll be able to stop me if I decide to kill the boy," Raiā sneered, rolling up his sleeve. The chains fell to his side, though the ANBU did not lessen their guard. With bated breath, Raiā's fingers first pulled back the sheets, then rolled up Naruto's shirt. His fingertips began to glow, and the seal on his stomach appeared.

"This might sting a little," Raiā said, with a giddy little smile. He placed his palm against Naruto's stomach, and Naruto felt fire in his belly, that spread in his entire body. His entire body convulsed, and he struggled to contain himself, but Raiā did not let up. Tsunade had been quick to race to his aid, but Naruto had barked at her to get away.

He could feel Raiā's power flowing through him, peeking through the corners of his mind. He saw flashes of a forest, heard the soft sound of a woman's voice, and the horrible roar of the Kyūbi. His seal burned as brightly as the sun, and Raiā licked the edge of his mouth, concentrating.

And then the pain was gone, just as quickly as it had come. Thin wisps of steam trailed from the edge of Raiā's fingertips, and Naruto's seal gradually faded away. Sakura was immediately beside him, dabbing at his forehead with a damp cloth, while Raiā rolled his sleeve back down.

"You've done something to anger the beast within, Naruto," Raiā announced, blowing the remaining smoke off of his fingers with a smile. "Care to explain?"

Naruto groaned, gritting his teeth. "I don't even know what happened. You tell me what you did to me first."

"Fine, if we're going to act like children. I looked at your mind, how the seal has affected it over the past few months. Have you been having dreams of frightening realism? Maybe with those close to you involved?"

Naruto's mouth twitched in confusion. "I don't know…I don't really remember a lot of it. Bits and pieces, but nothing I could describe in detail. Why? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because it was all the Kyūbi's doing. That monster was holding you under its thrall, and might very well have kept you there until the Hokage here thought it would be best to pull the plug on you."

Tsunade's mouth drew thin. "That was as much as I feared. The Kyūbi was holding Naruto comatose, but why? What would it have to gain from that?"

"I felt feelings of great rage and confusion," Raiā explained, turning around to face the Hokage. "Something Naruto did make it very, _very_ angry, and I am to understand that it must have been keeping Naruto under control to try and learn what it could not directly. Now, are you going to tell me what you did to make this little fox so angry?"

"I think it might have something to do with Hinata…" Naruto said, mulling it over. Indeed, the fox had been desperate to know why Naruto had been so willing to give his life for her. He thought of her as weak, always had, so maybe the Kyūbi just couldn't fathom what Naruto saw in someone like that.

"Who's Hinata?" Raiā asked, impatient. "Try to remember I've been stuck in a cell for several months now. News tends not to travel where I'm concerned."

Naruto filled his fellow Uzumaki in on a little about Hinata, though not nearly as much as he could have. He still didn't trust Raiā's intentions, though something was nagging him at the back of his mind that he should share more.

"So, you protected your little girlfriend…" Raiā murmured, folding his arms. "And the beast is curious about why. I don't see why a stupid animal should care about what his jinchūriki does, but then again, who can understand the mind of a monster?"

"Hold on a second. Why should we believe anything you're saying? You could be lying!" Sakura accused him, jabbing a finger at his chest. "Just a few months ago, we found out you were lying to the entire Sand village, and you almost killed Kiba and Hinata when you booby-trapped your house!"

Raiā openly laughed in her face. "What would I have to gain from hiding anything, you stupid girl? At least, I'd have nothing to gain from _you_. But you can put your fears to rest; I am not lying about Naruto's condition. Whatever might have happened to him, it was worsened through direct interference by the Kyūbi. You can choose to look into this deeper, but you'll have to ask it directly, and I would not advise that."

"Why not?" Naruto asked. "You think he won't tell me?"

"Because you shouldn't care," Raiā replied. "That beast is not worth talking to, and you'll gain nothing from learning why it did what it did. You should learn to control it, so something like this won't happen again. After all, nothing like this happened when your mother was the Kyūbi's jinchūriki."

He tapped his fingers against his chin. "That may not be the best example, since she's dead and all."

Naruto stared, wide-eyed and mouth gaping. His mother had been a jinchūriki too? Why hadn't she told him about that? Why hadn't _anyone _told him that before?

"Get this man out of here, now!" Tsunade roared at the two ANBU on either side of the elder Uzumaki. Before they could haul him away, she punched Raiā square in the face, and a few droplets of blood dripped from her knuckles. "That was not your place to tell him," she seethed, her face inches from his own.

Raiā smiled, spitting some of the blood from his mouth. "And whose was it, I wonder? Tell me, Tsunade-_sama_, where you ever going to tell him yourself, or were you content to leave him in the dark because it suited you?"

As he was dragged out of the room, he looked back at Naruto. "Come see me again, Naruto, if you want to learn more! I'm sure there's still so much we can discuss. Keep safe now, and don't let these—"

The door shut before he could finish his sentence. Tsunade's knuckles were white as she clenched the door in anger, and when she finally let go, there were several marks left behind.

"That was a bad idea, bringing him here," Tsunade muttered to herself, striding back across the room. "I never should have trusted that man to keep his mouth shut."

She looked up, and suddenly wished she had left right behind Raiā. Naruto and Sakura were both glaring at her, but the look Naruto had in his eyes was ten times worse. They screamed betrayal.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about my mom!?" he suddenly demanded, raising his voice. His slurred speech made Tsunade all the guiltier. "Why didn't _anyone_ ever tell me about either of my parents? She was a jinchūriki too? She went through the same thing as I did, and I never knew about it? When were you going to tell me?"

"Tsunade-sama, why would you keep something like that from Naruto?" Sakura asked, her eyes searching her master's for answers. "Were you ever planning on telling him? To hear that from someone like Raiā…"

"Of course I was going to tell him!" Tsunade said, her own temper rising. "But it's more complicated than that! This is far more serious than you know, Naruto, and I have to make the village's safety the priority. I wanted to tell you, I really did, but there are other factors that I can't discuss with anyone—"

"Me asking about my mom has something to do with the security of the village now?" Naruto asked, his voice low. "I just wanted to know who she was…what she was like. Does everything about my life have to be classified?"

Tsunade exhaled sharply through her nose. She motioned for Shizune to follow her, and they left Naruto's room without another word, slamming the door behind them.

Sakura sighed, falling back into a chair behind her. "I'm sorry about all this Naruto. You don't deserve this, not after just waking up."

She brushed some hair out of his eyes. He felt weak to the touch even as her thumb brushed against his forehead, and Sakura smiled weakly. "I hope you're not like this for too long. Seeing you like this is just weird, you know that?"

Naruto broke a smile, despite everything that had happened. "If' I've got someone like you helping me along, I'm sure I'll be back on my feet in no time!"

"Are you going to see him again? Raiā, I mean?" asked Sakura. She rubbed her arm, glancing out the window. "He seems…well, I don't know how to describe it. But at least he's willing to tell you this kind of stuff."

Naruto's nose wriggled, and his smiled faded. "I think there's more to him than we think," he said quietly, following Sakura's eyes out the window, and onto the village outside. Nestled on one of the electrical wires across from them was a bird's nest. Three little birds, already decorated with brilliant red plumage, were crying out with mouths agape, as their mother returned home with a bellyful of food.

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura asked, after the mother bird had flown away to get more food.

"He's an ass, that's for sure, but I don't think he was always like that, you know? I bet he used to be a really nice guy. Maybe something bad happened to him, and that's why he's like this now."

"What if he was _always_ like that?" Sakura suggested. "I don't want to be mean, but I'm worried you might build him up to be something that he's not, just because he's like a distant family member."

Naruto was stubborn, shaking his head. "I don't know, Sakura-chan, I just have this feeling about him. He seems lonely. Maybe if I go see him when I can, he'll tell me more about my mother! Maybe he'll start to be not such an asshole."

Sakura laughed. "That would be a miracle. Honestly, I thought you were the only one who could make Tsunade's head throb like that."

The two friends shared a laugh, though that was cut off when Naruto was thrown into a fit of coughing, and Sakura had to elevate his torso to help him calm down. She moved too fast, and Naruto winced in pain.

"S-sorry!" she said quickly, taking care to be more gently as she set him back down.

"It's okay," replied Naruto through gritted teeth. "I'll be fine."

Sakura tipped a glass of water to his lips, and while most of it dribbled down his chin, Naruto was able to manage a few swallows. He licked his lips appreciatively. "Thanks, Sakura-chan. So what's happened with you while I've been out? You guys told me about this village ninja transfer thingy, but nothing about what's happened to you!"

"it's been kind of boring, actually," Sakura confessed, shrugging her shoulders. "I had my duties here, taking care of you most of the time. I had plenty of people to talk to, like Hinata or Iruka, and lots of other people. And when I wasn't with you, I was checking in on Kib—"

She froze, her mouth suddenly sewn shut. She had completely forgotten about her and Kiba's _encounter_ a few weeks ago. It had taken begging on her hands and knees, but Sakura had managed to convince Tsunade that she could afford to assign someone else to help Kiba until he had his prosthetic made, since he could otherwise do everything on his own, aside from a few tasks that required both hands. She had been extremely careful to politely decline anything their friends planned if she knew Kiba was going to be there, and had started looking over her shoulder every dozen steps or so to make sure that he wasn't behind her.

What he had done…it was incredibly inappropriate, forceful, and rude. She was so angry at him. That had been her first kiss she had stolen, from whoever it might have been in the future. He had acted completely irrationally, for certain.

And yet she couldn't stop thinking about it. She could scream into her pillow all she wanted; when Sakura Haruno closed her eyes, there was a fifty percent chance Kiba would pop up.

She blinked, and realized Naruto was staring at her. He probably would have waved a hand in front of her eyes to try and get her attention, had he been able to move on his own.

"You okay, Sakura-chan?" he asked. "You just kind of spaced out for a second when you mentioned Kiba.

"I'm f-fine!" Sakura replied, a little too hastily. "Trust me, it's nothing to worry about! I'm fine!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You're a really bad liar. Did something happen between you two? He didn't make fun of you again, did he? He knows that's my job!"

Sakura bit her lip, and for a split second, the memory of Kiba's lips on hers made her blush bright red in embarrassment. _'You idiot! Now Naruto will know what's going on, and he'll just HAVE to ask…'_

Which is precisely what happened. Naruto's widened in a mixture of shock and fear. "Sakura-chan, what did Kiba do? Do you need to tell someone about this? He didn't…well, he didn't do something you didn't want him to, did he?"

Sakura missed what Naruto had struggled to say outright. "Y-yeah, he did. But I'm not that mad at him. Okay, so he—"

"That asshole!" Naruto roared, spittle pooling in the corners of his mouth. "He should be ashamed of himself for doing something like that to you! I swear, I'm getting out of this bed and kicking his ass! That no-good, backstabbing, horny little—"

Through sheer willpower, and despite Tsunade's _and_ Sakura's orders, Naruto tried to force his body to move once more. He succeeded in wriggling himself towards the edge of the bed, and Sakura was so confused by his sudden change in demeanor that she had no time to get up and stop him from falling out of his bed. His chin bounced off the hard floor, and he grunted in pain. He must have bit his tongue through the impact, because when Sakura lifted him back up into his bed, his mouth was bleeding.

"Sakura-chan, you shouldn't let him get away with something like that!" Naruto hissed. "I don't care if he had lost _both_ arms and legs, you should tell someone about this! If it were up to _me_, I wouldn't let him be a ninja anymore! I'd—"

"Naruto, will you calm down?" Sakura interrupted, clamping her hand over his mouth. "Stop yelling, okay? Kiba didn't do anything like _that_, you idiot!"

Naruto immediately stopped struggling, so Sakura assumed he calmed down, and lifted her hand from his mouth. He looked at her with confusion etched into his features.

"You mean…he didn't touch—"

"_No!_ He didn't do anything like that. He just…well…he just kissed me, alright?"

She sat on the bed. "I don't even know what to do about this, Naruto. It came out of nowhere. He was going on and on about how he didn't think anyone liked him the way I like him, and that he _knew_ I felt the same way, and then I didn't know what was happening next, all of a sudden he was kissing me, but I left before he could say anything, and…"

Sakura fell backwards, against Naruto's legs and flat on her back. "I don't even know anymore. It's just gotten so confusing. What am I supposed to do?"

"Do you like him?"

She sat back up. Naruto was looking at her weird. Not even really _at_ her; more like _through _her.

"What?" she said hesitantly.

"I said 'do you like him'?" Naruto repeated, his face stony. "It won't be confusing anymore if you just decide if you do or you don't."

"You know it's not that easy, Naruto!" Sakura complained with a groan. "Look at you and Hinata! It took you _forever_ to figure out that she was head over heels for you, and that was because—"

"You lied to me?" Naruto reminded her, glaring. "I found out because you and everyone else went behind my back."

"Don't tell me you're still on about that!" growled Sakura. "We did that for _you_, remember? We were just trying to help!"

"So am I? Do you like Kiba, or don't you?" Naruto's tone had gradually gotten angrier, and Sakura's more exacerbated. They were glaring at each other now, air hissing through their nostrils.

Sakura didn't answer immediately, and that gave Naruto all the answer he wanted. "Then why don't you go and talk to him about it? I'm sure it would be better than lying about it or pretending it never happened."

It felt like a slap to the face. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now. Sakura swore at him, turned out the door, and left him in his room, alone. She had been planning on heading to the rookery afterwards, to try and send word to Hinata that Naruto had woken up, just as she had promised Hinata. But now, it had slipped from her mind, as she angrily stomped out the door.

Naruto turned his eyes lazily back to the window, and he watched and waited for the mother bird to fly back with another bellyful of worms, frowning.

* * *

><p>"What do you think Tsunade-sama wants to talk to us about? Oh, perhaps we have a new mission waiting for us!"<p>

"Specifically, I would wager that this is about the shinobi exchange program the Five Great Nations have implemented."

"How could that be it? None of us were listed."

"That's exactly my point, Tenten. None of us? Surely Tsunade-sama didn't fail to see promise in any of us? No, there is something else going on here, and I am under the impression that we are about to find out.

Lee nodded sagely. "Excellent point, Neji! That does seem more likely."

"You're probably just as right as I am, Lee," Neji said softly. "This might be a new mission for us, though that's about as much as I'm willing to guess on."

Neji, Lee, and Tenten strode side by side down the street, on their way to the Hokage's building. Just before they headed inside, they caught up with Guy, who had been summoned as well.

"It will be good to have all of us on a mission together!" Lee said excitedly. "With Guy-sensei leading us, there's no way we will fail!"

"That's the spirit, Lee!" Guy said with a laugh. "I'm sure that whatever Tsunade-sama has in store for us, we'll tackle it with the full power of our youth!"

Neji sighed. He had really hoped they could have left the 'youth' talk at home for once. At this point, he didn't know why he bothered getting his hopes up every time.

The rest of their trip was done in comfortable silence. They didn't have to wait long for Shizune to send them in, and Tsunade was standing by the window as they were ushered inside.

"I have a new mission for you four," she announced.

Lee pumped his fist into the air, Guy grinned a toothy smile. Neji and Tenten's reactions were far less enthusiastic, though that might have been because of whom they were stuck standing next to.

"I need you serious right now," Tsunade said, cutting them short. "This is a very important mission. Important, as in 'whatever is said in this room is classified'. The kind of important where if you break that rule, and so much as whisper a word of this to anyone, _drastic_ measures would be taken." It was not an outright threat, but the way Tsunade had hissed the word 'drastic' made the hairs on Lee's neck stand on end, and not from excitement.

"What is this about, Tsunade-sama?" Guy asked, having dropped his 'youthful' attitude. The serious, down-to-business Guy always impressed Neji and Tenten; they wished he was like that more often.

"We have been given a mission from the Kirigakure," Tsunade began to explain. "And your team is best equipped to handle these problems."

"The Land of Water?" Lee asked, raising a massive eyebrow. "Why would another village send us a mission?"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Because technically, this is treason on their part. The mission was given to us by an undisclosed person of interest with administrative power in Kiri's government. The reason it was outsourced is because they need faces that will not be recognized by any of their own. You're going undercover."

Tenten's jaw dropped, and she stole a glance at Lee and Guy. "Uhhh, undercover? Tsunade-sama, I mean no disrespect, but are you sure _our_ team is the best for the job?"

Tsunade nodded. "I understand what you're trying to say, but that's not much of a concern right now. You see, we have reason to believe that there are those who after the Mizukage's life."

Lee's eyes widened in shock. "An assassin? Is it a rouge ninja?"

"Maybe. Certainly no one loyal to Mei Terumi. There have been rumors spreading throughout the Land of Water. From drunks and petty thieves, mind you, but troubling rumors all the same. They're usually the first ones to sniff trouble, and there's talk that they mean to overthrow Mei as Mizukage, and install someone else. Someone they see as more fit to lead."

"But why? We haven't heard of any major problems coming from the Land of Water," Neji pointed out, folding his arms and closing his eyes. "It makes no sense why they would want to usurp the title of Mizukage."

"You haven't heard anything only because of Mei's pride. I've only met with her a few times, but she's a stubborn woman, maybe even more so than me. Even among the alliance of the five great nations, she saw it as great weakness to ask for aid from the other villages for something that was not the immediate threat of Akatsuki. But the nation is tearing itself apart. Crops are failing across all fields, and robbers have gotten incredibly reckless, stealing and killing in the villages on the outskirts of Kiri. She's tried to root them out, but she's only succeeded in taking out the ones where two more sprout in their place. People are starting to get restless, and when everything goes to hell, people look for someone to blame."

Lee shook his head. "No, that does not make sense. Why would the people of the village betray her trust? She has led them through many hard times."

"Yes, but not so hard as these, Lee. The ways of the world are crueler than you know. I wonder how many of the people in Konoha would turn against me should things get bad enough. If it gets cold enough, even the Will of Fire isn't enough."

The way she said those words brought a shiver across Lee's shoulders. Guy glanced at him, but said nothing. "Tsunade-sama, what is our mission?"

"There has been one rumor that is particularly troubling. Rebel groups popping up all over the place, and all of them are coalescing into one, ready to support some mysterious person they insist is better suited for the title of Mizukage. They don't mean to force Mei to choose this person; they would claim she would trick them, or tell them a lie before arresting the lot of them. No, they mean to take the title of Kage by blood, and every day more come to their cause."

Tsunade sighed, and fell back into her chair. "That prejudice never made sense to me. To condemn those who were given the gifts whether they wanted them or not. Mei has used them to defend her people for years, but now, at the slightest whiff of trouble, they turn on her."

"Tsunade-sama?" Tenten said in a high, confused voice. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Kekkei Genkai. It's never meant much over here, something to be respected or feared depending on who was on the other side of that Kekkei Genkai, but this is the Land of Water. They've gone through some hard times dealing with those of abilities from the blood. Widespread persecution was common, and assassinations and other horrible things were the talk of dark corners."

She shuddered. "It got so bad in some places, that even some families started to turn on one another. A mother wouldn't have the gift, but she'd sooner smother her child than let it be taken away to some deep hole out in the mist. Entire clans, prominent clans, were wiped out, all for having your blood blessed with genetic abilities, and Mei Terumi's got two of them. I used to think she was lucky. I don't think much of that anymore."

Her forefinger and thumb had been massaging her temple, and she realized she hadn't told them their mission yet. "I'm sorry. This whole ordeal has gotten to my nerves deeper than I'd like. This group won't take anyone who carries a Kekkei Genkai, and many of the common folk distrust shinobi altogether. Out of all the teams I could have chosen, yours was the best suited to the task."

Tsunade slid several files from her side of the desk to theirs, with each labeled with their names. The number of individual files in each one was staggering.

Three out of the four of you don't even bother using ninjutsu, so you'll arouse the least amount of suspicion when you infiltrate their group, and learn what you can."

Tsunade turned to Neji. "You were the hard one. Hyūga are recognized almost universally, and with Ao of Kirigakure possessing one of his own, there is little to no chance you could remain undetected, not without help."

"What do you want me to do?" Neji asked, bluntly and to the point.

"There are ways to hide your appearance." Tsunade failed at hiding a smile. "I should know better than most. Preparations will be made for the four of you to change your identities, at least for the time being."

She pushed herself away from her desk, and Lee spied the trouble in her eyes. "I am…I am asking a lot of you. This does not even truly concern our own village, but we cannot fail the alliance between us when Kirigakure needs us the most, even if Mei has not asked. This mission is incredibly risky, and you will have little contact with the rest of us. Neji, to reduce the chance of being recognized as much as possible, you will act as liaison between your team and myself, relaying messages as needed. This will be just as dangerous as what Lee, Guy, and Tenten are undertaking. People will question your coming and going, and while ample reason will be assigned to you, there will be those that shall always be curious, and you will need to tread lightly."

The Hyūga jōnin did not blink, nor did he falter. "Tsunade-sama, I will not fail you. The Byakugan is called the All-Seeing Eye for a reason. I will not let myself be discovered."

"I am glad to hear that, Neji. If you are, chances are high you'll be killed, and the alliance between the villages will be strained to their breaking point. No one must know about this mission, no one but yourselves. This goes beyond A-Rank. Can I trust you?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" all four cried in unison, saluting as one. Tsunade was appeased, but by no means was she happy. She could see the way Tenten's muscles tightened, and the way Lee's legs shook. They were frightened. They would be fools not to be, but she could turn to no one else. No other team in the village worked as flawlessly as they did with as little reliance on ninjutsu and genjutsu as they did.

"Good. I will be calling on you again soon once all the details are decided. Remember, tell no one about this mission. At some point we shall draw up an 'official' mission you one you can speak about, but try to speak about it as little as you can. We're playing things very close to the chest as it is. I don't want any unintentional information leaks."

Guy nodded. "Of course, Tsunade-sama. We won't say a word."

"Then you're dismissed. You're free to discuss this among yourselves, but do so in a private place." Tsunade gave each of them one last, hard look, like she might be getting her last look at them, before turning back to her work, signaling that they could leave whenever they chose.

But when they turned to leave, she spoke up again. "Wait. Lee, I need you for just a moment longer. The rest of you may go."

Everyone glanced at Lee, and filed out the door single file, intending to wait for him.

"Yes Tsunade-sama, is there anything I can do?" Lee asked, saluting once more.

"There is, actually. I was hoping you might do me a favor. It's not an official mission or anything, so feel free to refuse if that is what you wish."

Lee tilted his head. "Tsunade-sama?"

The Hokage laced her fingers in front of her mouth. "I was wondering if you could find the time to go talk to Kiba. He's been in a slump ever since he got back from the village, and I can't have one of our best trackers back at work unless he's at one hundred percent. When you get the time, or if you just happen to run into him, could you maybe say something to him to improve his spirits?"

"I am honored, my lady, but why ask me?" Lee pursed his lips in confusion. "Why not ask Naruto-kun or Guy-sensei, or Kurenai-sensei? There are so many who are more worthy of this task than I."

Tsunade smiled. "I disagree. You and he have gone through very similar things in your lifetime. There was a time everyone in this village thought your shinobi career over, and you proved them wrong."

Lee bowed. "I have you to thank for that, Tsunade-sama. Were it not for you, surely my dreams of being a splendid ninja would have been forfeit."

"Then we'll consider this a thank-you. Maybe if Kiba had gotten back to the village earlier, we might have been able to spare the arm or the leg…" She grimaced. She was supposed to be one of the finest medics in the world. She wasn't supposed to let people lose half of who they are, half of their very body.

"It doesn't matter anymore. What we need now is for Kiba to realize that there is still much he can do for the village, and for himself, but he's not going to realize that on his own. Kiba's too hard-headed. He'll need you to talk him into it, and I know you can do it Lee. I know you can."

"Y-yes, Tsunade-sama!" Lee said quickly, surprised by the confidence Tsunade had in him. "I will do my best."

"Thank you Lee." She let her arms fall back to her desk, and she picked up a pen and began to work. "You're free to go. Oh, and Lee?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Be safe. If there were any other way to help the Mizukage—"

"I am proud to help others, Tsunade-sama. You have my word that we shall not fail."

Rock Lee left Tsunade, off to fulfill his task. Tsunade admired the young man's will, but something dark ached in the back of her mind, and it would not ease.

* * *

><p>Lee found Kiba easily enough. The Inuzuka sat hunched over a park bench, his crutches at his side. He was munching on a sandwich, though half of it was crumbling in his hands, and falling to the ground, where a stray cat sat to catch the morsel for its own. Akamaru sat nearby, lazily pawing at the cat whenever it got too close.<p>

"Go on, get out of here!" Kiba muttered, lazily kicking at the feline. It hissed at him, arched its back, but refused to leave so many spoils uneaten, and from then on ignored him. Akamaru in turn, ignored the cat, but his ears pricked up as Lee drew closer.

"Looks like I'm not scary anymore," he said bitterly, as if he was talking to Lee. When he turned to look at him, Lee realized he _had_ been talking to him.

Kiba tapped his nose. "I may be a cripple, but I could smell that jumpsuit of your form a mile away. Do you ever wash that thing?"

Lee shrugged. "Yes, and I have many others to replace it. It's just that I have been training in this one, so forgive me if it smells a little—"

"Awful? Yeah, it does, but I'm used to that by now." He turned in his seat, staring at Lee. "So, what is it you want?"

"I want to talk about you," Lee said, perhaps with a little too much enthusiasm. "Do you have some free time?"

"What's there to talk about? People have been telling me 'Oh, you're still useful! Just because you lost an arm and a leg, and won't be of any help on any future missions, that doesn't mean we can't still use you in the village!"

Kiba spat on the ground. "They're all trying to make me feel better, and I'm sick of it. Yeah, I know my nose still works, but my arm and leg don't. If I get lucky, maybe I'll end up a teacher at the academy like Iruka-sensei, but something tells me I wouldn't very good with kids."

He fiddled with his jacket. The leather sleeve had been pinned up at the elbow where it otherwise would have flopped around, but the extra bunched-up material made Kiba's arm feel stiff, and he constantly tugged at it with his remaining hand. "Don't try and tell me that I'm being pessimistic either. _I know I am_. Kurenai-sensei talked to me a while back, and I get that you guys are trying to help me, but…"

Kiba suddenly tried to stand, and wobbled for a few seconds as he reached for his crutches. "You see? I can barely walk straight, and I doubt I'll be much better when I get that prosthetic they keep telling me about! I'm not you; I can't just force my body to work again. There's no operation for growing limbs back."

Lee's mouth opened and closed several times. Any other time, the words would have come easily enough, but for some reason he could think of nothing to say to Kiba to make him feel better. But he had to try, at least.

"Kiba, I will not try and say that I know what you are going through, but I do not think this is like you. You would not sit down and accept your fate, just as I did not."

"Yeah well, you got to keep your fucking limbs, remember? You don't see a lot of one-armed, one-legged ninja walking around the village. They usually die before they can do much more good, assuming they aren't confined to the village for the rest of their lives."

Kiba shrugged. "Maybe I'll still be useful somehow, but I don't think I'll be going on a lot of missions anymore. For now, I have to live with that. Maybe I'll get used to it, maybe I won't, but I'm tired of being angry all the time. It just makes me angry all over again."

He got up from his seat at the bench. "I get that you're trying to help, but I think I need to handle this on my own somehow."

"No."

Kiba squinted. "I think I'm allowed to handle something by myself if I want to."

Lee was stubborn. "No, I do not think that is a good idea. You have many people who care for you, Kiba. Deciding what you shall do with this obstacle in your life is not something you should do alone. It should be with others, people who will give you confidence and strength. I never would have recovered from my own injuries all those years ago if I had not had Guy-sensei, or Neji, or Tenten, or Naruto, or anyone else. I do not know what I might say to make you feel better, but I will not let you try and do this by yourself."

Kiba bared his teeth in a feral grin. "What? You gonna try and stop me now, is it?"

Lee smiled back. "If that is what it takes, my friend. I will help you if you need it, and you should not be afraid to ask, just as I am not afraid to ask Guy-sensei if there is something I need someone else for."

"Well then, for starters, how about you help me back to the hospital? My nurse lets me off for lunch, since I just kept leaving anyway even if she told me to stay put, but I have to get back for afternoon therapy, and those crutches are starting to be a pain in my ass."

Lee nodded, and offered his shoulder for Kiba to hold himself up on, whilst Lee carried his crutches in his other arm. They slowly made their way down the middle of the street, back towards the hospital.

"So, where are you going with all this ninja transfer crap?" Kiba asked, trying to make some conversation while they walked. "I can't imagine you'd be stuck here with everyone else."

Lee thought about it for a moment. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone where he was going until Tsunade had their 'official' mission papers, so he had to think of something quick. "I do not know, I'm afraid. Tsunade-sama brought me and my teammates into her office today. Apparently there was a mix-up in the paperwork, and she told us that we would have to be reassigned, which might take a few days to sort out through. It does not bother me. To be honest, I do not relish the feeling of leaving all my friends behind."

Kiba snorted. "Personally, I think it'd be great to get out of the village once in a while with something that doesn't have to do with killing anyone. Gives me a chance to show off in front of people who've never seen me before. Of course, I don't think I could 'show off' anymore." He waved his stump in the air, to help make his point.

They turned the corner, and Kiba nearly stumbled into someone. He almost fell off-balance, but thanks to Lee, he remained upright.

"Hey, be more careful, will ya?" he said, grumbling. He was about to scold the person some more, but when he looked up, his words caught in his throat.

Lee smiled widely. "Hello, Sakura-san! It is good to see you. Is there something we can help you with?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Next chapter, we'll check back in with Hinata, find out where everyone else is leaving and/or coming to Konoha, as well as pick up where this sticky situation with Sakura and Kiba is. I know some of you are skeptical, but I urge you to be patient.

-Bit of promoting. If you haven't hopped aboard the train that is Game of Thrones, I urge you to do it now, as Season Three starts the 31st. I just finished the third book, a Storm of Swords, and I have to tell you, it's gonna be absolutely insane. One of the best entertainment powerhouses of our generation, to be sure.

-If you have any questions or concerns, leave them in a review or simply PM me, and I'll get back to you as best I can. I admit I can be a little absent-minded, so forgive me if I have forgotten to reply, or if something in the chapters themselves have been neglected.

I hope you take the time to review. I do enjoy reading each and every one of them. Of course, I hope even more that each chapter is worth reviewing, which is entirely my responsibility.

Until next time, then.


	58. Departure! The Exchange Program Begins!

**Author's Note: **I'm gonna be honest. I'm not entirely happy right now.

I feel a little creatively burnt out on this story right now. Maybe it was the last of that shitstorm of work rapidly ejecting from my now-scorched asshole (ahh, the joys of college), or maybe it wasn't. Now now, that doesn't mean you'll be waiting another 8 weeks for the next update, but it will be later. I have a responsibility as Beta for my friend **OGAFazer89AC ** I have to think about, as well as my other stories that desperately need updating. To add onto it, Spring Break is coming soon, and we all know how productive college kids are during SPRING BREAK, so I might just take that week off. I doubt it, but at the very least, I'll write entirely at my leisure.

But that's not why I'm not happy.

I'm a little unhappy because I have repeatedly asked for input. I am literally giving you a pass to hurl your poo at me, insults and curses and all manner of negativity my way. I want to know where you think the story is going, because you've been more than a little tepid since the release of Book Three, and it's starting to grate on me. **I'm not asking for more reviews**; send me a PM if you want, or hell, I'll give you my e-mail address if you insist. I just want more people to be talking to me, you know? To me, silence is far more disheartening than any manner of flaming.

I dunno. Maybe I'm just being selfish. As I've said before, I feel that it is the writer's job to pen something WORTH reviewing, not the reader's job to review constantly on material they weren't blown away with. I understand that reviewing every chapter can be draining. I mean, we don't do it for books. Sometimes, only the whole is worth talking about, context and all. BUT, if silence is what I get, I have nothing to go on, and nowhere to go for improvement.

This is your chance. Tell me what you absolutely hate in this story, what you loathe and abhor, what makes you want to vomit. I need both sides of the coin, here. If all of you are absolutely 100% content, and that's why you've remained tight-lipped, so be it. But if you're afraid of hurting my feelings or some shit, allow me to inform you that I have a skin of iron. I will thank you for taking the time to tell me what you think, no matter the method.

So, all in all, if you have some shit to fling, do me a favor and FLING IT, BITCH.

Also, what the hell does 'supert history' mean? I swear, I see that review on like every other story, and I'm totally lost. Random, I know, but it's just a 'wtf' kind of thing.

No music, because we haven't really gotten to the shitstorm yet. Did I say shitstorm, because that's what I _meant_ to say. I will not lie. I'm gonna rip your hearts out by the end of this. Characters will die, and they will be characters you don't WANT to die. You wanna know who's safe? Naruto and Hinata. They're literally the only two people who may or may not be on the chopping block. I don't know why I'm telling you this. Maybe I just want to see you squirm. I hope you'll at least trust that I'll only due so if it's awesome and gives the story some emotional weight to it. I'm not gonna kill people just for the hell of it.

So yeah, no music.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 6 - Departure! The Shinobi Exchange Program Begins!<strong>

_Bzzzzzzt._

_Bzzzzzzt._

'_Maybe if I just ignore it, it'll go away.'_

_Bzzzzzzt._

'_Don't give up. Eventually, it'll quiet down, and you can go back to sleep.'_

_Bzzzzzzt._

'_Dammit.'_

Shikamaru rolled to one side of his bed, slamming his palm down on top of his alarm clock. It was his mortal enemy, and it was surprising that this evil, little piece of technology had lasted so long against his wrath. Whether it was the flat of his palm, or the underside of his foot, Shikamaru's clock had a reputation for being ridiculously durable, even more so than some of the toughest ninja in the village. _'Maybe it should be the one wearing the vest, while I stay at home bothering some bastard until he gets up,' _he thought bitterly to himself, as his toes touched the cold hardwood of his floor.

A few shafts of light penetrated through Shikamaru's thick sheet of covering against his windows. He had never been fond of waking up to the blinding light of the sun, and over the years had put up more and more sets of curtains and drapes until not even the tiniest amount of sunlight could push through, as long as he didn't want it to. Unfortunately for him, this was not a morning where he could ignore his alarm clock, and sleep until his mother tossed him out the window like most days.

His suitcase stood near the door, packed as full as he cared to stuff it, with clothes and tools and supplies and all other manner of personal belongings, at least the few that Shikamaru had cared to accumulate over the years. The only one of real, significant importance, however, sat in his pocket, where he rarely let it stray from. His fingers ran over the polished metal of Asuma's lighter, every little nick and groove committed to memory.

Shikamaru often found the lighter in his hands when he really needed to think, so long as he wasn't in the middle of a fight and needed both his hands. It calmed him down to feel the small amount of weight it had to his side, almost like a little piece of Asuma himself was nearby. He found he could think clearer when his fingers touched the metal, and he turned it over again and again in his pocket, he thought.

To be honest, he hadn't been especially surprised when he saw his name on the list to go to Sunagakure. Many ninja had congratulated him the morning of Monzaemon's defeat, and even Gaara himself had expressed his opinion that Suna would do well with as brilliant a mind as his own. Shikamaru had been humble enough, though if he had wanted to speak his mind, he would have told everyone there to leave him alone, to his thoughts and to his regrets.

There had been so many things he could have prevented. Kiba wouldn't have gotten hurt, Hinata wouldn't have almost died, and by extension Naruto would not be where he was today, if Shikamaru had been just a little bit faster, or a little bit smarter. By his own admittance, he wasn't anywhere near ready to train other Suna shinobi, as Tsunade had explained to him. He didn't want that many lives on his conscience; not yet.

Temari. That troublesome woman probably had something to do with it. She had been writing to him occasionally since he had left Suna, and even her handwriting seemed different. She didn't make fun of him nearly as often as she used to, and it seemed like she expressed her excitement at seeing him again every other sentence. He didn't know what was going on, and if there was one thing Shikamaru didn't like, apart from waking up early and cold food and his alarm clock and walking across the village and doing paperwork and about a million other things, it was not knowing what was going on.

_Bzzzzzzt._

'_I swear, the farther away I get from you the better,' _Shikamaru thought as he smashed his fist on top of his alarm clock. The little machine choked out one last buzz, before finally falling silent. Shikamaru straightened out his back, turned around to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything, and left once he was satisfied.

The crisp winter air felt good around his shoulders. Shikamaru had never been bothered by the cold; he liked that it kept you on edge, and anxious to stay moving. The lull of the desert heat would prove a decent challenge, and he was thankful that he wouldn't be seeing any combat during his extended stay.

He yawned. He didn't understand why so many people had gotten angry that Tsunade had even suggested this in the first place. As he saw it, the alliance between the Five Great Nations was the only thing standing between them and permanent peace time. If he had to trudge in the sand dunes for a few months, give or take, that was a small sacrifice to make.

Besides, he thought with a frown, plenty of the others had it easier than he did, if you got to the root of it. Tsunade had been very clever with who she wanted to leave, and who she wanted to stay. As much as possible she tried to send off shinobi with a former teammate, a friend, or even a family member if they were part of a clan, as was the case with Shino and his father. Tsunade had known that Shikamaru wouldn't pitch much of a fit if he didn't have anyone like that, and she had something about Temari with the weirdest grin on her face, but to tell the truth, Shikamaru hadn't entirely been paying attention.

Of course, that didn't mean that he was going_ alone_.

He heard the faint sounds of an argument coming from around the corner, and a few seconds later, the sight of Izumo placing Kotetsu in a headlock came into view. Shikamaru sighed.

Tsunade seemed as giddy as when she was drunk when she had told Shikamaru that they would be going with him to Sunagakure. He had pressed _why_ Tsunade saw fit to send off two of her assistants, but the Godaime had been notably tight-lipped, preferring to shoo him out of her office before he could ask any more questions. As Shikamaru stood there in the bracing cold, he was starting to get an idea.

"Hey, let go of me!" Kotetsu complained, squirming in his partner's vice-like grip.

"Not until you apologize! My wife had made those special to see me off, and you knocked them all to the ground!" Izumo drove his knuckles hard into Kotetsu's skull, and soon his partner was sitting on the ground, muttering curses and rubbing the now-very-sore spot on the top of his head. Shikamaru sighed again, but waved in greeting. Maybe his presence would force some civility out of these two.

"Oh, good morning, Shikamaru!" Kotetsu said, immediately forgetting all about the lump on his head. He had always held an admiration for Shikamaru, as the Nara was, at least to him, the 'epitome of cool'. Shikamaru never really tried all that hard to convince Kotetsu that he wasn't all that cool, considering the task far too troublesome to bother himself with it. Besides, there had been an occasion every now and then where Kotetsu had offered to handle his paperwork for him, and if it meant cutting out some of the work, Shikamaru was more than glad to play the part of cool.

"Good morning. You guys sleep better than I did?" asked Shikamaru as he groaned and stretched out his back. It had been long past due to get himself a new mattress.

Izumo shrugged. "I slept well enough. My wife couldn't help but _keep me up_ for a little while, since I'll be gone from the village for quite some time." He giggled to himself, while his partner pouted.

"You're always rubbing that in my face! Do you have to bring that up every chance you get?"

"If it shuts you up, I do. It's not my fault you have as much luck getting women as you do making jōnin."

"Hey, that was below the belt!" Kotetsu growled, baring his teeth and raising his fist. "You wanna fight?"

Izumo glared back at him. "Oh, I'll show you something below the belt! Something _you'll_ never have!"

Shikamaru placed two of his fingers in his mouth, and whistled as loudly as he could. Several birds cried out in surprise, and flapped away from the nests, away from the commotion.

"Would you two keep it down? Try to remember that we're about to represent the village for Tsunade-sama. I'd rather not spend every day in Suna babysitting you two."

Kotetsu's eyes shone. "He's so cool!" he whispered, much to Izumo's chagrin.

"Okay okay, you're right. Let's just get going. The sooner we start moving, the less we'll have to stand around in this cold."

"I'd like to have seen you go to the Land of water. You have any idea how cold it gets over there? You'd probably freeze to death!"

"Not before I took you with me!"

"Oh yeah? What, you think I'd let you get anywhere near me?"

As Kotetsu and Izumo bickered back and forth, Shikamaru took a long, deep breath of the crisp winter air. _Now _he was starting to understand why Tsunade had been so eager to send these two away. He could only hope that he lasted these next few months without killing either of them.

'_Man, what a pain in the ass.'_

* * *

><p>Shino awoke to the sound of a few of his bugs skittering loudly across the floor of his bedroom.<p>

He had no alarm clock, because he _needed_ no alarm clock. His insects always knew when he needed to be awake and when he needed to be asleep, and they were more than willing to help keep track of this information, reminding him whenever necessary with a buzz of their wings, or the twitch of their antenna.

He could feel the blood beneath his skin begin to flow, crawling through his veins just like his insects crawled through his body. Many people think such a sensation would be appalling and disgusting; Shino merely found it to be mildly ticklish. A good way to start the morning.

There was little he had packed for. The Aburame clan had never been one to mindlessly collect possessions, so most of his pack would be filled with things to care for his insects, as well as some small amounts of provisions for himself should he get hungry on the road. They had been promised more than enough food would be allocated for their trip, but an Aburame was nothing if not careful.

On the edge of his desk, something caught the light of the early morning, and shone into Shino's eyes, reminding him to put on his sunglasses. He approached the object, and held it in his hand, looking down curiously.

Perfectly preserved in a bed of crystal, was one of his kikaichu. Each Aburame was taught that it did not matter how many beetles or other insects they had at their command; each and every one of them were individual creatures, with individual lives, lives that Shino put on the line with every battle. They must not act unless they are sure their attacks will strike, as many of their kikaichu might perish in the assault. This single beetle served as a reminder of their symbiotic relationship with one another, that they were nothing without the other.

With practiced caution, Shino placed it into his pocket. It would be safe with him, at least until he found somewhere to place it in their new quarters in Iwagakure.

That had been a strange decision on Tsunade's part, at least Shino had thought it had been her decision. As he later learned, the Tsuchikage himself had asked for several Aburame clan members to come to his village, and the Hokage had allowed two, Shino and his father. Iwa had once held their own mighty clan of insect users, specifically bees, and even the first Tsuchikage had been a member, but they had been wiped out, and their name almost forgotten except as an embarrassment to the village.

But Shino and his father were dutiful shinobi, and would do as Tsunade asked of them without question. They were going to Iwa for reasons other than to preserve the alliance, besides.

For the past several months, Shino and his family had been placed in charge of the investigation leading up to the unusual deaths of the thieves he and his teammates had captured so many months ago. Tsunade had thought something odd about the whole situation, and upon closer inspection, it was in fact revealed that there was more to this than meets the eye. They could not pin it down upon any one man, but Tsunade had a sneaking suspicion that the Akatsuki were involved, and now she asked that Shino and his father resume their investigation upon their arrival to Iwa.

"You must keep this between the two of you," she had told them in her office, her door shut to even Shizune. "Ōnoki is old, and full of pride. If he were to find out what I was up to, he'd take it as an affront to his entire village, and by extension, himself. That's the last thing we need right now, especially with his reputation, so try and keep this as quiet as possible. If there are allies to be found within Konoha, I have no doubt that you can find them."

Shino had been quietly proud of his Hokage's confidence in him and his father, and especially in his clan. To disappoint her would be a terrible thing, and he did not mean to.

His pack slung against his shoulder, he found his father waiting for him in the kitchen, sitting alone with the lights off.

If people thought Shino Aburame was a quiet person, than for all the rest of the village knew, Shibi Aburame was made of stone. His brow was constantly squashed against his narrow eyes, and his lips barely parted to breathe, let alone speak. He sat against the back of a chair, waiting for his son. When Shino made his arrival known, Shibi acknowledged his son's presence with a nod of his head. Unusually forward for his father, Shino decided.

'_He is afraid,'_ Shino realized, just as he realized that he was as well. His beetles buzzed restlessly against his skin, and sought escape, hiding in the cool shadows of his robes. It would be foolish of himself to deny his fear, he thought, but that did not make it any less troubling.

'_This is a dangerous game the Kage are playing,' _he thought to say, though he only nodded once towards his father to signal his readiness to leave. _'They are content to play politics with one another, and we all desire peace as much as the next man and woman, but old grudges linger, and when Iwagakure was involved, there were many grudges to be had.'_

They stepped outside into the cold morning air, and Shino felt his beetles crawl back inside his own body, hurrying to warmth. He envied them; this was a chill that could not be lifted with another layer of the dark clothing the Aburame were known for.

His father looked to him, as if to ask if he was ready. Not just ready to leave, but ready to accept that this was what their Hokage had asked of them, and that they were walking into a very dangerous situation. Shino had scarcely seen his father's eyes from behind his own set of darkly tinted glasses, but he felt strength in them nonetheless. He nodded once more, and they were off.

The closer they got to the village, the more joined their little band. Although Shibi and Shino were perhaps the most important to be leaving for Iwa (as the leader and heir of one of the four noble clans of the village), they were certainly not the only ninja Tsunade had considered. Iwa had a reputation for being hard-headed, favoring the rougher styles of Taijutsu and their Earth Release techniques, and letting the other nature users fend for themselves. Tsunade had decided that those with an aptitude for Taijutsu, as well as their own select few Earth release users, would do well in such an environment, and had reached an agreement with the Tsuchikage for him to send his own Fire Release users, as well as those more skilled in ninjutsu and genjutsu. It had sounded fair enough on paper, Shino thought, but as he glanced at those around him, he wondered if it had been a smart move.

There were perhaps ten of them, as one or two was more than likely only joining their trek until they reached the village's gate, to see off their friends and family. They spoke in hushed tones, stealing a glance at Shino or his father every now and again.

'_They see us as leaders,' _Shino thought, _'but they are still frightened.'_ He had not fooled himself into thinking they would not be. Their ways were disgusting and even fearsome to many, and unusual to all. An often repeated rumor was that underneath their robes, they hid two additional limbs, equaling six, just like the beetles that crawled underneath their skin. The son of Aburame was not angry, though. His father had long since instilled in him that the best way to silence the harshness of others was to simply show them wrong. Still, a younger genin looked up at him, and although he could not tell that Shino had met his eyes from behind his dark glasses, he could see the fear, and felt a little colder.

Other groups were starting to form, that he could see from in between the village's pathways and alleys. Bands of other shinobi and civilians alike, those brave enough to face the cold to see their loved ones off, or to leave on their Hokage's orders. He saw many he knew, and even more that he did not. He thought he heard his father share a quiet word with an older chūnin leaving for Kumogakure, but when he turned around, his father was staring straight ahead, his back rigid. Perhaps his eyes were searching for Shino's own, but he could not tell.

He heard a grunt from behind him, and was pleased to see Shikamaru with his own band. He nodded in greeting.

"Man, this is gonna be such a pain in my ass," Shikamaru grumbled aloud, walking next to his friend.

'_Perhaps, but there is an element of excitement, is there not?' _Shino considered, sniffing the cold air and letting it fill his lungs. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched a genin fall behind to walk beside his mother, his eyes red and puffy from when he had most likely been crying. The boy's father was with him, and although he tried to comfort his son, the genin clung to his mother like he might die if he let go.

Shikamaru was looking as well. "Personally, I don't agree with Tsunade-sama's decision to include genin in this. They don't know what to expect, and walking into something unprepared is a good way to get people killed.

'_She sends genin as a sign of good faith,'_ Shino wanted to say, though he knew Shikamaru was aware of this. _'Were any of the other villages foolish enough to harm these genin, Tsunade-sama would know who she could and could not trust. They dare not risk the alliance when so many of their shinobi are in the hands of the other villages.'_

"Yeah, I mean I know it gives a strategic edge over any village dumb enough to try and start something, but I still don't think genin should be involved. Give them a few more years of C-rank or D-rank missions."

Shino was about to say something, but surprisingly enough, his father beat him to it. "Was it not your own generation who were forced into so much more than expected? Your class handled themselves very well, if I remember correctly."

Shikamaru grunted again. "Yeah? Well I think we got lucky. No point in trying the same experiment a second time."

He sighed loudly. "I don't know why I bother complaining about it. It's not like I'm in the position to change anything."

'_You could if you had the proper motivation,' _Shino thought. _'Were you up to the task, I have no doubt you could become Hokage, though Naruto might have something to say about that.'_

Shino almost smiled. He had seen Naruto once or twice in the past few weeks, and the blond was getting better every day, faster than anyone could have anticipated. Tsunade-sama had been embarrassed she had thought he would be out of commission for several months. "Why did I think that _you_, of all people, would be bed-ridden for that long?" she had asked, as Naruto was aggressively working on his most recent physical therapy session. His muscles only obeyed him half the time, but Naruto was anything if not stubborn. There had been plenty of days where he simply forced his legs to bear his weight, thought there had been once or twice where his body had fought back, usually in the form of loosening his bowels. Shino adjusted his glasses, silently grateful he had not been in the room when that had happened. Naruto might have died from embarrassment, but it was a necessary risk to pushing yourself the way he did.

Shino would not be outdone. As the village gate came into view, and the majority of shinobi who were either coming or going had arrived and joined their convoy, Shino thought of Naruto, and Hinata, and Kiba, and everyone else he would be representing in Iwagakure. He thought of Tsunade-sama, of the Fourth, Third, Second, and First Hokages. He thought of his father.

Failure was not an option. He, as an Aburame, and as a shinobi of Konoha, would do his best for the good of his village. For everyone that was counting on him, and even for those who might not.

"I guess this is it, then," he heard Shikamaru say. He turned, and saw his friend's hand outstretched. Shino accepted it, and shook it firmly.

Shikamaru couldn't help but smile. "Try not to creep too many people out while you're in Iwa, alright?" he joked, letting his hand fall to his side.

Shino nodded. "I will try."

Several more goodbyes were shared, and soon everyone was ready to go. A single command from the eldest of those leaving the village, and they leapt into the trees, disappearing from sight. As the gate grew smaller and smaller behind him, Shino felt the cold slip from his shoulders. He shrugged the rest of it off, kicked his feet into the branch beneath him, and was gone, his father by his side.

* * *

><p>"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"<p>

Naruto groaned, rolling in his sheets until they protected him like a cocoon. He threw his pillow over his eyes, swatting his arm feebly. Maybe if he got lucky, he'd scare her away.

"Nuh-uh, it's time to get up!" he heard her say, far too cheerful for how early in the morning it was. For a moment, he was reminded of Hinata, and his grip on his pillow relaxed enough for his nurse to yank it away, and throw it on the floor. Her smile was almost as bright as the sun pouring in from the window, but that only made Naruto groan even louder. It was _way_ too early for this crap.

But then he sat up, suddenly remembering something. He pushed the woman aside, raced to the window, and swore when he saw how high in the sky the sun had gotten. He immediately turned around, angry.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" he demanded, arms folded. "I was gonna say goodbye to everyone before they left the village!"

The woman smiled again, too sweetly. "Dear, our sessions start at 9:30 sharp. Your friends were due to leave almost an hour and a half ago. I couldn't have been the one to wake you up that early."

Naruto muttered something under his breath, but relented. As much as he didn't like to admit it, the woman was right; he should have woken himself up to see his friends off. He blamed the medication they were making him take; it made him sleepy most of the day, and grouchy for all of it.

"We may not have to do a session today if you're feeling this strong!" his nurse said, clapping her hands together excitedly. Naruto looked down, finally remembered that he had been standing on his own two feet. As if his body had just remembered as well, the strength suddenly left him, and he would have fallen to the floor had his nurse not caught him under his arms. She was rather strong despite her size, and hoisted him back up to his feet, gently setting him back down on the bed.

She wagged a finger in his face. "I swear, you're the strangest case I've ever taken on. Half the time you're up and running, and the other half you need my help to do even the smallest tasks. You're not milking this, are you? Tsunade-sama would be very upset with you if you were."

Naruto shook his head. "No, it's nothing like that! Trust me, I'm as confused as you are."

The nurse rolled her eyes, smiled, and hurried back into the hallway to fetch the rest of her things. Her name was Kango or something. Naruto honestly hadn't been paying much attention when she had introduced herself, though that wasn't because he didn't like her. She was a pleasant enough woman, plump around the arms and waist, and quick with a smile, and a scolding finger if you made her job harder. It was the sessions themselves that Naruto had grown to despise.

She carried a metal bar underneath each arm, supported by two more on either end. She set them on the opposite side of the floor, and weighted them down with some of Naruto's furniture. She would have preferred the room they had reserved just for physical therapy, but Naruto was stubborn, and did not want to spend most of his time at the hospital. He had Miso to look to, after all, as the pup wasn't quite yet big enough to get his own food just yet. Maybe he could have gone to Kiba's house, but Naruto was glad for any excuse to stay in his own home, though sometimes Miso made the ordeal tougher, turning his pitiful waddling into a game of some kind, weaving in between Naruto's legs.

Kango clapped again. "Come on, Naruto. You can do this!"

With a sigh and a heave, Naruto forced his body into the air, before it started to fall back forward, directly in between the two bars. His hands gripped either one, and with a shove, he brought his body into something resembling a standing position.

Kango nodded. "Okay, now make your way towards me. Not so fast; you need to work on your endurance. Lasting longer is more important than simply making it to the other side."

"I know that!" Naruto grunted, even though he had completely forgotten. His upper body was just as weak as his lower half, and by the time he had made it across, sweat was pouring down his back. He turned himself around, slowly and surely, and went back the way he came. His muscles ached and groaned, but he kept at it.

Several laps later, his entire body was screaming, but still he kept at it. One arm in front of the other, one leg in front of the other. One before the other. Left, than right. Left, than right.

Suddenly, his strength left him, and he collapsed to the floor. It wasn't a very long fall, but his entire weight fell onto his foot, and he winced in pain. Kango hurried over, and with a grunt and heave of her own, yanked him back up. She had the tendency to be less than gentle, but it was necessary to keep his injuries from healing the wrong way.

She tossed him back onto the bed, wiping a small bead of sweat from her forehead. "Phew! You sure do get heavy quick!" she said, rubbing her hands together. "You ready to work on your lower body now?"

Naruto sighed, but did as she asked. These things seemed to drag on for hours. Once, he had tried using shadow clones to help speed up the process. But when he had released them all, he had woken up back in the hospital, with Kango a blubbering mess and Tsunade herself fuming. He had almost forced his brain back into a comatose state, the Hokage had informed him, and she told him in that low, dangerous voice of hers that if he ever tried something stupid like that again, she was likely to just cut off his legs and save herself the trouble he was causing. Naruto knew she wouldn't go that far, but he didn't want to know how far she _would_ go, nonetheless.

At least working his legs was a little easier. They had gotten used to supporting more of his weight faster than he had expected, even with the Kyūbi's increased healing factor. He hadn't been able to go at it for as long as he thought he could, but Kango had stopped him before he hurt himself. Again.

"That's enough for today, Naruto," she said, looking over a clipboard. "You might be able to handle an evening session with how much progress you're making, but I don't think Tsunade-sama will approve of that."

Naruto snorted. "I don't really care what she thinks right now."

Kango pouted, putting her hands on her hips. "Now now, you know that whatever reasons Tsunade-sama has for keeping things from you, that they're important, right?"

Naruto must have had a loose tongue one day after he had taken his medication, because Kango ended up learning all about Tsunade and her keeping information away from him. Thankfully, Kango was loyal, and had stopped Naruto from saying anything he shouldn't about things she didn't need to know about. But right now, Naruto didn't really care who knew. He felt like spiting Tsunade for hiding things from him, but he wasn't about to drag Kango into this. She was only trying to help.

"I actually want to talk to her. You think you could push me to her office? I know you're going back that way anyway, so I thought…" He felt a little silly asking her help, but he didn't think he could push himself all the way to Tsunade's office, not after he had just spent several hours strengthening his arms and legs. Maybe he could have waited at home for his strength to come back to him, but Naruto wanted to speak with her today.

Kango smiled. "I'd be happy to. I'll even pick up a snack for us along the way, if you'd like.

Getting him down the stairs in the wheelchair Kango sometimes brought along was no easy task, but Naruto helped whenever he could, bracing himself against the handrail or holding his weight forward to ease it off of Kango's back. She grunted now and again, but otherwise didn't complain. Once they were on the even ground of the village's path, however, Naruto could hear the tendons and bones cracking as she stretched out her back. He winced, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Goodness! If you weren't recovering so fast, I'd have half a mind to put up a ramp for you to use."

* * *

><p>The walk (or ride, as it were) to Tsunade's office was a little uncomfortable for Naruto. Every other person stopped them in the middle of the road and asked them how he was doing, what he was up to, and if he was feeling alright. Naruto answered every question with as much courtesy as he could, but Kango seemed ready to have a ten minute long chat with each and every one of them, and more often than not they would start talking about him, only not allowing Naruto himself a say in the conversation. He learned after it happened the fourth time that if he just shut his mouth and let them get on with their business, they would get through this quicker.<p>

However, Naruto _was _keeping an eye out for someone in particular. He had been expecting Sakura to come visit at least once or twice, but he hadn't heard a single thing about her since their little fight in the hospital. Naruto wasn't exactly ready to forgive her, but he at least wanted to talk to her again.

But she was nowhere to be found, and Naruto did not want to ask Kango if they could stop and check to see if she was at the hospital; that would probably result in another two-hour detour.

So he pushed Sakura to the back of his mind, and focused on his visit with Tsunade, whose office was just coming into view. Kango had a little trouble hauling Naruto's chair up the stairs, but with the help of Shizune, who had heard the commotion from upstairs, they got to the top fairly quickly.

Shizune smoother out the creases in her robe, and wiped her hands clean. "I'm sorry Naruto, but Tsunade's out on business right now, and I don't know when she'll be back."

Naruto wheeled his chair right beside her door, turning to the side, and craning his neck until he could lean his ear against the wood. Tsunade would sometimes instruct Shizune to send people away even if she was in her office, usually because she was buried and work and less than sober, making for a poor host should someone be foolish enough to rouse her temper. But when Naruto pressed his ear against the door, he didn't hear the scuffling of papers or the swishing of a half-empty sake bottle. It looks like Shizune was telling the truth, this time around.

He spun around. "It's okay; I can wait as long as it takes," he decided, wheeling himself over to Shizune's smaller desk and folding his arms. Shizune wrung her hands in front of her stomach, but did not outright deny him.

Kango smiled. "I'll be leaving for the hospital again, then. Let me know if you want to have another session, Naruto." She bowed to Shizune, and excused herself from the room.

"Naruto, I don't think it's a good idea to wait for Tsunade-sama," Shizune said, worried. "She will be tired and frustrated when she comes back. Whatever you're looking for, she might turn you away."

Naruto frowned. "She owes me. I know nothing about my mother, and she knew all about her, but decided that the safety of the village was more important."

He shook his head. "I'm not looking for classified information about the missions she went on, or anything like that! I want to know if she liked ramen, what she enjoyed doing in her spare time. If she ever talked about me…" He fell silent, twiddling his thumbs in his lap.

"I just want to know what kind of person she was. I think I deserve that at least, right?"

Shizune smiled. "I think so too. If you tell her that, I'm sure Tsunade-sama will help you as much as she can."

She organized a few stray papers on her desk. "Did you say goodbye to everyone leaving this morning?" she asked.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, pouting. "No! I slept through it, like the idiot I am. I wanted to say goodbye to Shikamaru and Shino and Bushy Brows and everyone else before they left."

He sighed, the sharp breath hissing through his nostrils. "What if they never come back? This is a big gamble we're taking."

Shizune shrugged her shoulders. "To be honest, Naruto, I felt the same way when Tsunade-sama first suggested it. But as time went on, I started to see what she saw in this agreement. If you have to think entirely pragmatically about this, the chance that any of the other villages will harm any of our own ninja is incredibly slim, since we have just as much of their own in our village, ready to be taken hostage if things go south. But everyone's demands were relatively light, so no one like you and Kakashi are leaving their villages. The balance of power should stay intact."

"For example," she continued, reaching over to the far side of her desk. There were several figurines, used as paperweights to keep the rest of the paperwork that Tsunade neglected under control. She set one on one side, and the rest of them on the others.

She held up the individual. "Let's pretend this is Sakura, and that all of these others are medics in Sunagakure. It's considered an even trade."

Naruto scratched his head. "How does that work? I mean, I know Sakura-chan is really good and everything, but that's a bunch of other people. And wait…does that mean Sakura-chan left too?"

He suddenly tried to lurch out of his chair, and would have fallen out if Shizune hadn't reached across her desk to put her hand on his chest, and ease him back into his chair.

"No, Naruto, Sakura didn't leave the village. She might have, but Tsunade-sama was unwilling to send away one of our top medics, even though it's to Suna and we trust them the most. But for the purposes of my example, pretend she is."

She went back to her figurines. "Now, Sakura is worth as much as all of these medics combined. That isn't to say that they're not skilled, but they lack the other abilities that gives Sakura the overall edge here."

She reorganized all the figurines on her desk. "And that goes for every trade we've made. Most of the ninja being traded are chūnin or lower in terms of rank, to prevent any of the other villages from amassing more power. These shinobi will trade their strengths and weaknesses with one another, as well as with the village they are staying with. Everything from Genjutsu to Taijutsu has been considered, and all the agreements were mutually satisfactory, with a few minor exceptions."

Naruto leaned forward in his chair. "Really? Like who?"

"Well, Tsunade-sama was not too keen on allowing both Shibi and Shino Aburame to go to Iwa, considering their history with their own clan of insect-users. But the Tsuchikage was more than willing to 'sweeten the deal', as he put it, and sent several more chūnin to make Tsunade-sama feel better."

Naruto frowned again. "It just doesn't sit right with me, you know? These are all people, not little tiny statues that we can do with whatever we want. Real people that we talk to and eat ramen with, and fight with."

"It comes with being the Hokage, Naruto. There are always choices you have to make where neither choice is the good one."

Naruto craned his neck to see Tsunade had come back earlier than expected. Her eyes were hollow and deep bags rested underneath them, displaying her exhaustion for all to see. Her skin hung to her face a little more loosely than usual, but she tried to keep that as unnoticeable as possible.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I'm very busy right now, so if this isn't important, it'll have to wait."

"You know why I'm here," Naruto said firmly, turning his chair to face her. "I want to know about my mom."

Tsunade sighed. "I don't have time for this, I really don't. Did you not hear that the first time, or do I have to scream it at you?"

Naruto straightened in his chair, narrowing his eyes. "Maybe I should just go ask Raiā about it. He seems to be the only one willing to tell me about her."

Tsunade had opened the door to her office, and would have shut it in his face had he not said that. She turned back around, and gave him a look that might have withered braver men. "I don't want you seeing him again anytime soon. Not until I have reached an agreement that he won't be spilling all kinds of classified secrets out into the open."

If Naruto could move as much as he would have liked, he might have stood and gotten within an in inch of Tsunade's face. "I don't _care_ about these stupid secrets! I told you the first time that I wanted to know was who my mother was!" He glared at her, nostrils flaring wide open. "Why is it so hard for you to understand that?"

"I don't want you to be disappointed!" Tsunade suddenly snapped, before she could stop herself. Angrily she stomped into her office, but Naruto wheeled after her, confused.

"What do you mean by that? How could I be disappointed by her? She's my mom! She died for me!"

"And telling you what her favorite flavor of ramen is won't bring her back!" Tsunade fell back in her chair. "It's not fair for you, to get just the smallest idea of who your mother was. You deserve to know everything, I know that, but there are things that I cannot share with you right now."

"Why not? Do I have to sign some stupid agreement that makes me promise I'll never tell anyone? Do I have to swear in blood? Tell me what I have to do, so I can know who my family was!" Naruto's eyes searched Tsunade's, desperate for an answer.

"All this time, I thought I was protecting you," Tsunade said quietly, pushing away from her desk, and wandering to the window. "Every time I learned something you would have wanted to know, I kept it away and hidden, because I wanted to protect you from what the real world is like."

She turned around. "You got a taste of it when Jiraiya died. The world can be a cruel place, Naruto, and while I have the upmost confidence that you'll be the one to change that, the road will be hard. You'll have to make choices that no one should make. Maybe, before you reach Hokage, you might have to end a life in order to save another, and it won't be between a friend and foe. That would be too easy."

Tsunade laughed softly to herself, though there was no joy in her voice. "We always think it's an easy choice at first. But then you have to look at them. You realize that they're a person just as much as you are. What gives you the right to be judge, jury, and executioner? What gives those of us in power the right to decide who lives and who dies?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed. "I'm sorry. I got a little sentimental on you. If you want to know about your mother, I'll tell you what I know, which isn't much. I also won't stop you if you want to learn more from Raiā, but you have to be prepared that he is more than willing to tell you something you don't want to hear."

Naruto wheeled himself closer to the desk. "If you're in a generous mood, there's something else I want to ask about, afterward."

"And what's that?"

"I think you already know. If I was involved that night, with Hinata's mom…I think I have a right to know."

Tsunade blew a stray hair out of her face. "You're not making this any easier on me, you know that? You sure you just want to pile on all of this at once?"

Naruto nodded. "I've been in the dark for too long. I want to know, no matter what."

"Fine. I don't remember much about your mother, but what I do is all good. She was one of the best of us. Maybe not as a ninja; in fact, she was a little clumsy."

She smiled. "But you'd be hard pressed to find a kinder woman in the village, who was so full of life, and quick with a laugh."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear, letting images flood his mind's eye. He could see his mother, her fiery red hair trailing behind her, as she laughed and smiled. A sudden pang of sadness hit his heart, but it was small and insignificant compared to the feeling of warmth spreading through his body.

"Everyone knew, even from an early age, that Kushina and Minato would be together," Tsunade continued. "After it spread through the village that he had saved her, everyone was always teasing them about it, and neither of them ever made any attempt to dissuade the rumors. If they hadn't been taken away, they would have been together for the rest of their lives."

"Did you ever talk to her?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to one side.

"I'm sure we would have gotten along well, but I was busy back then. If I wasn't on a mission, I was spending my time at the hospital. I saw her there once or twice, usually to check up on Minato, and I got to know her a little better, but we just went our separate ways."

Naruto nodded. "Is there anyone else in the village who may have known her better?" Tsunade glared at him for a moment, and he held his hands up as a sign of resignation. "I wasn't talking about Raiā!" he was quick to say. "I won't go talk to him again unless you let me, I swear. I meant anyone else."

"There may be one or two, but your mother didn't have very many friends, and I don't mean that in a bad way. She was perfectly content with your father, and she got along well enough with Mikoto Uchiha from what I was told, but she won't be of any help to you."

Naruto leaned into the back of his chair, feeling dejected. He had been hoping that there would be a lot of people that he could talk to, at least until he was back on his feet. For a moment, he considered forgoing his promise and going to Raiā, but he had told Tsunade that he wouldn't again until she gave him the go-ahead. He frowned.

"Why keep all of this from me? Why didn't you just ask what I wanted in the first place?"

"I've had a lot on my mind right now. Forgive me if I jumped to conclusions once or twice."

She laced her fingers in front of her face. "But that doesn't mean I was in the wrong. I have every right to keep what I want from anyone I should choose, regardless of how they feel about it, if I feel that it is for the best. If you want to be Hokage, you'll have to accept that secrets will be kept from those you are close to, secrets that will drive wedges between you and your friends. Not always, but it's foolish to think that your 'reign' will be perfect."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not going to give up. I'll find a way I can be honest with everyone, where no one has to be lied to, to protect someone else. I'll keep looking for that my entire life!"

"I admire the enthusiasm. If there's anyone that _could_ do it, you'd certainly be the one I'd bet on." Tsunade chuckled. "Actually, with my luck, maybe it's best that I don't bet on your side."

Naruto laughed with her, though not for long. He was squirming in his seat, and Tsunade was reminded that he had come here for more than one reason.

"You…still want to know what happened that night?"

Naruto nodded, staring her straight in the eye. "Yes. I want to know as much as you can tell me, so I can make sure _he's_ not lying to me."

That piqued Tsunade's interest. "Have you spoken with him since you woke up."

Naruto shook his head. "No, and I don't want to right now. I'm tired of always feeling inferior to him, whether it's something he knows that I don't, or something he can do that I can't. I want you guys' help as much as possible to help me show him that I'm not some kid he can boss around."

There was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I think I want to wait for Hinata, too…she should be there. She should have the chance to talk to him."

"How will you do that?" Tsunade asked.

"I don't know, but there's gotta be a way. Maybe Ino could help me or something, like you said she tried before. Maybe bring Hinata with her."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard of something like that being possible. But in your case, a lot of things are different."

"That's what I was hoping for. Anyway, I don't want to deal with him again until I have to."

"Why not?" asked Tsunade. "Aren't you curious why he did what he did?"

Naruto snorted. "Maybe, but I don't want to give him the chance to mock me again, at least not right now. I know that whatever he did had something to do with Hinata, like what Raiā said, so that's why I wanna wait until she gets back."

"When _does_ she get back, by the way?" he asked, suddenly remembering. "How long is this thing with her dad supposed to be?"

"The tradition has them away from the village until they both decide she is 'ready', so the timeframe varies from person to person. I don't think Hinata will be gone too much longer, though, as long as she hears that you woke up. Something tells me that will be a better motivator than her father ever could be."

Naruto smiled. "That's great! I know she can do it!"

He laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Heh, sorry! Guess I kinda went off on a tangent there, didn't I?"

Tsunade waved him off. "That's the last thing you need to worry about right now, Naruto." She produced an old file from her desk, covered in a thin layer of dust and grime. Documents and pictures were everywhere, and from all the red and black ink, this was a matter of the highest security.

"If you want to talk about that night, fine. We'll talk about the night Hanakō Hyūga died, on a mission to save you."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I'm sorry this is shorter than usual, but like I said, I had enough trouble getting this out as it is. I'm also sorry that I said we'd see Hinata this time around, because obviously, we didn't. I couldn't handle her scene right now, as we're about to get to some important stuff. I probably shouldn't 'tell' you what to expect next chapter unless I'm completely sure, I think.

Maybe this is all because I'm reading too much Game of Thrones (literally, I'm reading a shit ton of it), and I'm subconsciously trying to emulate his story's scope. I hope not, but I hope even more that if you think it's genuinely going in a direction you don't like, you'll _tell me_. I also hope you'll trust my judgement, should we get to talking about it, and that I'll change my mind in a heartbeat in favor of your opinion if that's what's best for the story. For those of you who have already helped me with this (and you know who you are), you have my sincere thanks. The rest of you who review do as well, make no mistake, but right now, I need a little more criticisms.

I think this break will do me some good. Beta-ing **OGAFazer89AC's **fic, as well as updating my own, should help me get back into the swing of things, especially if I get a bunch of awesome feedback from you guys like I hope I do. Seriously, I'm giving you a free pass to be a dick if you want to. TAKE IT.

Thanks to my beta **kylekatarn77**. I haven't gotten a review/PM pointing out a mistake since he took on the job!

Until next time.


	59. Hinata's Training! Deep Into the Past!

**Author's Note: **Ugh.

Yes, I know's it late as hell (where I am, anyway), but I wanted to get this out before I started slogging through the mud again. I got hit with a case of writer's block so diarrhetic if felt like an evening of liquefied Taco Bell was forced down my esophagus. Gruesome image, I know, but I only want to help illustrate what I mean. Maybe I overdid it a little, haha.

I know I said I was going to work on my other fics, but I had to come back after I got all this awesome feedback from you guys. In retrospect, I'm a little ashamed how much akin to 'bitching' it was, but it got me what I needed from you, so there's your silver lining.

I decided to rework my plot to speed up Hinata's plotline, and even though I wanted to knock it out in this here chapter, in the end I could only manage most of it. The next chapter will finish that off, as well as get back into some of the stuff I've touched on earlier. This will not be your most favorite chapter, I'm sure, but it's just bad writing to skip back to the best parts without enough depth into the others, you know? I may want some fluff as much as you guys, but I refuse to skip over what's needed to realistically arrive at that point we all want.

I've felt my creativity reignite with this story, and once we finish up Hinata's journey, and send her back to Naruto, it's gonna be a lot of fun. We've got Lee and friends' mission in the Land of Water, we've got Sasuke and Karin hunting down possible Uzumaki along the coast, and back in the village, Naruto's dealing with problems with Kurama, Sakura, and Raia. And when we add Hinata back to the mix...well, let's just say things are gonna get a little steamy wink wink nudge nudge.

That's right. It's time to explore THAT facet of their relationship. I think they've waited long enough, don't you? We've reached a very good point for that stuff, story wise and character-development wise.

Now, for the next month or so, I'll be ready and ripping to write. BUT, come the summer, I go back to work. It's a warehouse job from 8 to 4, which means waking up at 6 am, and getting home at 5pm. Do a little math, and you'll find that too much writing might wring out any interest I have in the story, no matter how much. So, just as a precaution, I'm warning you now that it'll either slow down back to one chapter a week (like way back in the beginning), or stop altogether. Either way, a more relaxed pace will do me some good, and I would like some 'me' time, just like all of us do.

That doesn't mean I'll just fall off the face of the map. Should I choose not to lighten the load, I intend to pick up that slack with more streaming. If you recall, several chapters ago I mentioned that I stream every now and again, though will work and writing, I couldn't do it for very long. With summer coming, I might use that as an excuse to give it a more thorough go, maybe even learn a game to try and speedrun in. To get an idea of what I mean, I encourage you to check out SpeedRunsLive, where a bunch of classic and new games alike are played by some the best in the medium. I often have one or sometimes even two open when I work. You find the link to my own stuff on my profile, but don't expect anything particularly interesting over there right now.

Okay, I've pretty much chewed your ear off, so even though there's plenty more I could say, I think I'll stop. Big BIG thanks to **kylekatarn77** for his awesome work as Beta, and to all of you who helped me get my mojo back. Hopefully, I won't disgrace myself with another near-three weeks without updating. Shameful.

It's time I put some tunes back in your head, so here's the music you need to worry about:

(1) - watch?v=hf93AZ-Ny9c

(2) - watch?v=PUrU0gu2mN0

I'm usually forgetting something, but it'll never come back to me in time, so I best just move on. I hope you like the chapter! It focuses entirely on Hinata.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 7 - Hinata's Training! Digging Deeper Into the Past!<strong>

To watch a Hyūga look into the fire, is an experience most would call unusual.

Their stark, colorless eyes were in a unique position to play tricks with the flames, tossing and turning them in the reflections. They varied from clan member to clan member: Neji's twisted and contorted, like the streams of wild smoke rising from the tips of the orange fingers. Hanabi's eyes only captured the brightest bursts of the flame, illuminating them like the pop of a firework in the nighttime sky. Hiashi's own glowed brightly, taking in as much light as they could. It made his gaze all the sharper, and many had shriveled under his gaze from across the fire.

And yet, Hinata's own eyes did none of these things. They seemed dull and lifeless next to a roaring fire; gloomy, like the darkness around them. Only when she looked to the moon, did they light up with staggering beauty. They dazzled and shone like the most brilliant pearls when she turned to the sky, but as soon as she looked back to the fire, the beauty was gone. No one could figure out why. Even Hinata herself had long since stopped asking that question.

But the girl sitting across from her had never seen anything like it, and was not the sort of person to keep that much curiosity to herself.

**(1)**

"Why are your eyes like that?" she asked, digging the last few pieces of dinner out from underneath her fingernails.

Hinata drew her legs in close, resting her chin on her knees. "It comes with being a Hyūga. I used to be teased a little when I was a child, but they all found more interesting ways to make fun of me. I stopped trying to figure out why mine are different from everyone else's a long time ago."

"Why?" the girl asked.

Hinata sighed. This girl had a penchant for asking one too many questions, but never with bad intentions. "Because I could never find anything," she told her, "and I had too many other things to worry about instead."

She smiled, gazing into the fiery, vermillion ribbons curling from the blackened wood. "Besides, it stopped bothering me a long time ago, ever since someone told me he liked my eyes, no matter what I was looking at."

"Are you talking about that boy again?" the girl inquired softly, leaning back and letting her arms support her.

Hinata nodded.

"You miss him a lot, don't you?"

Hinata nodded again, and they fell silent.

This had become a common occurrence. Many a night Hinata found sleep elusive, and had little else to do than poke a stick into what remained of their fire, until she learned that the girl had been following them. Hinata had asked _why_ she was following them, but the girl always seemed to change her mind about what she wanted the answer to be. Hinata had given up, and decided to be grateful for the company.

Her father had no reason to suspect anything, so there was no need for him to be aware that when he fell asleep, Hinata would stalk somewhere back down the road, or further into the trees, and find the girl waiting for her, another fire twisting into life. This night, her stomach had grumbled, and she was presented with a delicious roasted squirrel-on-a-stick. Not fine dining by any definition, but Hinata wasn't going to be picky.

"What's he like?" The girl's voice was quiet, and she drew random patterns in the dirt with her sandal. "This boy you keep talking about, I mean."

"He's…well, I guess he's…um…" To her surprise, Hinata had trouble finding the best way to describe Naruto. What should have been an easy task was proving to be anything but.

"You must really like him," the girl said. "That's why it's so hard to find just one or two things to say about him."

"There are a _million_ things I could say about him!" Hinata said, breathless. "He's kind and sweet, funny and attentive, brave and hard-working, and he's always smiling. Naruto-kun inspires the very best out of people, even people who used to be his enemies. He's—"

She was interrupted by the girl's laugh. "I think I get it," she says. "He's perfect."

Hinata blushed.

"It's okay. Naruto sounds a lot like my sister, so I know how you must feel."

Hinata hadn't expected that. Up until now, the girl had been tight-lipped about personal details. Hinata had yet to even learn her name. "Y-your sister?" she began warily. "What's she like?"

"Dead," the girl replied casually. "She's been dead a long time, just like my mom, so it doesn't hurt as much as it used to. Don't be sorry; you couldn't have known."

But Hinata was upset for an entirely different set of reasons. The girl had said Naruto reminded her of her sister, but her sister was dead. Hinata couldn't help but fear for Naruto's health back at the village, having heard nothing from Sakura. Her heart had been stubbornly refusing to let go of the hope that he would wake up each morning, forcing Hinata to reassure herself every night that he was still alive. If anything had happened, she told herself, Sakura would have gotten word to her.

The girl sensed what Hinata was about to ask. "It doesn't hurt so much, but I'd rather not talk about it. You're not mad, are you?"

"No, I'm not mad," Hinata insisted. It was perfectly sensible not wanting to discuss something so tragic, but she couldn't deny that she was curious, nonetheless. There still so much about this girl that was unknown, but she preferred to talk about Hinata most nights. Occasionally she would be willing to reveal her favorite food, or how she 'acquired' that night's meal, but these were only minor details in an otherwise mysterious life.

"How was your training today?" she asked, hoping for a change in subject to ease the tension.

Hinata sighed through her nose. "I think I made a little progress, but it's so hard to tell. My father doesn't know anything about this sort of thing, so there's no one I can go to for help."

Optimism had ruled when Hinata first attempted to combine her natural affinity for lightning into the Gentle Fist, but she had quickly learned how difficult of a task she had set for herself after the first few days. The Gentle Fist required immensely precise chakra control, combined with pinpoint accuracy, and while she had that down, adding elemental chakra into the mix felt like learning to smell with her ears.

She didn't possess the vast quantities of chakra that Naruto did, so summoning dozens of shadow clones to speed along the process simply wasn't possible. Even summoning the one or two that she could nearly forced her into unconsciousness once they had dissipated, and she was not foolish enough to try that again. And so she had fallen into a routine: her father graciously allowed her the use of his own tenketsu for her to practice on, and she would attempt to strike one with her Gentle Fist, as well as with a touch of lightning chakra. If she failed, she would reopen her father's closed tenketsu, and try again.

Today, Hinata had thought she felt a tiny little spark dance across her fingertips, and her father claimed the area where she had struck had gone numb, if only for a few seconds. It was barely anything, but at least it was _something_. She was on her way, and that was enough of a motivator to keep her going.

She smiled inwardly, imagining what Naruto would think when she returned. A toothy grin and a proud look in his eye was all she wanted; she didn't care if anyone else could be bothered with what she was attempting.

The girl threw the stick that had held her dinner into the woods, and stretched her arms out. "I'm sure you'll get it eventually! You said that Naruto didn't have very good chakra control, and he got it within a few days!"

"Yes, but Naruto-kun had dozens of shadow clones at his disposal," Hinata explained. "Those clones allow him twenty times the practice and experience in only a fraction of the time. I do not have the reserves for training of that magnitude."

"But there's gotta be other ways you can make it go faster, right?" The girl thought about it for a moment. "Hey, why don't we just make a bunch of clones for you to practice on!"

"What do you mean?"

The girl stood up. "If we give you lots of clones to do this Soft Fisty thing you do, you don't have to spend as much time working with your dad! Here, let me show you."

A small stream ran through the clearing where they had made camp that night, and further out, where Hinata had gone, the stream widened enough for a sizeable water source. The girl placed her hands together, and long, skinny tendrils of water rose from its surface, collecting on the ground all around them. They rose up, higher and higher, until they were just about Hinata's size, before coalescing into mirror images of the girl herself.

She smiled widely. "See? If you've got a bunch of practice dummies, you can train faster!"

Hinata felt stupid for not having thought of that in the first place, but her father hadn't exactly been known for his use of clones like Naruto was. She almost smiled back, seeing all these clones in front of her. If they could make _this_ a regular part of their evening alongside the rest of it, Hinata was sure she could make some real progress.

With a grunt, she got back to her feet. Her body was still sore from the day's exercises (Hiashi had been working with her to lengthen the amount of time she could force chakra out of her tenketsu, and so far, that time had almost doubled), but her excitement outweighed her fatigue immensely, and she felt a surge of energy upon the activation of her Byakugan.

"I'm not gonna make it easy on you!" the girl cried out, and Hinata realized that she had disappeared, probably somewhere deeper into the forest. The clones began to race in all directions; some straight towards her, others as far away as they could get. Hinata found her center, and began to dance.

At least, that's what she liked to imagine it as. She had no time for such a childish imagination during a real battle, but when she was only training, and especially when she was training alone, without the eyes of others upon her, Hinata felt like her Gentle Fist was more akin to a dance than to a style of combat. The grace and flexibility poured over her body in waves, and each movement felt as natural as the rise and fall of a breath.

Try as they might, the clones formed from the stream nearby had never encountered the Gentle Fist, and were woefully unprepared for what was to come. She spun backwards, and caught one of the clones trying to escape. It quickly collapsed into a pool of water upon a single precise strike to the clone's shoulder.

'_How will I be able to tell if my elemental chakra is mixing well?'_ These clones disappeared before she could see for herself, and before they could say anything of it. But wait…as she looked closer, she could see her reflection in the water. _'Of course…water conducts electricity. There should be some residual sparks if I manage to succeed.'_

She chased after another clone, rolling over the back of one, so that she could strike the two of them at the same time, with either hand. She could have sworn she felt a quick numbing sensation in her arm when the two clones collapsed back into water, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

"Any luck?" the girl called from the trees, hiding from view. "Do you need me to step it up?"

Hinata wiped some sweat from her brow, and remembered how tired she was supposed to be. "I think it's f-fine! Maybe tomorrow I can tell my father about you, and we can practice like this when—"

"I don't wanna meet your dad," she heard the girl say.

"Wh-why not?"

"It's just not something I wanna do, okay? Let's just keep worrying about your training for now. That's more important."

"But—"

Hinata did not have a chance to reply, because suddenly the clones decided that a more direct approach would be favorable. One dove towards her head, another to her legs from the opposite direction. Hinata leaned back as far as her balance would allow it, before barely letting her feet lift from the ground. She ducked underneath the first clone, landed on top of the second, and defeated the two of them with a quick one-two attack.

'_Still nothing. I have to keep trying.'_

A few other clones were hiding in a thick grove of bushes near the water's edge, and Hinata was suddenly in the middle of them, her hands whirling around her so fast they whipped at the air like gusts of wind. Each clone fell after the previous, until none remained, and still Hinata felt nothing but an aching feeling in her bones.

'_Maybe if I concentrate only on elemental chakra, I will be able to find the necessary balance.'_

That was not as hard as Hinata had originally expected, but harder than she had hoped. Naruto had received excellent advice from Asuma on the forming of wind chakra: grinding two opposing forces against one another until they were as thin and sharp as possible. Hinata had racked her brain for how she might do the same with lightning chakra, and decided that a piercing effect should be what she aimed for. Her exceptional chakra control gave her an edge, but it was exceedingly difficult to concentrate her chakra to such a degree that lightning chakra could be formed, instead of just an unusually high amount of concentrated chakra in her hand.

'_I wish Kakashi-sensei was here.'_ She rolled out of the way when two clones came after her, and tried once again to form the necessary lightning chakra. Instead, she received only a large glob of chakra in her hand, which disappeared the moment she did not utilize it for anything. The two clones playfully splashed her with water, and retreated back into the woods.

"Had any luck yet?" the girl called out again, this time visible from one of the larger tree branches.

"No," Hinata grunted. "Not yet. But I will not give up!"

The girl smiled. "That's the spirit! Neither will I!"

A few more clones appeared by the water's edge, and they shot after Hinata single file, giving her plenty of room to try multiple times.

Each of which, ended in failure.

For a second, Hinata forgot herself, and with a small cry of frustration, she shoved her palm into the clone closest to her, sending it tumbling into her sisters, before they all disappeared in one big puff of smoke.

And then the girl was beside her, patting her on the shoulder. "It's okay. It's really hard to get something like this down, especially when you don't have the right teacher for it."

That made Hinata curious. "H-how did you learn to control water chakra?" she asked. "Did you learn from your mother, b-before she—?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, before she died, she taught me as much as she could. But water's a lot different from lightning, you know…I wouldn't be of much help."

Hinata chewed on her lip, fiddling with her index fingers. "Isn't there _something_ you could tell me that might be of help? We don't really know what could be useful, do we?"

The girl shrugged. "Maybe, but we also don't know what's dangerous. I don't want to hurt anybody."

Resigned, Hinata plopped back on the ground, unlacing her sandals and relishing the feeling of the cold grass between her toes. "If only I was as strong as Naruto-kun…" she lamented. "He wouldn't be defeated so easily."

"I bet Naruto got a lot of help, if even half of what you've told me about him is true."

Hinata giggled. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I just need the right teacher."

She lied back on the ground, staring up at the stars. The moon was nearly full in the sky, and the light caught her eyes at just the right angle, making them shimmer like moonstones. "Did your mother teach you?" she asked. That one question forced a dozen others to the service. "And if wasn't her, who did? Your father? Did you belong to a village?"

Hinata blushed, embarrassed she had been so overcome with curiosity. "S-sorry. I got a little carried away."

The girl laughed quietly. "It's okay. I was a little surprised you waited this late." Her knuckles pulled along the ground, grabbing at some of the dirt between her fingers. When she held her hand up to her face, the wind caught it, and the dust swirled away, through the trees.

"My mother taught me a lot of what I know. Some of it was picked up on the road, or in a village I stopped in for a few days. I don't really remember a lot of it. We moved around a lot. My mother always seemed scared, like we were being chased after or something."

**(2)**

"Why?"

The girl shrugged. "I don't know. My mother never wanted to talk about it, but I think it had something to do with this." She pointed to her eye.

Hinata was more baffled than ever. "Y-your eyes? Is there something special about them?"

"I wish I knew. My mother died before she could tell me, and my sister knew about as much as I did. All she _did_ tell me, was that it was some kind of Kekkei Genkai."

The girl watched Hinata struggle with something out of the corner of her eye. "What is it? You can tell me, if you want."

Hinata chewed on her lip again. "It's just…I think I may know why your mother might have been running with you and your sister."

"Really? What?"

"I think you might be like me," Hinata answered. "The Byakugan is highly sought after, and there are those who would kill to get their hands on it. There have been several attempts in my village to take it, usually by k-kidnapping me."

"Luckily, they never succeeded," Hinata continued. "But maybe that's what your mother was afraid of. She didn't want people to know where you were. Do you have any idea what you can do?"

The girl shook her head. "No. My mother would say something strange every now and then, but I never knew what she was talking about."

"What would she tell you?"

A cover of clouds filtered the light of the moon, and shadows played across the girl's face. "You have the gift of sight, but there are many who see it as a curse. Whether it is a gift or a curse is up to you, and what you do with it."

She shrugged her shoulders. "My mother promised she would tell me what that meant when I was older, but she never got the chance. So here I am, possibly on the run from people after me for reasons I don't know, with a power I know nothing about." The girl looked at Hinata, frustrated. "It isn't much better than where we started, is it?"

Hinata smiled apologetically. "Maybe I can help you. Who knows? We might find something along the way?"

"But don't you need to be getting back to your village soon?" the girl asked. "How long are you supposed to be out here with your dad, anyways?"

"As long as I need to be," Hinata told her. "Until we have decided that there is no more I can learn. This doesn't mean I'll be out here for years and years and years, but instead it means something deeper and harder to understand. All I can say is that I'll know when I should go home."

"What about Naruto? Won't you miss him?"

Hinata smiled. "Of course I will. But I'm doing all this for him in the first place; to protect him and to be strong for him. I don't mind being away for a little while if it means I can be there for him when he needs me to be."

The girl frowned, poking the dwindling fire with a stick she had found. "You're not doing this at all for yourself? This is all for Naruto?"

Hinata nodded, confused. The girl seemed…almost upset with her? That couldn't be right. She had done nothing to offend the girl. Nothing she was aware of, anyway.

But all the same, the girl got to her feet, dusted herself off, and turned her back. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She started to walk away, but Hinata jumped up, hand outstretched.

"W-wait! Did I say something wrong?"

The girl turned back around, gave her a curious look, and then shook her head. "No, but maybe you need to really think about why you're out here. Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to do things for yourself, instead of for others."

Hinata sat back down on the log instead of chasing after her. What had she meant by that? This was for Naruto; she needed to be there for him. She did not have time to be selfish. Just as he protected her, she would protect him.

She yawned. The fatigue fell heavy across her shoulders, and Hinata could not find the strength to continue training. She wobbled to her feet, stretched out her arms and legs, and wandered back to her and her father's camp. The fire here had long since gone out, and she could make out the rise and fall of her father's chest as he slept, unaware of where his daughter had been and what she had been doing.

As silent as she could be, Hinata crawled into her sleeping bag, and hoped for a few hours before her father woke her up in a few hours.

* * *

><p>The worst kind of sleep is the kind where it feels as if not a moment has passed since you first closed your eyes. It's as if you blink, and suddenly it's morning, and there is someone standing above you, demanding that you wake up.<p>

Quite similar to the experience that Hinata was currently enduring.

"Daughter, it is time you woke up," she heard her father say. "We have a lot to do today."

Hinata sat up from her sleeping bag, rubbing at her eyes. The sun poured through the gaps in the trees above, blinding her. "Whuh? What are we doing today?"

"Moving on. We have remained in this area for far too long. Which reminds me. Our supplies will not last long, and where we're going, there are few villages around. It will be best if we stop again, and replenish them with hardier, longer-lasting foods."

He straightened out his back, and began clearing their camp. "Let's not worry about your training today. I'm sure you'd be just as grateful for a break as I would be."

Hinata was gathering up her clothes to hurry off and change, but her father's tone made her stop. "Are you sure?" she asked. "That doesn't sound like tradition."

Hiashi turned around, and almost smiled at her. "Please, Hinata, do not worry. You are by no means weak, and one day will not change that. You have been training plenty for the past few weeks. I see no sense in overdoing things."

Something in the way he said those words made Hinata fear he knew what was going on, but he said nothing else, and continued to clean their camp in silence. Hinata stalked off into the woods to wash the night's grime off of her, and change into her cleanest clothes.

The morning air always felt so refreshing to Hinata. The crisp, clear sounds of the world around her echoed loud and long off the trees and into the air, and Hinata always felt very small when she stood beside these wooden giants. It was a humbling feeling.

The water in the stream was cool and bracing; the hairs on her arms and legs stood on end as she waded into the shallows, stripping down into as little as she was willing. They were in the middle of the woods, to be sure, but Hinata was nothing if not cautious.

Her body shivered as she stooped deeper into the stream, cupping water with her hands and rinsing off her arms and legs. Goosebumps dotted her skin, and Hinata felt the exhaustion from her poor sleep last night washing away.

About the only time to herself, Hinata often thought a lot of home while she bathed. She thought of Kiba and Shino, and how they were doing, especially Kiba with his injuries. She thought of Hanabi, and how her training with Neji was going. But of course, she thought of Naruto most of all.

Part of her wished she was still asleep. The dreams had lessened, but every now and again, she still dreamt that Naruto was by her side, and they would whittle away the hours of the night laughing and talking, until Hinata would be startled awake, and forced to meet the day. As of late, the dreams had become more…intimate.

Perhaps it was the cold water, or maybe the thought of Naruto. Either way, something inside Hinata stirred. She felt a knot in her stomach begin to twist, and the heat rush to her cheeks.

Something had _always _gotten in the way of her and Naruto when they had become close, and Hinata wasn't sure if she was thankful, or annoyed. Perhaps in the heat of the moment she could do little else but spur her baser desires on, but when those feeling had passed, and Hinata was lying in her own bed, or even in Naruto's arms, she was fearful of those feelings. Were they natural at this young an age? Was she supposed to act on them, or ignore them? This was not something that was taught at the academy.

And now, those feelings came on stronger than Hinata had ever felt them before, and as her cheeks grew hotter, so too did other parts of her body. She imagined Naruto behind her, his breath tickling the back of her neck. She could feel his strong, calloused hands sliding around to her stomach, holding her close. His voice lapped at her ears, and Hinata suddenly gasped, and returned a hand to her side that she did not remember moving in the first place.

She thanked anyone might be listening that she was alone.

Her original purpose long forgotten, Hinata waded back towards the shore. Several boulders dotted the rocky beach, under the shadow of a steep hill. Hinata chose one of the larger and smoother of the stones as her seat. She realized she was close to panting, and the warmth in her body was refusing to cool. Her heart skipped a beat.

'_Naruto-kun…'_

Her hand was moving, grazing across her own skin. It played with the droplets of water that dotted her thighs, and swirled them into patterns before flicking them away back into the river. She shivered underneath her own touch, and could scarcely imagine what it would be like for Naruto to touch her like this again. This felt different. This was more…primal. Her other hand was clutching at her elbow in a vice-like grip. She bit her lip, trying to imagine that these were Naruto's hands instead of her own. She tried to imagine his lips on her own, and when she succeeded, she realized just how far down her hand had gone. Her fingers were damp, and she shuddered.

'_Naruto-kun…I sh-shouldn't be doing this. Not now…'_

She plunged herself back into the icy water, and scrubbed at her body with her hands until it was red and sore. She didn't know why she felt so dirty, but there wasn't anyone she could talk to about this. Certainly not her father, and Hinata was not sure she wanted to hear what that girl might say about it. Kurenai would know what to tell her, but she was not here, so until she returned home, Hinata would have to deal with it as best she could.

She hurried to put on her clothes and get back to camp before her father wondered what was taking her so long, which would lead to a conversation she did _not_ want to have. Thankfully, her father didn't seem to pay her longer absence much mind, and only offered a slight nod of his chin to indicate that he knew she had even left in the first place. Without a word passed between them, Hinata helped her father clean up the rest of what remained of their camp, and soon enough they were on their way, just as the sun was peeking over the tops of the trees.

It was late afternoon by the time they arrived. Hinata's feet were sore from the uneven ground that had been their path for the day, and was grateful to see the walls of the village just a short distance away.

"I'd like you stay with me tonight," Hiashi explained, as they drew nearer. "This village does not have a reputation for safety. I am not insulting your skill; it's simply wiser to stay together."

As they walked through the gate, Hinata could understand her father's concern. This village was much smaller than where they had been before, and from the state of the buildings around her, much poorer. Instead of the groups of curious onlookers, their arrival to the village was met with only a few stares of thinly veiled distrust, and the sounds of closing shutters, and hurried footsteps. Their welcome was anything but.

Hiashi's eyes narrowed, but apart from that, he did not indicate his feelings towards the reaction to their arrival. There was a guard standing nearby, a tall, shaky little man with a flimsy spear and trembling knees. When Hiashi spied him relaxing underneath a tattered cloth held up by a few wooden stakes, he almost fell out of the chair he was sitting in.

"M-may I h-help y-you?" he stammered, holding his spear with both hands.

Hiashi, without missing a single beat, calmly grasped the man's weapon, and lowered it to the full extension of his arm. "Be at ease. We are not looking for any trouble. We only wish to rest here, and replenish our supplies."

The man immediately perked up, until he gathered the courage to look the Hyūga clan head in the eye. He blubbered for a few seconds, and tried to raise the spear once more, but found that Hiashi's grip had hardened.

"What are the Hyūga doing here?" the man asked. "You aren't b-bringing any trouble here, are you? Are you on a mission?"

Hiashi shook his head. "There are very few who even know we are outside the village walls, and I insist you help us keep it that way. You sound as if you want to keep your village safe. It would be wise to make our presence as little known as possible, if I might make such a suggestion."

The man nodded his head so many times, it was a wonder he didn't get a headache. "Of course, Hyūga-sama. I will keep the news of your arrival quiet. Is th-there anywhere in particular I can point you towards?"

"The market will suffice," Hiashi's voice commanded so much authority, you might think he was the Hokage himself, or maybe even the Daimyo. The man gestured with his spear when Hiashi had released it, and wished them a pleasant stay in the village.

"Father…" Hinata began. "Why do the people of this village feel so frightened?" She did not like the looks of their eyes; they did not look happy to explore or to meet new people, or to laugh. They looked so scared, and these eyes reminded Hinata of herself when she was younger. Vulnerable, cowardly…she wanted to turn away.

"You can see it as well, then," her father replied. "There are no ninja in this village, and they have little money to pay for ninja to protect them; maybe not even more common soldiers. It is likely they are harassed by bands of mercenaries or petty thieves. Anyone who looks like they could handle themselves in a fight is seen with distrust here."

Hinata frowned. These were disheartening things to hear, that there are those that cannot even afford peace of mind, unprotected from the evil men in this world. No one should live their lives entirely in fear, and Hinata was not so sure that there was nothing that could be done to protect these people. Even if they could only spare a few shinobi to help teach them how to defend themselves, that would certainly be enough to scare off the common thugs that often preyed on these kinds of villages.

Most of the village was poorly built, and there was a strange smell permeating throughout everything Hinata turned her eyes towards, but as they drew nearer to the market, the sights, sounds, and smells began to improve. This was the center of the village, the hub of what little bustling life was here. Merchants hurried back and forth carrying large crates in their arms, back to their stalls and carts. Younger boys and girls followed after them with smaller boxes, working to help alleviate the stress on their families. Men and women of all ages and sizes strode up and down the narrow aisles, each covered by a different colored cloth, browsing and looking for anything that might suit their fancy. Hinata saw fresh fruit such as apples and pears and tiny little tomatoes, the short, squat little man behind the cart crying of their freshness and wonderful flavor. Another peddled hand carved figurines of anything you could imagine; a graceful stag, or a thunder boar. Little knick-knacks or statuettes to decorate your home… he sold them all, and offered to carve anything anyone asked of him, so long as the price was right.

"Hinata, do not stray."

Her father's voiced brought her back from her senses. She offered him a sheepish look.

"If we were to separate, it is twice as likely that more people will see us," Hiashi explained. "The fewer people who see us, the safer these people are from harm."

Hinata nodded, understanding his concern. This was not a matter of her safety; Hinata was more than capable of defending herself, and protecting many of these people if necessary. But if there was _any_ chance another shinobi might be here, no matter how small, it did not matter if she could protect many of them, because she could not protect _all_ of them, even with her father. It would be best to defer to his experience, though if he continued to speak to her as if she was a child, barely a genin, Hinata might have a word or two to say to him.

There was a sudden crash, and two men burst outside one of the larger buildings, a third in between their thick arms. They roughly tossed him to the ground, where the larger one pinned him with his foot, while the other grabbed the man by the back of his hair, and yanked his neck up to meet his eyes.

"What was that swill you were trying to poison us with?" he demanded with a sneer. Several of his teeth were missing, and others still had been replaced with crude wooden or golden ones. The other, a bear of a man, was covered head to toe in thick, matted hair, with burly arms and huge muscles in the base of his neck. He grunted something like a laugh, before pushing more of his weight onto the man's back.

"I w-wasn't! I swear!" the barkeep howled, feebly trying to pull himself out from underneath the larger man's foot. He was repaid with a swift kick, and did not try so hard next time.

"Liar!" the first man sneered. "You know what I do to liars that cross me? Not many people do, you know. They're dead before they can tell anyone else." He slapped the man lightly across the face. "You listening to me, or are you just stupid? Hey, are you listening?"

He looked to his partner, and grinned. "Looks like this idiot needs a lesson in manners."

The man got to his feet, and started pounding the sole of his shoe into the barkeep's body, and his partner mirrored his actions. The man was grunting and rolling in the dirt in pain, yet despite there being many people all around them, not one moved to help the man. They stood at a safe distance, watching with fear and loathing in their eyes. Some turned away, others tried to pretend that it wasn't happening right in front of them.

Hinata was not one of those people.

She heard her father say something to her as she walked by, but she did not make out the words. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out everything else around her. All she could see and hear were the men in front of them, their dirty faces and cruel voices.

The first of them didn't even notice Hinata until her knee was already halfway up his stomach. He doubled over in pain, but Hinata did not even offer him a second's respite. The flat of her hand slammed into the side of his head, and he rolled across the ground into one of the stalls, demolishing it.

The larger, second man growled something feral, and turned his attention from the barkeep to Hinata. He swung one massive first towards her head, but Hinata dodged it as easily as ducking underneath tree branch. She watched the man's eyes widening in surprise before her hand dove into his chest before he was flung back. There was a little bit of blood on her hands. Whether it was from either of the men, or her own blood, she could not say.

"Stupid little bitch!"

Hinata had anticipated this, and her Byakugan was already activated as the first man recovered, and charged at her back. She spun around, lifted one leg high into the air, and brought it down with crushing force onto the man's skull. He tried once more to grab at her, this time at her legs, but she kicked him away before his fingers even got close.

The second man was tougher than the first, and was already back on his feet, lumbering towards her with two massive fists. He swung as hard and as fast as he could, but his attacks were clumsy, and Hinata could have avoided them even without the Byakugan. Under and to the side, every attack missed, and the man grew more and more fatigued. Satisfied he had been thoroughly humiliated, Hinata slammed both palms into either shoulder, and she could hear several bones cracking as the man crumpled to a heap in front of her.

She turned back to the first, and glared at him with such fury and anger in her eyes that the man could only whimper in surprise, before he found his legs, and ran as fast as they could carry him. Hinata almost followed after him, wanting to see him lying on the ground just like the first, but she finally remembered herself, and realized that the more people saw her, the more their presence in the village was likely to be noticed.

"Y-you saved me…" a voice behind her managed to croak. She turned around. The barkeep was wobbling to his feet, clutching at his back, but otherwise seeming in fairly good health. He hobbled over to the second thug, and kicked him in the head once, spitting on him.

"These two were trying to rob me, after they claimed my sake was too expensive," the man explained. "When I offered them a free drink, just trying to avoid trouble, they took it as an insult, and threw me out here. If you hadn't come when you did, they likely would have killed me just because they could."

He threw himself towards her, hands on Hinata's shoulders. "You saved my life! You saved my life from these men!" he said this over and over again, his voice wavering.

A rousing cheer went up from the crowd around them, and suddenly half the village was by Hinata's side, cheering for her and helping the barkeep back inside, where he could sit. Another group lifted the thug into the air, and paraded him through the street in the opposite direction, towards a gate, where he would likely be thrown into the mud.

Hinata breathed heavily, mindlessly accepting the crowd's thanks and praise. She could only see the fear in the barkeep's eyes, and the cruel pleasure the two thugs had derived from preying on that fear. She was back in the body of her younger self, scared and timid, and the memory made her sick to her stomach. Only the lowest human beings preyed upon such people.

She felt elated, having helped the man, but even now she could feel the eyes of her father upon her. He waited patiently for the crowd to disperse before approached.

"How. Dare. You," he growled, glaring at her with an intense look of disappointment in his eyes. "What were you thinking, attacking those men? We are trying to keep these villagers safe, not doom them!"

Hinata frowned. She had _helped_ that man. Did her father not see? "I was only protecting him. You heard that man! They would have killed him otherwise."

"He does not know any better. Those two, no matter how brave, would not have killed a man right in front of so many people," her father insisted. "But now half the village knows we are here, and you can be certain they are aware of the Hyuga clan. To make things worse, you let that man escape. Who knows who he might bring back to the village?"

Hinata's eyes fell to the ground, angry and shameful at the same time. "I was only trying to help."

"Then think about how you might best help them before you rush into a battle. You are not Naruto. You cannot solve everything that way."

He started moving in the other direction, off towards where the first thug had run off. When he looked back at her, his own Byakugan was active. "I will go to clean up this mess you have made. You will remain here until I return. Do you understand?"

Hinata nodded sadly.

"Good." Hiashi tossed her his wallet. "Get us a room for tonight. I wanted to leave after we had replenished our supplies, but now that will not happen."

He raced off after the first man, leaving Hinata standing in the middle of the street, feeling incredibly foolish. She had let her anger get the better of her, and now there was more to worry about than before they had arrived. And yet still, she could not help but feel angry towards her father as well as the men. She had only protected them. Would he have stood by and allowed them to beat the man senseless, or did he only have a breaking point further along than Hinata's own? The questions swarmed her brain, and she wandered around the village for several minutes before she remembered the task set to her.

Conveniently enough, the barkeeper she had saved kept a small inn above his business. When he learned that Hinata and her father were seeking a room for the night, he insisted they stay with him, free of charge. He promised a hot meal when her father returned, he explained, in between thanks and praises, and as much to drink as they would like. Hinata kindly accepted his offer, but had to ask the man for some time alone, so that she may think.

Their room was small, but fairly comfortable. Two beds lay on either side of the room, with a table and two chairs pushed underneath the single window. The sheets had been freshly changed, and the room was obviously cleaned very recently.

Hinata was sitting by the window when she saw her father returning. There was a grim look in his eye, and Hinata dreaded to think about what he had done with the two men. She sat there by the window, almost paralyzed, waiting for her father to climb the stairs, and open the door.

But that didn't happen. Instead, Hiashi turned his back on the building, and looked around. His head stopped, and she could hear his commanding voice through the window.

The girl stepped out from beneath the shadow of another building, and followed Hiashi into the bar. Hinata's heart was pounding in her throat, and she could almost hear their footsteps as they made their ascent.

The door swung open, and the girl stepped inside, closely followed by Hiashi, who shut the door behind them. He gestured towards the other empty seat across from Hinata, and the girl reluctantly sat down.

"I want to know how long you would have planned on keeping this hidden from me," he began, staring at Hinata with a cool look. "I want to know why you thought it was a good idea to allow a stranger to follow after us, seeing where we go and who we are."

Hinata immediately rose to the girl's defense. "It's not like that! She's not a bad person!"

"That is not the point!" Hiashi said, raising his voice. "It does not matter if you fared better this time; what if you had not been so lucky, and you allowed someone with less than noble intentions knowledge of our whereabouts? I have seen multiple attempts against your eyes, Hinata, with my _own_ eyes. Some of them almost ended with attempts on your life. I have spent my life taking the necessary precautions, and here you are throwing them out into the wind!"

Hinata's anger deflated almost instantly. Her father was right, as much as she didn't want to admit it. She trusted too easily, despite her good feelings about this girl in the first place. There is more than one way to fool a shinobi, and Hinata could have easily been susceptible to all of them.

"For all we know, this girl is involved with those two men we dealt with earlier," Hiashi continued. "Or she could be a spy for another village, waiting for the right opportunity to try and steal the Byakugan quietly. Or maybe she's just a stranger, looking for a friend. It does not matter what she _is_, only what she could be. You have to understand that trust cannot be so easily given out."

He sighed. "Maybe this behavior is learned from Naruto as well—do not look at me like that, daughter. I am not speaking ill of your fondness of the boy, only of his interactions with strangers. Yes, perhaps he does have a gift at seeing the best in people, but neither are of us are as powerful as he is, now. We do not have the luxury of being able to overpower every opponent that fools us. We must be more cautious. I want you to promise me that this never happens again. Be kind and friendly all you want, but do not give out your trust so easily."

Hiashi did not wait for a reply, and turned to the girl. "Now, I want to know why you have followed us into the village. You generally strayed away from them before."

The girl seemed surprised. "How long have you known?" she asked.

"That does not matter. I've watched you for a time, and gauged that you were not a threat early on, but as I explained earlier, Hinata never considered the consequences. I will ask again: why have you followed us into this village?"

"I was born here," the girl said, after a moment's hesitation. "It's one of the few places with so many people that I feel comfortable in."

Hiashi's eyebrow rose. "Do you have any family here? Anyone you can stay with?"

The girl shook her head. "No, I don't have anyone. They're all gone."

"I see. You're welcome to stay the night with us, if you wish. Both of our packs should make a more comfortable makeshift bed, or I can ask the proprietor to help bring in another bed."

"That's okay. I don't want to bother him too much," the girl replied, visibly thankful. "Thank you for letting me stay with you."

"Thank you for helping train my daughter," Hiashi offered back. "Her progress has increased greatly when you offered advice or yourself as a sparring partner. Perhaps this goal of hers will someday be attainable. Now, I need to speak with my daughter in private. You may wait wherever you wish; I only need a few minutes."

Hinata shot her a look before the girl trudged back out into the hall, and as her father gently shut the door, she could hear the footsteps slowly making their way back downstairs.

"What did you do with those two men?" Hinata asked almost immediately. She did not know why she felt any pity towards them, but something in the back of her mind wanted them to be alright.

Hiashi's mouth thinned. He slowly made his way over to one of the beds, and patted the spot beside him, inviting his daughter to his side. "I did what any sane shinobi would do when criminals try and race back to their holes. Their bodies will not be found by any of their group, no matter how numerous."

"You…killed them?"

"It was what had to be done. I may have scared them off, but men with weak hearts will always overcome that fear with numbers, and their own arrogance. They would have come back to this village no matter what I might have said to scare them, and many more lives would have been sacrificed, rather than these two. No one will miss them."

He watched his daughter for a few seconds, closely examining her reaction. "You are upset with me." It was not a question. "Why? Tell me what is on your mind."

Hinata twiddled her index fingers. "I'm just afraid that there may have been truly another way. Naruto-kun always tries to see the best in people, and he always finds a way to save everyone he can."

"I am not Naruto," Hiashi replied simply. "I am not him, and neither are millions of others. Perhaps if there were far more people like him in the world, peace could find the right path, but there is not. He is one man, and a very young one at that, and it is likely that the change he seeks in the world will not fully come about in his lifetime. He will die before he sees what he wishes."

"We are only mortal, and there are only so many things we can do in our lifetimes. Even the Sage of the Six Paths failed to stop his two sons from fighting one another, causing war and devastation across the world. If you believe the stories, that is. Naruto is not the Sage, however, and human nature is as unchangeable as it was in the Sage's time. Many minds may be changed, but there will always be hard men who refuse to see the best options."

He reached over, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "And so there must be men like me. Men who are willing to do what is necessary to protect the most lives. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, Hinata. It is time you accepted that."

He stood from the bed. "There are many things about Naruto's beliefs that I do not agree with, but I am able to accept the fact that I may be wrong in my own views. That does not mean I have the power to change them. I do not have the strength to inspire such change in people, and there is little I can do to help Naruto in this task he has given himself. You, however, can. You can help Naruto in ways no one else in the world can, and perhaps, there will come a time when I could have let those men go. But it is not today, and the sooner you accept that, the better it will be for you."

He looked at her, and the hard eyes of Hiashi Hyuga softened for a moment. "Are you angry with me?"

Hinata looked back at him. "Maybe…but I know I shouldn't be. So m-much has happened between us recently…it is hard to take in all at once."

"If it's any consolation, I will wait as long as it takes, and I will always listen to what you have to say," her father replied, looking vulnerable for the first time in years. "I still love you, Hinata. I pray every day you do not forget that."

Hinata couldn't bear to see him like this, despite her conflicts. She quickly reached over, and hugged her father. It wasn't long, but the way his body tensed up, Hinata could tell he had wished it had lasted longer.

"There is something else I wanted to speak to you about," Hiashi said, back to normal in an instant. "There is something you should know about your companion."

HInata felt her chest tighten. That didn't sound like good news. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"I can see you're worried. It has nothing to do with what we discussed earlier, so you do not need to fear for her motives or her safety. This concerns something I discovered after watching her over the past few days. You see…I recognize her."

"You d-do? How? Who is she?"

"I don't know her name. I only realized who she was when I saw her eyes. Very distinctive eyes, and very famous for those who know the story. She is a member of a clan, of a clan that has long since perished. Theirs were peaceful ways, but their abilities garnered them great infamy among the ninja world, through no fault of their own."

Hinata's head was spinning. "What 'power' are you talking about? Does it have something to with her eyes?"

Hiashi nodded. "Yes. It is a Dōjutsu, one that bestows the user great abilities, though they are not always aware of the process. If trained properly, they received glimpses of the future, of whomever they chose to see. It was not always clear, but they could see the fates of many all the same."

"Why would something like that bring them infamy?" Hinata asked. "It could be used to end so much suffering, to stop horrible crimes before they occur!"

"As I said, the world can be a cruel place. This clan was highly sought after, and if they refused their abilities to those of less than noble intentions, the truth was often forced out of them. In many ways, most of them painful."

"They became material objects in the eyes of these evil men," Hiashi continued. "And they would stop at nothing to acquire one of them for their own personal use, to make his fortune. But when these men and women foretold of their downfall, the lengths they went to stop this fate were often bloody, and many innocent people died along the way. Eventually, many shinobi saw them as an indirect threat to the peace they strove for, and they were systematically hunted down. Some fled, but many chose to remain behind, accepting that their deaths would be for the greater good."

He sighed. "It is a terrible, complex thing, the idea of 'the greater good'. More often than not, we are never able to see the legitimacy of the sacrifices made for the greater good, and the rest of our lives are spent wallowing in our grief. I have watched many fine shinobi, of many places and ages, fall into such despair and sorrow, that nothing can bring them out. It is a pity that an entire clan was forced to suffer through such injustice, but such is the way of our flawed world."

"What does this have to do with me?" Hinata asked, reeling from all this information suddenly washing over. "How am I involved?"

"The girl does not stray far from you; she seems to have taken a liking to your kind nature. Her abilities are raw, and untrained, and can be invoked unintentionally, especially when the user has fallen asleep."

Hinata was beginning to understand. "You think…she has seen things about us? In her dreams?"

"That is something for you to discuss with her. I could see with the Byakugan, but I could not hear her restless nights. You would be better off asking yourself, should you choose to."

"Why would you let me ask her? Her family was destroyed because people heard their future, and tried to change it."

"You are not the kind of person who would inflict violence because of dreams and unclear readings of the future," Hiashi explained. "You are better than that. These visions…they were not always correct. Perhaps what you have heard will help you in the future, or maybe all of it will be useless information. There is no harm in trying to find out, I would think."

Hinata's fingers began playing with the zipper of her jacket. It was true…the knowledge of the future would be very, but there was a part of Hinata deep in her mind that was excruciatingly afraid of what she might learn, and that she might be powerless to stop it. What if the girl saw something of the village, or of Naruto?

That scared her the most, and was what kept her rooted to her seat on the bed. What if this girl had seen something about Naruto? Something that was terrible, and unchangeable.

'_They were not always correct. Maybe all of it will be useless information.'_

"Hinata?" her father murmured. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine," Hinata replied, regaining her composure. "I th-think I'll go talk to her."

"Do whatever makes you feel comfortable, Hinata," Hiashi told her. "Don't do anything if you do not want to."

* * *

><p>Hinata found the girl sitting in one of the private rooms downstairs, idly twiddling her thumbs, and a warm cup of tea in front of her. She hadn't even noticed Hinata coming inside, not until Hinata tapped her on the shoulder.<p>

"Are you and your father done speaking?" she asked.

Hinata nodded. "Yes, but now he wanted me to come talk to you. Listen…h-have you ever had any dreams about me, or about anything that you didn't understand?"

The girl seemed surprised she was asked such a question. "How did you know?" She frowned. "It's been happening for as long as I can remember. Most of it is just disjoined sounds and pictures, but every now and then I'd see something that almost seemed like it was in the future."

Hinata chewed on her lip. Was it her place to tell her? Did she really want to bring down that kind of stress on her? Hinata was not sure how she'd take learning of her clan's fate, her abilities, the truth she had never known…it would be a lot to take in.

She was not very good at hiding her internal struggle, because the girl had noticed the way Hinata's face was scrunched up, and her eyes darkened with suspicion. "Do you…know something about this?"

When Hinata made no move to answer, the girl leaned forward. "Do you know what happened to my mom? Why people were always chasing after us? I…I think it'd be nice to finally know what happened, and why."

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked.

The girl nodded, and so Hinata told her. Everything her father had relayed to her, everything that she had remembered, and through it all, the girl said nothing. Her face was a blank slate.

She looked down at the tea in her hands. "So these dreams…they're like visions? Into the future?"

"My father thinks so," Hinata told her. "Have you ever seen anything from your dreams happen in real life?"

The girl considered it. "There were a couple of times that I heard about something big happening far away on the other side of the world, but I always thought they were just coincidences."

She turned to Hinata. "And you think that some of these dreams have to do with you? About your future?"

"Maybe. I don't know anything more than you do. But maybe if you told me about some of the dreams you've had recently, we'll know."

The girl nodded, albeit hesitantly. "O-okay. They've been changing a little over the past few weeks. I can't remember a lot, though…"

Hinata smiled softly. "It's okay. Whatever you want to say, please feel free."

The girl took a deep breath. "I remember being trapped in a forest, with huge trees all around me. There are other people too, but they don't see me, like I'm not even there. It's like I'm hidden away from them."

"Do you see anything else in these dreams?" Hinata asked. "Anything more literal?"

The girl shrugged. "I see real things, yeah, but they never made any sense, and that was if I remembered them in the first place. I remember seeing…rusted metal. A kunai, lying on the ground, all rusted and used up. I remember birds chirping."

Hinata frowned inwardly. Her father was right; these were nothing more than disconnected symbols. Hinata would never be able to figure out what they meant. Maybe she saw something clearer.

"I remember seeing a man, and his shadow," the girl continued on. "He was happy, but then he lost his shadow, and he wasn't happy ever again. He smashed his fists against the trees, and cried. I remember him crying a lot."

That didn't sound good, but again, Hinata could not divulge anything useful out of them. For a moment, she thought of Shikamaru and his family's techniques, but did that mean he lost his abilities, or something fouler? It was something more, but not concrete enough for Hinata to consider it as a legitimate prediction.

"Is there anything else?" Hinata asked, feeling strangely on edge. The air around them had changed; it felt darker, and heavier. Even the village outside the window seemed to have fallen silent.

The girl avoided Hinata's eyes. "There…there was one more thing. This was only a few days ago…but I dreamt of a tree."

"A tree?" Hinata repeated, growing concerned. "What else?"

"I remember it burning." Her voice was small, and almost scared. "The tree was on…"

She stopped suddenly, and her eyes widened in fear.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked. "The tree was on…what?"

The girl pointed behind Hinata, towards the window. "…Fire."

Hinata looked outside to see the village burning.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Yeah, so like I said, not the most enthralling chapter (though maybe some of you might have been surprised by Hinata's little episode. Since that stuff is coming, I might as well get comfortable with writing it), but not everything can be the best parts. They wouldn't be called the 'best' parts, then. I'll wrap things up here, as well as skimp around some other stuff in the next chapter, so hopefully that'll be more enticing.

By the way, I earnestly hope most of you actually read everything I write. I know it's impossible expect all of you to read every little thing like this was an actual book, but if I were to find out that the majority skip through most of what I write, looking for either Naruto or fluff...well, it wouldn't feel very good. Kind of like asking a comedian to tell your favorite joke over and over again.

But I digress. I'll be hard at work on the next chapter as quick as possible! Also, since I finally included some music, if you've got any that you think would work great, feel free to drop it off! Instrumentals ONLY (unless the vocals are non-lyrical), and none of that Linkin Park, Animal Inside Me AMV bullshit. Other anime music would work best, like that Sword Art Online song you listened to earlier, but I'll give anything a listen if you think if could work setting the tone of a scene.

I don't know if you guys have seen any of this, but there's some middle school shit drama going on in the Naruto corner of FF right now. Writer **Tara Terra** apparently copied **mtziggorot's** story Naruto Hyuga (or some title along those lines) nearly word for word for five chapters, and even tried to reupload it again after it was taken down once already. I looked at both stories to see for myself, and it was indeed blatant plagiarism, but **goddamn**...people on both sides of the issue are acting whiny 8-year olds. I know some of ya'll are 15, or maybe even younger, but many of these people are likely over 20. Let's stop acting like man-children, shall we? This isn't middle school; time to fucking grow up. If you've seen this, and disagree, by all means let's talk about it. But don't leave a guest review. Ask anyone who's criticized me here: I don't bite.

Anyway, I promise the next update won't come so late.

Game of Thrones Season Three premiere tomorrow. Awwwww YISS.

Until next time.


	60. Sasuke's Search! Hinata's Struggle

**Author's Note: **Hey.

I had an idea for an April Fool's Day joke, way back when. I was gonna change my pen name, the story's name and it's description..._everything._ I'm glad I didn't in retrospect because, more than likely, something would have given it away. I don't know why I'm sharing this, haha.

I watched a movie last night! _Amores Perros_, by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu. I loved every minute of it, which is surprising considering its 150+ minute runtime. Three connected-yet-separate stories of love and loyalty deep within the heart of crime-ridden Mexico City. Heavy stuff, but _great_ filmmaking. I loved the movie, so if you're a movie buff like me, and you haven't seen it yet, I think you should.

Now, I'll admit it: this stuff with Hinata has become filler. That wasn't intended, but I wrote myself into a corner, and it got stale fast. Like I explained last chapter, we were gonna wrap this up ASAP, and I meant it. We're finally moving on. I'm sorry things got so uninteresting if you thought they were, and I promise that what's to come should more than make up for it. I mean it: I'm talking fun, hilarious, comedic, sexy stuff with Naruto and Hinata, so if you were thinking of making this chapter your stopping point, maybe you should give it a raincheck.

Music!

1 - /watch?v=twMgiAoh9_g

2 - /watch?v=K2XO9lUYO3c **(Note: This is what I consider to be Hinata's new Battle theme. It's elegant, emotionally-stirring, and just a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Whenever I write Hinata fighting, I listen to this. Repeat as many times as you like, or you can use an extended version easily found on Youtube.)**

3 - /watch?v=M2Q8ernLnrM

Big thanks to **LonexAngel** for letting me use her OC to great effect. Huge huge HUGE thanks to **kylekatarn77** for his work. Not a single error has been reported after it's been published since he started beta-reading. And a special thanks to everyone who offered their opinions when I asked for them, as well as those who take the time to review. I get little mini-joys every time my pocket buzzes with the e-mail alert.

Without further ado, let's get this ball rolling.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 8 - Sasuke's Search! Hinata's Struggle<strong>

He woke before the sun came up.

The blankets had been freshly washed, and smelt sweet and floral, but he pushed them aside all the same. Lying around in bed was not a luxury Sasuke Uchiha took part in.

The window had been flung open sometime in the night by the strong winds that collided over the village, filling the room with the smells of salt and the sea. He drank deeply of those scents, shaking the fatigue from last night from his eyes and his body. He leaned out into the air, and listened.

The village he and Karin had traveled to was the largest on the coast for hundreds of miles, a trading hub between the Land of Fire, and the Land of Water. If there was a ship traveling to either nation, or anywhere in between, chances were it passed through this port at some time or another. It was neither the richest town nor the largest, but it certainly was one of the liveliest places Sasuke had ever seen.

Aside from the scents, the turbulent air was filled with the sounds of the ocean; seagulls cried as they flew over the docks, hunting for morsels, and the low groaning of the largest ships as they teetered at anchor could be heard in all directions. Burly fishermen of all ages hailed their fish as the freshest, and each boasted a larger and rarer catch than their neighbor. Children raced back and forth between the stalls. Some were the sons or daughters of the fishermen themselves, hunting for rival prices or taking note of who brought in what. Others were orphans, pickpockets preying on the more idiotic of travelers, pinching their valuables when the victims had their backs turned.

He shut the window, blocking out the sounds and the smells and the sights. In his reflection, he stared at his own face. His hair was getting longer and shaggier, and the onyx of his eyes glared back at him through the class. Turning, he wandered back to the bed, where his change of clothes lay.

The walls of the inn where they were staying possessed paper-thin walls, so Sasuke did not need to wake Karin up. He could hear her stumbling around in the other room, no doubt hurrying to dress herself before he left the inn without her.

Sasuke was no idiot. He knew of the girl's affections for him since the very beginning, and had used them accordingly. Until his battle with Danzō, she had been fairly useful, but had quickly proved more of a hindrance than anything where direct combat was involved. After he had pierced her flesh in order to kill the man behind her, Sasuke doubted any of those affections remained.

Not that it mattered. Fear was just as consistent a motivator, if you knew how to use it.

The steps creaked and groaned underneath his weight as he descended. By the time he sat down at the bar, Karin had clumsily followed after him, hopping on one foot as she forced her other shoe on. Wordlessly she sat down next to him, and waited.

The innkeeper was a giant of a man, with broad shoulders and hands as large as a bears. He had been wary of Sasuke's appearance in his inn, wearing a hood and glaring at everyone in the room, but his money had been just as real as everyone else's.

"You want something to eat?" he asked, in a voice that could grind stone. Sasuke nodded silently, and the man stalked back in the kitchen.

Sasuke could feel the eyes of several of the other patrons upon him. Despite a simple genjutsu to trick the guards into allowing him into the village, the citizens trusted him no more than they would a petty thief. Just the way he carried himself put most people off, and he heard the whispers of those who would have sworn he looked just like an Uchiha, despite the fact that their sole surviving member was an international criminal. What would Sasuke Uchiha want in such a small village, they would mutter, and it was then and only then that they dismissed Sasuke's presence in the village, although the dark looks he received never ceased.

If he had his way, Sasuke would have killed anyone who looked at him with disdain, but now was not the time to be slaughtering everyone they came across. They had a mission, and Sasuke would see it through to the end, in order to further his goals.

The man brought them back a loaf of bread, several slices of bacon each, and their choice from a bowl of fruit. Sasuke tore a large chunk out of the bread, and oddly enough, reached for a tomato, before he made for the door. Karin, realizing that Sasuke had no intention of sitting down and eating, grabbed her own breakfast, and flung down some money before she hurried out the door after him.

(1)

The smells were even stronger out here, and being unused to the stench of fish from all sides, whenever a particularly strong gust of wind blew through the village, Sasuke would have to turn his head and hold his breath.

"Gah! This place stinks!" Karin complained, clutching at her nose. "You really think any Uzumaki would come through here?"

Sasuke shrugged. "They could either use this port, which services ships from all over the eastern coast, and the islands further out to sea, or they could use one of the smaller ports. They're more likely to find a ship willing to smuggle them out here," he explained, "but if they had the money, they could risk one of the smaller ports, and have a larger chance of slipping by. If we're here, we're more likely to encounter a greater number of Uzumaki trying to flee."

"Assuming there are _any_ to be found," Karin remarked, adjusting her classes. "I wouldn't put it past that guy to send us on a wild goose chase."

Sasuke turned around, glaring at her. "You think I'd be stupid enough to fall for something like that?"

Karin quickly realized her mistake, and shook her head several dozen times. Sasuke breathed through his nose, but said nothing. He turned back around, and pointed towards a ship that was heading towards the harbor. "We'll start with that one."

They didn't need to wait long before the ship had docked alongside of the larger piers, rolling up its sails and dropping one massive anchor into the water. When the sailors started unloading the cargo from the main hold, Sasuke could see the markings on the side of several of the crates, markings indicating the ship had come from the Land of Water, which is exactly what Sasuke was hoping for.

He saw the captain step down from the ship, carrying one of the larger crates with a crew member. When he saw Sasuke approaching, he whistled for a man to take his place, and wiped his brow. "There something I can help you with, kid?"

"I'm looking for someone," Sasuke said quietly, unwilling to attract _any_ unwanted attention. "Did anyone look for passage on your ship, discretely?"

The man scratched at his whiskers. "No one came to me directly, but there are a few members of my crew who might be looking to make some extra money on the side. I'll admit something like that might slip past me if they were careful."

He turned around, motioning for them to follow. "Why don't you and your girlfriend come back to the cabin? I can pour you something to drink, and we can talk more in private."

Sasuke grunted in agreement, and started off after the older man up onto the deck of the ship.

"Just in here," the captain said, swinging open the door that led to his personal quarters. Sasuke and Karin stepped inside, and the captain shut the door behind him. Sasuke heard him close the lock.

"I don't know what you two kids think you're doing…" the man began, growling. "but I have a feeling that whoever you're looking for would be in a lot of trouble if you found him."

"What I do with who I'm looking for is no concern of yours," Sasuke replied, coolly, his hand falling to his thigh, where it would be easier to reach his sword, He had hidden it under his cloak while he was here in the village, but he never expected to have use of it, at least so early.

"I'm afraid I won't be letting you two go," the man said, cracking his knuckles. "Now, I can take you the authorities, and we can let them handle this, or I'll have to teach you a harder lesson myself. Which will it be?"

"You can try, old man."

The captain laughed. "You got a mouth on you, I'll give you that. I'll take care of that, to be sure." He reached out with one massive arm.

Sasuke moved in the blink of an eye. His sword was at the man's throat in seconds, and he forced the both of them up against the wall of the cabin, knocking over a chair.

"The hell!?" the captain coughed out, squirming underneath Sasuke's grasp. The sword bit into his neck, and the blood was enough to teach the man that he should stop resisting. His eyes narrowed. "Just …just who are you?"

Sasuke ignored him, and closed his eyes. A moment later, they opened again, and his Mangekyō Sharingan was activated. Just like that, he was inside the man's mind, searching for the information he sought.

"Was there a man on your ship fleeing the country?" Sasuke demanded, the captain now in front of him, covered in spiked chains.

The grizzled old sailor flexed his hands, testing the strength of the chains that bound him to the floor. "You're no ordinary brat…this is a genjutsu."

"Was there a man on your ship?" Sasuke repeated, stepping on the man's foot. He grunted in pain, but when he looked Sasuke in the eye, he grinned, and spat towards his face.

"You'll get nothing out of me, boy. I won't give you the satisfaction of doing whatever you please."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you sure about that?"

4 torches appeared at the base of each chain, burning brightly in the gloom in this world of illusions. Ribbons of fire streamed from the torches, and began snaking their way up the chains. The man started to struggle again, more fiercely and frequently. He could feel the chains heating up, the metal growing hotter and hotter.

"You _will_ answer my question," Sasuke said quietly, watching as the man beneath him began to writhe about, in blistering agony. "Or I'll let you burn for an eternity."

The power was incredible. The strength in Itachi's eyes, flowing through him…it was a feeling indescribably good. Sasuke felt alive, for the first time in years. He could feel his brother watching over him, protecting him, keeping him safe until he could enact his revenge against Konoha, and repay the evil deeds of the village tenfold.

By now, the screams of the captain nearly drowned out his thoughts, so Sasuke finally, and reluctantly, released him from his torment. He had forgotten that the passage of time within Tsukuyomi differed for the victim. For all he was aware of, the man had endured what felt like hours of torture. The chains faded away, and the man began blindly clawing at his flesh, driven half-mad by the pain.

"Tell me what I want to know," Sasuke commanded. "Or we'll start over."

"I never… saw anyone!" the man shrieked, in between ragged gasps for air. "Maybe one of my crew…I swear…I'm telling the truth!"

"We'll see."

Sasuke released the genjutsu, and the captain slumped to the floor of his cabin, unconscious. Sasuke didn't bother checking for a pulse. It didn't matter if the man was dead or not. Either way, by the time they discovered the body, it would be impossible to connect him to the man's assault.

There were several windows on the opposite side of the cabin, to view the sea around them and plot their course. Sasuke quickly undid the latch on the closest window, motioning for Karin to lead them out when there was no one nearby, but not before he grabbed a roughspun wallet, filled to the brim.

"What do you need with that?" Karin asked, as the ducked into a nearby alleyway.

"Bribe money," Sasuke explained, thumbing through the wallet to gauge how much they had to spend. "Sailors' lips will be more willing to spill what they know when they have something to show for it."

They spent the rest of the day interrogating sailors, fishermen, traveling merchants…anyone who could use some extra money, to see if they could find the whereabouts of any Uzumaki clan members. They dare not mention the clan by name, so instead described them for their common brilliant red hair, and fiery disposition.

Most of the men hadn't seen anything, but one man, an older merchant who collected hand-crafted treasures from some of the smaller villages, claimed to have seen someone matching that description.

"Hair as bright as fire itself, she had," the man told him. "She insisted they take her aboard this ship that was heading for the Land of Waves, but the captain refused unless she could pay her way. Poor lady seemed desperate, but the captain wouldn't budge. My guess is she's still there."

As the man was explaining, Sasuke felt a nagging feeling at the back of his head, as if he was missing something obvious before his very eyes. The feeling tugged at him all the way back to the inn, where he ordered some dinner for him and Karin to share.

"I found something…one of the man claimed to have seen someone matching the description we were given, trying to board a ship leaving for the Land of Waves. Hiding in such a small country would be a smart thing to do."

"You think they're a member of the Uzumaki clan?" Karin asked, taking a drink of water.

"Maybe. We won't know unless we investigate." He turned to look at her, and stared.

Bright red hair. Remarkable vitality. Fiery disposition.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Karin…" he began, quietly. "Do you know anything about your parents?"

Karin did not see the foul look in Sasuke's eyes, so while a little concerned as to where this question came from, she didn't seem too worried. "Not really…my village was destroyed a long time ago, and both my parents were killed. If it weren't for Orochimaru, I might have taken to begging on the street. Why?"

"I'm just concerned." It wasn't a lie, but his intentions were not what Karin decided they were, apparent from the blush heating up in her cheeks. "Do you remember anything about them?"

Karin adjusted her glasses. "Not as much as I'd like. I remember my father always rushing to get things done, probably because my mother was yelling at him. She liked to boss him around, but he didn't mind. She was always the brain of the family."

"I'm sorry about what happened to them," Sasuke said quietly, lacing his fingers in front of his face. "I know what it's like to lose family."

In that moment, Karin saw weakness, almost tenderness in the Uchiha's far-off look in his eyes. She knew what happened to him; it had been one of the reasons she had been so drawn to him when they first became teammates. After the events in the Land of Iron, she had sworn him off as a madman, consumed by grief, but now…he had done terrible things, _horrible_ things, but maybe there was a chance this Uchiha could be redeemed.

But she would not make it easy. "Why are you asking? You never cared before."

Sasuke grunted, an exceptionally short laugh. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just trying to make up for my mistakes."

He pushed himself away from the bar, once the man had returned with their dinner. "We'll leave tomorrow. I want to look into this woman trying to escape to the Land of Waves."

Karin nodded blankly, watching him go. Sasuke Uchiha was a hard man to read, even more so now than she had ever thought before.

* * *

><p>Sasuke gently shut the door behind him, unwrapping his dinner. He sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to eat.<p>

He would admit that he was curious about the Uzumaki clan. Naruto had been intriguing enough during his time in Konoha, and there had been many secrets surrounding the blonde that Sasuke would never have expected. If Tobi was hunting them down, there must be something especially interesting, or powerful about them. Why was Naruto spared for now? Why was he not on the list of targets?

The scroll containing the details of his mission lay beside him, on a nightstand. He grabbed it with one hand, and flung it open, laying it across the bed in front of him in one smooth motion.

Along with possible locations to begin searching, the scrolls included influential people of the coastal villages and the information they would possess should Sasuke need it. Shipping routes and guard schedules took up most of the scroll's midsection, but the latter half of the scroll is what interested Sasuke the most.

Tobi had included dozens of unfinished seals. As the instructions explained, if Sasuke were to place any Uzumaki clan member's hand into the middle of the seal, their name would appear, proving their identity. Just as much as the mechanics of the seal interested Sasuke, so too did Tobi's knowledge of such a seal in the first place. If this masked man was who he claimed, Madara Uchiha, how did he come across such distinctive sealing arts? It was not that far of a stretch to think that Madara accomplished many things in his lifetime, but Sasuke could not shake the feeling that there was more to this than meets the eye.

_You are probably right, little brother._

Sasuke stopped. He stopped moving, he stopped breathing. That was his brother's voice. It had been so long since he had heard it, but he would recognize it anywhere. The room was empty, save for his reflection in the window. Yet when he _looked_ at the glass, he saw Itachi.

"What is this?" he asked aloud, albeit quietly. "Why are you here?"

Itachi tapped his forehead with two fingers. "You have a part of me inside you now, brother. I will always be with you now."

"Is that…a side effect? Of the transplant?"

"Perhaps. There are many secrets hidden within the Sharingan. Maybe in the time you possess my own, you will be able to unlock some of these secrets."

"What was that you said earlier? Is there something about Tobi I should be aware of?"

"Only that he is exceedingly dangerous," Itachi told him. "You are taking a great risk playing along with his game."

Sasuke frowned. This was his brother. He could share anything with his brother. Besides, they were alone in this room regardless. "I can't take revenge against the Leaf on my own, no matter how much I think I could. I need the help he's willing to offer me if I want to avenge your death."

"But at what cost?" Itachi asked him, shimmering in the glass of the window. "Where will you draw the line, Sasuke? I will not watch you torment yourself for my sake."

"This is all I have!" Sasuke barked, angered he was arguing. "There is nothing else for me here. I have no friends, I have no family… I have no home. I only live to payback the injustice forced upon the Uchiha clan…forced upon you. That is the sole reason I have allowed myself to keep going."

"Then what would you do should you succeed?" Itachi asked him. "What purpose will you find should you enact your revenge?"

"I don't know. That does not matter to me."

"Are you saying you will be content with death? To die, and let the Uchiha name slip away into eternal damnation?"

"I _don't _know."

"Then _learn_," Itachi commanded softly, smiling at his brother. "I won't let you die in vain. Make your life worth something in the end."

He faded away. Sasuke reached for the glass, but all he managed to touch with his fingertips was the surface of the window, and the darkness on the other side.

"Sasuke?" a voice called from the doorway.

He turned. Karin had opened the door, and looked concerned. "Was there someone in here? I thought I heard you speaking to someone."

"I was just…looking through the information given to us," Sasuke quickly explained. "It's nothing. Get some sleep. I will be leaving early tomorrow."

Karin nodded, and took her leave. By the time Sasuke turned back to the window, his eyes had become readjusted to the light, and all he could see through the window pane, was the shadow of night.

* * *

><p>"Fire…"<p>

Hinata jerked her head around at the urgency in the girl's tone. It was faint, but she could see the distinct glow of flames in the distance, and they were growing fast.

She didn't waste a second. "Can you fight?" she asked, leaping to her feet.

The girl was surprised by the sudden question. "I…well—"

"Can you fight?" Hinata asked again, heading for the door. "My father and I will need all the help we can get."

They both raced outside, into the chaos. People were running in all directions, completely lost. Hinata saw a child crying in the street, and hurried over, stooping down and scooping the child into her arms.

"Shhh, it's okay," she cooed, calming the child as best she could. "Everything will be alright. Can you help me find your mother?"

Her words worked miraculously. The child slowly stopped crying, and wiped her eyes until they were dry. She pointed back towards the flames, and Hinata ran in that direction with no hesitation.

They found the mother, trapped underneath a beam that had collapsed nearby. It nearly crushed her, but thankfully a pile of debris had cushioned the blow, warding off the worst of the damage it might have caused. Hinata set the girl down, and with one swing of her hand, snapped the beam clean in two. Before it could fall down on top of the woman, Hinata slammed her other hand forward, throwing the two pieces backwards and away from them.

The woman was hysterical, and clutched at her child, thanking Hinata over and over again. Hinata had to shoo her away, back in the direction where they had come, where it was safer.

"Hinata."

Hiashi was standing behind her, his face as hard as it had ever been, and his Byakugan activated. "Come with me. They're waiting at the front of the village."

He spied the girl standing behind Hinata. "Are you coming with us?"

The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, before nodding.

"Good. Come now. The longer they wait, the worse this will be for the rest of the villagers."

A third of the village was ablaze by the time they reached the gate. Hinata saw dozens, maybe even close to a hundred men, as well as some women, standing behind the three at the head of the group. Hinata did not need her Byakugan to see their headbands, nor the single slash through it, but she activated it nonetheless. She would need it.

One of the missing-nin stepped forward, the desecrated symbol of Kusagakure glinting in the light of the torch he held in one hand. His flak jacket was unzipped and unkempt, and there was a hungry look in his eyes. Judging from the way the other two stood behind him, Hinata guessed this man was their leader, heading up an organization of nearly a hundred thugs, criminals, and other lowlifes, hoping to take advantage of those less fortunate. Hinata recognized some of the men behind them as highwaymen by the clothes they wore, so she guessed that this was not the only venture this man had delved into outside the law.

"This is the price you pay for trying to remain independent!" the man shouted, throwing the torch onto a pile near the base of the gate. There was a _whoosh_, and the flames rose even higher into the sky.

"What on earth possessed you to think you could act on your own?" the man asked with a sneer. "What made you think you could squirm your way out from under my thumb? I _own_ you, and I promised that any attempt to attack me or any of my men would result in the destruction of your precious little village."

He noticed his opposition mid-tirade, and chuckled at them. "What's this? A few brave souls ready to give their lives for these ramshackle buildings and worthless people?"

But the man beside him squinted, and didn't seem as confident as his boss. "Uhhh…there's something _different _about them."

"What rank did you reach before you decided preying on the innocent was a more worthwhile lifestyle, coward?" Hiashi called out, forcing their attention on him. "Only a weak man would consider such a thing!"

The man on the opposite side of the gate laughed, along with half of his men. "You think I'm weak? I could have easily made jōnin if I had decided that staying in that village was worth my time. But I always had greater ambition, and when I realized that as a shinobi, I would never accomplish that ambition, I decided it was time for a change of scenery!"

He frowned, and drew a large blade from behind his back. The entirety of those behind him drew their weapons as well; swords and axes and spears, or anything they could get their hands on.

"One of my scouts saw what you did to two of my men, and I'm _very_ disappointed you were stupid enough to make such a mistake. You see, this village is under _my _protection."

Hinata was disgusted. "You mean your own men are protected!" she shouted angrily. "You couldn't care less about the rest of these people!"

"Was burning down the village obvious enough, stupid girl?" the man shot back, sneering. "This village is _mine_. I lived like a king here, and no one's going to change that."

He took a combative stance. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but you're not throwing me back out into the slop. I'll kill you where you stand before that happens."

He cried, his small army surged forward in a mad dash. It was supposed to be terrifying, but if Hinata didn't know any better, she could have sworn she heard her father laughing.

"Hinata…" he said quietly, dropping into his stance. "It is time we show that man and the rats that follow him what becomes of those who stand in the way of a Hyūga."

There was a certain deadly pride in his voice, and Hinata could feel the confidence surging in her as she dropped into her own stance.

Hiashi turned to the girl. "You. You are capable of using water techniques, correct?"

The girl nodded.

"Good. When it is time, you will add your attack to ours."

He drew himself up to his full height, and Hinata followed his example. They both leapt into the air, landing softly on their feet, turning a full one-hundred and eighty degrees, and unleashing the full force of the Hyūga clan.

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm!" they shouted, thrusting their arms forward. The girl saw her chance, and with a formed a few quick hand signs. The ground beneath them began to rumble, and suddenly a wall of water burst from the ground underneath, joining her attack with the Hyūga's.

The concussive force of the attack was tremendous. Hinata watched with grim satisfaction as almost all of the attackers were flung backwards, head over heel, crashing into one another. She winced as bones snapped from the impact, and several of the thugs died on impact with a tree or rock behind them.

Their leader, and the two other missing-nin who were his cronies, were shocked, their confidence deflating rapidly.

"Who…who _are_ you?" the leader demanded, taking a step backward.

Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "We are of the Hyūga. We are of Konoha, and you will die here tonight."

(2)

Hinata was gone in the blink of an eye, falling into her dance. She swung low near two men, and dropped them in seconds with several well-placed tenketsu strikes. Three more attempted to attack her from behind, but they were flung back with a spinning kick before they even got close.

Collarbone. Shoulder blade. Sternum. They lit up like the fires behind her in Hinata's eyes, the weak spots through which she tossed the men and women aside like rag dolls. The more fell to the ground, unconscious or unable to move, the more Hinata was disgusted with them. These were not shinobi; they were thugs, hoping to live their lives in luxury at the expense of others. Her heart went out to the men and women of this village, and she vowed to defeat every last one of these criminals this night.

Her father was less forgiving. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see him throwing men to the ground, and jabbing their heart or neck before they could react. Anyone he saw as weak was taken down on the spot, and when their bodies went limp, Hinata knew their fate.

Her dance became something of a trance, and Hinata found herself thinking back to her father's words. There were so few people in this world that possessed the strength to bring about the change in this world they sought. Naruto was one of them…could there be a time when she might join him? Even as she knew what he did was necessary, Hinata could not find it in her to agree with her father's methods, and she even jumped in front of Hiashi and an opponent now and again to defeat him herself, to spare the man from death.

She wanted to be strong like Naruto. He inspired such change in people, and Hinata hoped for the day where she too might be able to inspire those around her to seek a more peaceful solution.

There was a tingling feeling in her fingers after she tossed one man into the other beside him, and Hinata suddenly remembered her training, to control her natural affinity for lightning. Naruto had once told her that there was no better training for new techniques than an actual fight, and at this point, Hinata had nothing to fear.

She closed her eyes, and tried her best to picture how to form the necessary lightning chakra. In order to create wind, you must create a violent clash between two forces, grinding them against one another until they were as sharp as a razor's edge. Hinata collected as much chakra as she could into her fingertips, hoping to produce the piercing power of lightning.

But all she managed was an excessive amount of chakra lumped into her hand, which diffused into the next poor soul Hinata saw trying to escape, throwing him into the air so fast that Hinata could only see a blur.

She tried again, this time on a man that had slipped on a rock, and was trying to stumble to his feet to get away. The feeling was stronger this time, and the chakra erupting from her fingertips numbed her fingers somewhat, but it dissipated too fast before she could form anything with it.

One the third attempt, Hinata succeeded.

Naruto had used a shadow clone to circumvent the difficulty in combing elemental chakra, so Hinata decided to try the same thing. She could manage a single clone and no more than that, but it was all she needed. A dozen or so of the attackers thought that if they struck all at once from all sides, they could overpower her.

Hinata tried to summon a shadow clone, but the first one failed, and she was forced to roll out of the way of the combine assault of her attackers. She succeeded on the second try, however, and the clone immediately began attempting to form lightning chakra in her hands, while Hinata stood at the ready.

The men leapt into the air, above her head, and would have crashed down upon Hinata had she not felt the surge of power suddenly flow through her fingertips. It was time.

Just before they struck, Hinata spun rapidly in place, but instead of a solid wall of chakra, several bolts of lightning spun out from the center, from Hinata. They dove right through the closest men, and jumped to those further away once, twice, three times, nearly thirty feet away. All of them collapsed, their bodies numb.

Hinata slowed her rotation to survey her work. Several of those closest to her twitched as their muscles endured violent spasms, but the rest of them were unable to even blink, lying helplessly on the ground.

The three nameless missing-nin, who had up until now watched the battle from the sidelines, were stunned. They wasted no time turning on their heels, and trying to escape, but no sooner had they turned their backs did Hiashi descend upon them, using their surprise against them. He caught two of them with each hand, but his attack was cut short by the leader's sudden change of heart. He drew his sword, and forced Hiashi backwards, freeing his teammates.

Hinata rushed to his side, just as they were regrouping. She looked for the girl, but could not find her anywhere.

Hiashi noticed her confusion. "She went to help the villagers. Several of this man's followers reached the village, hoping to wreak more havoc or grab a few valuables before they flee. They are no more than common thugs, but she will still need to be careful.

Hinata said a silent little prayer for the girl's safety, before turning back to the three missing-nin from Kusagakure. The larger man pulled a scroll from his back, and after the smoke cleared, was holding a ball and chain of massive size. The third shinobi, a woman, held a whip, and their leader held a kunai in his hand at the ready.

"It's three on two!" he spat angrily. "You're at a disadvantage. I know all about the Hyūga clan. As long as we keep you from getting close, you're just as weak as any genin."

Hiashi did not waver. "Then I suggest you keep us away from you."

He and Hinata darted off in either direction, hoping to run around from behind before they could defend themselves. The larger man with the ball and chain hefted it into the air with a grunt, and began whirling it above his head with frightening speed. He flung it in Hiashi's direction, but missed the Hyūga clan leader by several inches, and yanked the chain to return the ball to his side.

Hinata meanwhile was ducking and spinning out of the way of the woman's whip, as it cracked through the air loudly. Hinata attempted to sidestep one attack, but the whip caught her arm, coiling it around her wrist several times and holding her fast.

"Got you!" the woman shrieked, leaping forward with a kunai in her free hand. She plunged the blade deep into Hinata's chest, and it fell harmlessly to the ground through the smoke the clone created.

The real Hinata burst through the smokescreen, and closed the distance between her and the woman before she could even react. Two strikes, four strikes, eight, sixteen…more and more, closing off as many Tenketsu as Hinata had time for. In the corner of her eye, she saw the large man ready to fling his mace towards her, and while Hiashi was able to deflect the blow, the leader of the group ducked underneath the attack, and forced Hinata to retreat a short distance, while the woman collapsed onto the ground, taken out of the fight before it had even really started.

"What happened to your 'three on two' advantage, coward?" Hiashi taunted, dropping back into his stance. "Is this really all you're capable of?"

The man swore loudly and, deciding to take his chances, turned around and raced back towards the village, hoping to lose them in the chaos. His remaining teammate made to follow him, but Hiashi suddenly moved in his path, preventing his escape.

The large man roared with anger, and thrust his ball and chain into the ground, creating a shockwave powerful enough to throw Hiashi off balance. He might have been crushed under the weight of the iron ball, had Hinata not jumped in, grabbed her father, and pulled him to safety.

Hinata felt her father's eyes upon her, and when she met his gaze, she saw a level of respect in his eyes that she had never thought to see in her lifetime.

"It seems your training has paid off," he said quietly, almost smiling. When Hinata dropped her eyes to the ground, embarrassed, Hiashi actually _did_ smile.

"I am proud of you. Now come, let's remove this man from our way."

The large man was no match for two Hyūga at the same time, especially with such a cumbersome weapon of choice. He attempted to chuck his iron ball at Hinata, realizing she was the quicker of the two, but Hiashi surprised him with another wall of air from his palm, forcing the iron ball back directly into the man's face. Hinata winced as she heard his cheekbone snap, and as she watched him spit out several teeth.

The man likely never reached chūnin, as he was foolish enough to try and rush the Hyūga pair with reckless abandon, hoping to overpower them with brute force alone. Hinata and Hiashi sidestepped the attack effortlessly, and now that he was in range, decimated his chakra pathway system in seconds. He collapsed onto the ground, only a short distance from the woman, unconscious and severely disabled.

"We need to find that man before he brings any more harm upon this village," Hiashi said firmly, scanning the horizon with his Byakugan. Hinata did the same, and they found him almost at the same time, racing through the streets. A woman fleeing her home nearly bumped into him, and Hinata's blood ran cold when the man cut her down anyway.

Hiashi growled. "That man will pay with his life," he said, rushing off in that direction, with Hinata close on his heels.

The village was in shambles. They raced past several fires still raging, and many of the buildings had collapsed after the flames destroyed their architectural support. Many families, now homeless, huddled around the ruins, seemingly lost with what to do next.

"We cannot linger Hinata," her father said. "I know you want to help them, but there is nothing you can do for them now."

It tore at her to leave them behind, but her father was right. Hinata could not give them a new house, no matter how much she wished it; they only thing they could do now is prevent any further harm from coming down upon them.

They were catching up to the man very quickly, and about halfway through the village they came across the girl, who was attempting to put out one of the larger fires all on her own. Her water techniques were strong, to be sure, but the flames surged wherever her water did not, and Hinata could see that she had been at it a while from the thin sheen of sweat that covered her body, as well concentration etched into the lines on her face.

Hinata stepped forward to help her. The girl was unaware that Hinata was standing behind her, and thrust another wall of water forward, hoping to extinguish the flames in one broad stroke. It would not be enough, so Hinata , and with a concentrated blast of air from her palm, the water dispersed more evenly over the burning building, and when the steam cleared away, most of the building had been spared. Only a few small flames remained, and Hinata and the girl immediately set to work choking them out, while Hiashi continued to chase after the missing nin.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked. "You did alright with your dad?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes. He and I were able to stop most of them. As long as we take down their leaders, the rest of them should leave the village alone out of fear."

"Have you taken them all down yet?"

"No. Father is going after the only one remaining. Do you need any help here?"

The girl thought it over for a moment. "No, I think I have it under control. Several of the villagers have started an effort to put out the fires elsewhere, so if I stay and help them for a little longer, I should be able to join you."

"Okay. Be safe." And with that, Hinata was off, chasing after her father, who she could see had almost caught up to the man.

She ducked into a side alley when she saw them take a sudden turn to the left, hoping to lead him off. The man's only drive now was fear of being caught or killed, so his speed was surprising, but Hiashi kept up with him with ease, staying back only a little to bide his time and let the man wear himself down.

They took another turn, and Hinata saw her father look at her, Byakugan to Byakugan. Ever so slightly, he nodded, and with a sudden jump to the left, forced the man down the alley where Hinata was hiding. He might have run straight into her had she not slammed her palm into his chest. His body collided with the wall to his right with a sickening crunch, and he grunted in pain, clutching at his ribs.

"Dammit!" he swore, jumping to the rooftop. Hinata and Hiashi were hot on his heels, and his injury slowed him enough to give Hiashi the chance to head off his escape, trapping him on the rooftop.

Only a few buildings still burned, light great signal fires in the village, while the rest of them had either consumed their fuel or fallen to the combined efforts of the village. The fire twinkled dangerously in Hiashi's eyes as he stared the man down, holding his position to see what the man might do.

Oddly enough, he seemed to calm himself down. Was that a smile, or was Hinata only seeing things?

"You know, I was forced out of the village because I learned of several dangerous techniques hidden away in the village. I used to work in the administration when I wasn't on missions, and they put me in charge of guarding the rooms that held those techniques. They may have chased me out before I got away will all of them…"

He formed several hand signs, and the fires from far away seemed to grow larger, reaching higher and higher until Hinata realized that the missing-nin was in fact manipulating the flames. The curled and snaked through the nighttime sky, working their way back to the rooftop, until they had surrounded them, forming a barrier of flames. From there, the flames reached within the barrier they had created, and several of them split off, turning into vague humanoid shapes.

The man held out his arm, produced a kunai, and slowly ran the blade down the length of his arm. The blood lifted away from his skin, and was drawn towards the flames. It turned black, and began to boil, feeding the fires with some strange sort of power. The blackened blood spread throughout the humanoid shapes, turning the flames black as well, and just like that, the fire had been given life.

"I'd like to see the _great _Hyūga clan defeat something without their precious Gentle Fist!" the man cackled, looking quite pleased with himself. He took a step forward, and his flame guardians mirrored him. Another step, another response. He suddenly flung his kunai towards them, and when it thudded into the ground between them, the flames descended upon them.

Hinata reacted out of instinct, throwing one arm forward before she felt the heat on her hand, and she was able to move it out of the way just in time. Hiashi spun in place, and the flames barely licked at his robes. They caught fire anyway, and he was forced to discard them. The clothing he had underneath was much more form-fitting, and the only way the flames would be able to touch him from then on out was if they touched Hiashi himself, a feat Hinata doubted this man could achieve.

But they came anyway. One leaped over Hinata's head to try and attack her from behind, but she rolled out of the way before it could hit her. Another extended its arm, forcing Hinata to duck, and she could feel the heat on her face as the flames just barely tickled her nose.

Taking out this man was the only way they would be able to defeat these creatures, and both Hinata and Hiashi decided this at the same time. They rushed forward to take him by surprise, but the flame barrier surrounding them burst in front of him, protecting him.

'_It reacts instinctively to protect him_,'Hinata thought, noticing the similar mechanics to Gaara's shield of sand. If so, that meant that unless you had great speed on your side, penetrating through the shield would be close to impossible, unless it could be removed altogether, if only for a few seconds.

Hinata understood what she had to do, and she shot her father a knowing look, which he responded to with only a slight nod in her direction.

Hiashi sprang into action, jumping directly towards the flame barrier protecting the man while simultaneously expending chakra from all of his tenketsu. The Rotation kept the flames at bay, and Hinata surged forward.

It was in this single moment that anyone could be convinced of the skill possessed by Hiashi Hyūga, head of one of the most powerful clans in existence. Normally, the rotating chakra that surrounded his person was impregnable; however, with timing and precision only feasible through decades of training, Hiashi deactivated his shield right as Hinata was within range. They barely brushed against one another, and by the time she was on the other side, Hiashi controlled the flow of his chakra once more to give her an exit route, leading her straight into the man.

"What!?" he managed to shout, before Hinata fell upon him. Her fingers moved like lightning strikes, disabling each of his limbs one by one. Once a Hyūga had begun the offensive, there was a very short list of things that could stop them. Before the flames disappeared, they flew away from the rooftop and headed straight for Hinata, protecting their creator. Hinata saw them coming, but was torn between attempting to finish the man off before they could get to her, or retreating and trying to stop him a second time.

In the end, the decision was not up to her. There was a sudden wall of water to her left, and then a huge gust of wind from behind, and the fire was kept at bay.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked, leaping down to Hinata's side.

Hinata nodded without looking, concentrating on the coward in front of her. Just before she could strike him the last few times, sealing off the rest of his chakra, the flames reacted instinctively, grabbing at him and pulling him to safety. He screamed in pain as the fire burned through his flesh, and Hinata understood why the technique had been made forbidden.

It released him before it consumed him entirely, however, and he collapsed onto the other side of the rooftop. Hiashi, Hinata, and the girl stood and watched, waiting to see if he would pass out, negating the need for them to expend any more chakra.

"Why…" the man mumbled to himself, scratching at his wounds, red with blood and exposed flesh. His hair clung to him in damp clumps, and his body racked with shakes. "Why….why did you have to ruin everything! WHY?"

"I had it all!" he growled, spittle flying from his lips. "I had money, safety, and an entire village under my control! I never had to worry about your stupid villages and your stupid rules for the rest of my life, until you came along!"

Through sheer rage, the man was wobbling to his feet. The fire helped him up, and although it continued to harm his own body, charring the skin and burning through him, he seemed to no longer care. There was a crazed look in his eye, and Hinata was about to jump forward before he could do anything, but Hiashi held her back. He seemed worried, which made Hinata all the more concerned about what might come next.

"I'll die before I let you leave!" The man was screaming again, pounding at his chest like an animal. He no longer cared for his safety, or his own life. As if responding to his dwindling grasp on sanity, the fires around him swirled ever higher, burning illustrious shades of red and white and every color in between. "I'll die before I let you leave! I'll die before I let you leave!"

He repeated this phrase over and over again. Hiashi decided they had waited long enough, and made to finish him off, but he moved to slow. With a few erratic, strange hand-signs, the fire began to react violently. It swirled around the man, closer and closer. He drew his kunai, and with the last ounce of fear leaving his eyes, he slashed it across his chest, deep and broad. The blood burst from his body, and the flames lapped it up instantaneously, turning it black like before. The shockwave forced Hinata and Hiashi back several feet, just as the man's body was consumed.

"What's happening?" Hinata cried out, over the roaring of the flames. They were disappearing inside the man's corpse, turning his body pitch black. He shook and rattled about on the ground, but still he held together.

Hinata felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned around to see the girl. She looked scared, but it was the hint of knowing in her eyes that frightened Hinata the most.

(3)

"You need to run," the girl said simply.

"Why? What's happening?"

"He's turned himself into a bomb," the girl explained. "If you stay, you'll die. I can contain the blast, but it won't be safe up here."

Hinata's heart skipped a beat. "C-contain it? How? What are you thinking of doing?"

The girl smiled. "Saving you, and all these people. Because I want to."

Without a moment's hesitation, the girl turned on her heels and started to walk towards the man's body. The light was almost blinding, and Hinata had to squint to see through it. She saw the girl, smiling, looking back at her.

"I think it's okay, like this. I'm want to help because I like you. Not because you deserve it, or your dad deserves it, or anyone in this village deserves it. Because I _want to_. It's okay to be selfish every now and then, Hinata. Go after what you want in life."

Hiashi had understood what was happening, and had grabbed onto Hinata's wrist. Pulling her away. The girl was forming hand-signs, and her hands were starting to glow a beautiful white and blue, which started to spread up and her arms.

"Wait! I never even asked what your name was!" Hinata cried out, as Hiashi tugged her over another rooftop.

They were too far away to hear her, but Hinata felt her voice nonetheless. The girl almost seemed to find that funny. "Maybe someday, you will. I'm glad I met you, Hinata. You're going to do a lot of great things in your life."

'_Will I?' _Hinata her herself ask as they jumped to the streets. _'Did you see something else?'_

'_Maybe.'_

The spectacle was unimaginable. A pillar of light erupted into the night sky, disappearing into the clouds, and higher still. Hinata felt the sensation of water pouring over her, covering her body, but there was none.

The light flickered away, into thousands of separate, smaller lights that drifted on the wind like dandelion seeds. Hinata reached out with one tiny hand, and caught one. It glowed in her hand, only for a minute, and then went dark.

She heard gasps and audible sounds of amazement behind her. The village was in shock. Men and women sat up under the remnants of their homes, clutching at their heads or chests. They tearfully embraced one another, and cried tears of joy.

'_They thought they were dead...' _Hinata realized breathlessly. And perhaps they had been, or at least close to it. She saw dried blood near the tears in their clothing where vicious wounds must been only a moment before, or burns that seemed to have mysteriously vanished. Hinata's head spun with confusion, and all stemming from one, mysterious little girl.

The villagers were happy, unabashedly so, but they were too exhausted to properly show their gratitude upon the revelation that their life of plight and fear had been lifted from them. They spoke in hushed tones about the third person who had helped them, of the mysterious girl.

"She was like an Angel," one villager insisted. "Come down from the heavens to save us."

"That's idiotic!" another barked. "She was a shinobi, like these two here. This is why we need ninja in the world; to keep us safe from cowards like that!"

"But wasn't it ninja who were the root cause of this in the first place?"

The argued back and forth, though they never forgot who saved them. Hinata and Hiashi were lavished with praise and heartfelt thanks, and though his gaze was hard, Hinata could see the emotion in her father's eyes. To save these people from torment, to protect those too weak to protect themselves…it was one of the cornerstones of being a shinobi, and Hiashi would live up to his duty until they day he died.

He quietly asked for peace for he and his daughter, to which the village happily agreed. The man who had owned the inn they had stayed, which was mercifully spared from the blaze, promised them any amenities should they ask for them, and repair work would begin the next morning. Anyone who had been displaced from their home could stay in the rooms he had free, he insisted, and many other families whose homes had been spared offered their roofs to those who had lost them, inspired by the Hyūga's generosity.

Hiashi sighed, as he leaned against the wall on his bed. He had taken a shower, and changed into a set of clean robes. Hinata watched his muscles tense every now and then; the adrenaline must still be pumping through his body.

"It has been a long time since I have had to exert myself like that," he said, with all the humility expected of him. "And now I see how far behind the next generation I have fallen."

He looked straight at his daughter, and again Hinata felt that sense of pride swelling in her heart. "Hinata, you performed…admirably. I am very proud of you."

Hinata wanted to smile, but her mind was still stuck on that girl, on her ease with death. Had it even been death the girl had accepted, or something else altogether? Their friendship, however brief, had been so strange. It was not ridiculous to consider that something out of the ordinary occurred this night.

"I would not worry about her," Hiashi said calmly. "I cannot explain why, but I have a feeling that wherever your friend is, she's doing well."

It seemed to calm her down enough, so Hinata let her mind wander. She looked into her hand, and the feeling that had come to her when the lightning had erupted from her fingertips came rushing back. She had tried several more times to get the feel of that chakra during their battle, but the right spot had been lost on her. Had that been a single fluke, or was Hinata on the right track? She could not tell this early.

Her father seemed to recognize what she was thinking about. "That was an extraordinary feat, Hinata. I have never seen the Gentle Fist implemented in such a manner. To accomplish something so known for its difficulty…it's certainly a testament to your skills."

"It might have been a one-time thing," Hinata admitted, looking out the window into the night sky. "It might be years before I can master it the way Kakashi-sensei does."

"Of course it will," Hiashi replied, seemingly amused. "Hinata…you do not think you are forced to remain away from the village until you master such a thing, do you?"

"Wh-what?"

Her father raised an eyebrow. "Do you not remember? I told you that the very purpose of this journey is to find strength. Once you find it, no matter the length of time, you may go home. Besides, you and I have not adhered to these rules as strictly as intended."

Hinata smiled, but gave his words some serious thought. Did she feel ready? Was she ready to go home, and face the village? Face Naruto? He would be thrilled she had made even the smallest amount of progress, but Hinata was not sure it would be enough.

"Do remember Hinata, that strength does not always come from your abilities."

'_Sometimes…it's okay to be selfish. Go after what you want in life.'_

Hinata frowned. The girl had told her that, before she had disappeared. Hinata had always thought selfishness was a bad thing, but to hear it described like that, that it's okay to sometimes want things only because you want them, to do things for yourself, that you do not always have to be thinking of yourself…it felt oddly satisfying. Hinata had lived her life for others as long as she could remember. Perhaps it was time she lived for herself.

She smiled to herself. She saw their home in the village, with Hanabi and Neji happy to see her home. She saw her father, approving of her match with Naruto at long last, and she saw Naruto himself, beaming from ear to ear, telling her that he loved her.

'_That's what I want…'_ Hinata thought to herself. _'To hear those words…there's nothing else in this world I'd rather have.'_

There was a ticking at the window. It had been so quiet in their room, that both Hiashi and Hinata jumped at the sound, though her father idly tried to pretend that he had not been surprised by the bird at the window.

Hinata recognized the bird almost immediately. It was one of the messenger hawks from Konoha. Her confusion turned to apprehension when she saw the Hokage's seal placed on the scroll the hawk carried on its back.

"What is it?" Hiashi asked, leaning forward on his bed. "Does Tsunade-sama wish something of us?"

Hinata collapsed back onto the bed, a hand over her heart. Her breathing became labored, and for a moment, Hiashi was just as nervous as she was. She couldn't even speak as she handed the scroll to him, and as Hiashi read over the short letter, he sighed with relief.

_Naruto's woken up._

_Just thought you should know!_

_-Sakura._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Oh ho ho! What's this? Sakura_ had _sent word that Naruto woke up? Maybe some of you need to rethink your opinion of her!

This stuff is ambiguous for a reason. Will she return? Will we learn anymore about her clan? I don't know as well as you, so relax, and don't dwell on those questions. They'll be answered when they need to be. Either way, I'm glad we're through this swamp I managed to conjure up. Back to the really fun stuff!

You know, I actually enjoyed writing Sasuke's scene, as I will the next few times because of what's in store for him. I hope you liked it, and are curious to see where I'm going. Remember, let me know what you think!

Also, like I said at the top, we've got some fun stuff coming for Naruto and Hinata. Lee and his team will also be taking front and center stage as well, for their stuff in the Land of Water. Lots of exciting things coming, so yay for that!

Class is winding up for finals and that bullshit, so forgive me if the updates are sporadic. Remember what I said last chapter: I may choose to take the summer off, or I may not. Depends, I guess. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Until next time!


	61. Homecoming! After All This Time!

**Author's Note:** Wassup guiz.

So, this update came later than I would have wanted, but it's crunch time here on campus, and it will stay like that until around early May. It's not ideal, but that's the way the real world works. I'll still try to get as many updates as I can before the summer hits.

I've had several people tell me how much it would suck were I to take the summer off, so I thought of this: I won't outright quit writing, but you have to understand, I'm going to be working in a warehouse in 115+ degree heat with a schedule that starts at 6 in the morning and ends at 5. It helps pay for school, and by the time I come home, I'm exhausted. I won't outright quit writing, but I'll likely only pick up the keyboard whenever I really feel like it. I can only be stretched so thin.

Moving on! I really need to visit my other stories, so I might work on those next. I haven't decided yet. I'd hate to become one of those people who starts 20 stories and finishes none of them, you know?

Also, for those of you unaware, Road to Ninja was released on DVD in Japan yesterday. That should mean that proper audio w/subs should be coming pretty soon after that. I'll certainly be finding the time to sit down and watch when it does.

I've got a good feeling about this chapter. I've placed a lot of subtle things in here, so before you cry foul, always remember that there's going to be something that happens next. Big thanks to **kylekatarn77** for his work as Beta, as well for all of you who take the time to review. Keep on keeping on.

Here's the music you'll need to know about:

(1) - /watch?v=NRQaiuIiJXw

(2) - /watch?v=RB6G4aaoJOs **(add Rainymood for increased effect. Thanks to OGAFazer89AC for the song suggestion!)**

Let's just get on with it.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 9 - Homecoming! After All This Time!<strong>

Sakura yawned.

Every now and again there came a morning that made rolling out of bed seem like the most insurmountable task there was, vastly more difficult than any training or mission. This so happened to be one of those dreaded mornings, and it was only the indomitable call of nature that spurred Sakura to slog herself out from between the covers, and into the bathroom.

Her old bathroom had been fitted with a window, with a nice view onto the street below. But Sakura didn't miss it. Ever since she had emerged from the shower one night to see two blurs darting away from the window, one red and white and the other a _very_ distinctive yellow and orange, she preferred the extra privacy.

As Sakura sat down, the rug warmed her feet from the cold tiled floor, and she wriggled her toes in between the shaggy material. Her body relaxed, she let out a large sigh, and Sakura relieved herself of a full bladder. Not a feeling like it in the world.

She washed her hands (thoroughly, as any medic-nin would do), and shuffled back into her bedroom. The light from the morning sun was a little too bright for her taste, so she swung the massive blanket she had pinned to the wall over the window, draping the room back in darkness. Her mother had insisted on thin white curtains for her room, and although they looked nice, Sakura preferred function over fashion. At least when there was a pesky sun glaring in your eye.

Her stomach rumbled. Instead of plopping back down on the bed, she waddled into some pink slippers, nearly tripped over the massive pile of white clothes sitting in the middle of her floor, and wandered downstairs for her breakfast.

"Good morning, my little blossom!" her father greeted, peeking down from his book.

Kizashi Haruno was a jovial man by any standards, quick with a smile, and even faster with the accompanying horrid joke. Sakura barely glanced at the book he was reading (some inspirational nonsense, as usual), and hoped that this would be the end of their interaction. Not that she didn't care for him; Sakura was simply unsure if she had the mental capacity to handle his antics for very long.

Her father stood from the kitchen table, stretching his arms and yawning like a bear. "Oh, what a night! I haven't slept that well in years! Tell me, my little blossom, did you get enough sleep last night?"

Sakura grunted in response, meandering over to the fridge. She had it halfway open before Kizashi pushed it back closed with an open palm, and a wide smile.

(1)

"That's no way to greet a parent!" he said brightly. "How about a kiss for your dear old dad?" he pointed to his cheek, and leaned forward.

As Sakura seethed, she considered biting him instead, but a quick peck on the cheek would be enough to shake him off, so she relented to his request.

Kizashi grinned from ear to ear, and gave his daughter a bear hug. "That's my girl! You may not be a morning person, but you make a dad proud anyway!"

"Can I get my breakfast now?" she squealed, twisting out from under him. "Jeez, where do you get all that energy?"

Kizashi did a few leg squats, grunting as if he was actually struggling. "Early to bed, early to rise…makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise!"

Sakura groaned.

"Leave your daughter alone, dear. You know she can't keep up with you when she wakes up."

Kizashi laughed, turned around, and kissed his wife. "I guess she got her morning habits from you, huh?"

Mebuki smiled, nudging him in the stomach with her elbow to give herself some room. "I guess she did. I don't think it's possible for anyone to behave like you in the morning."

She turned to her daughter. "You get a nice sleep, Sakura? You seem a little more tired than usual."

Sakura nodded, waving her hand. "I'm fine, really. Food…now." Her mother barely had enough time to back out of the way as Sakura stomped back over to the fridge, her eyes lazily glazing over the shelves, on the hunt for a tasty morsel. She grabbed an orange, and pulled the trash bin to her side. Strong enough to forego any help cutting through the skin, she simply pierced the center with her thumb, and pulled the skin off in one easy stroke.

Kizashi watched his daughter eat with a hint of fear in his eyes. "Remind me never to make you angry like Naruto does. My doctor has specifically warned against angry daughters with exceptional upper body strength."

"Mmmph?" Sakura grunted, with a mouthful of orange in her mouth. Her father shuddered, and went back to his book.

Mebuki rolled her eyes. "How have things been at the hospital? Is Naruto doing alright?"

Sakura nodded, licking the juice from her fingers. "Mmhmm. His therapist is using his coming to the hospital as the first part of his therapy, and then they use some of the specialized equipment to strengthen his muscles. It's amazing how fast he's recovering."

"He's a lucky boy, that one." Mebuki turned around to the sink, and began washing the dishes her husband often neglected, though not before shooting him a dirty look. "Have you spoken to him since your little fight? I worry about you two."

Sakura frowned. "No, I haven't. I don't think he wants to talk to me right now."

"Well, it's different for you to accept that. It's not like you to let your friendship suffer through this, Sakura," Mebuki replied.

"It's more complicated than that. In a way…he has a right to be upset. He liked me for a long, _long_ time, and now…"

Mebuki nodded. "I guess. But still. I think you should corner him like you usually do. That always seemed to work out in the end."

"Your mother's right!" Kizashi said excitedly. "If you'd like, I could set up a meeting, and we'll shoehorn him into talking to you!"

If there was a list of what _not_ to do, Sakura would have placed that at the very top. "Ehh…that's okay, dad. I'll figure something out on my own."

Kizashi shrugged. "Suit yourself. If you need my help, though, you know where to find me!"

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Maybe you can get Hinata to help you," Mebuki offered as she dried her hands. "Do you know if she's coming back to the village?"

"I sent that hawk a few days ago, so I would have thought she would be back by now if she was going to," Sakura informed her mother. "I guess she still wants to do more training. I feel bad for Naruto, though. He really got used to her being around all the time. I catch a glimpse of him at the hospital every now and then, and he just doesn't seem as happy."

"You're his friend," Mebuki reminded her. "Maybe not his best friend anymore now that he's with Hinata, but you're still his oldest, I think. You should try and make him feel better."

She grinned. It was a knowing, teasing smile. "And if Hinata's not here, maybe you can ask Kiba? I'm sure he'd be willing to help if you ask him."

Sakura blushed a deep red, and Kizashi laughed aloud, snorting into his coffee. The longer she stayed down here, the more chances they would have to make fun of her. Sakura made the wise choice, and retreated back upstairs with her tail between her legs.

Having gotten used to the light of her kitchen, Sakura found herself stumbling around in the dark of her room. Arms outstretched, she tried to cross back over to her bed without tripping over anything, but failed miserably when that massive white pile of clothes got in her way again.

When she stumbled over it a second time in her haste to escape, the pile moved. And whimpered.

"Oh, I'm sorry Akamaru!" Sakura said, kneeling down to give the massive hound a good rub behind the ears. His tail thumped loudly against the floor, and something under the covers stirred from the noise.

"Move over," she commanded, falling face first onto the bed. The lump to her side grumbled something incoherent, and buried his head underneath the pillow.

"Couldn't you have moved a little quieter?" Kiba asked, sitting up and scratching at his scalp. He wasn't wearing a shirt; his only clothing was a raggedy pair of sleep bottoms.

"Why? This is _my_ house, you know."

"Because if you wake Akamaru up, he'll want to—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Akamaru leaped up onto the bed, knocking the wind out of the both of them, before finding a comfortable spot at the edge. Sakura heaved with all her might to try and get her leg out from under him, but the angle was proving troublesome. Kiba tickled a certain spot under Akamaru's chin, who momentarily rose up to stretch. Sakura used the opportunity to free her leg.

"He's used to sleeping with me," Kiba explained, falling back onto the pillows. "I'm amazed you convinced him to take a spot on the floor in the first place."

"Well, I'm not used to sleeping next to a _bear_," Sakura complained, brushing some of the excess fur off of the bed. "How has he not smothered you in your sleep yet?"

Kiba patted his faithful companion with his foot. "Akamaru would _never _do something like that. Right boy?"

Akamaru barked in agreement.

Kiba turned on his side. "You alright? I could hear your dad laughing from downstairs, and from what you've told me about your old man, if that happens, it's usually at your expense."

"They're telling me I need to talk to Naruto," Sakura explained. "They don't get that I've tried for more than a week now! He avoids me at all costs. Considering that he's still in a wheelchair every now and then, I don't know how he does it."

Kiba snorted. "I don't get why he's so mad. He's not your dad. He doesn't get to say what you do. Or should I say _who_ you—"

Sakura cut him off with a fierce jab of her elbow directly into his gut. "Don't joke about something like that! You should know damn well why he's upset!"

"Excuse me for not being a psychic!" Kiba complained, rubbing his sore tummy. "Jeez, didn't I tell you that this hitting shit has got to stop…"

Sakura ignored him. "Naruto had the biggest crush on me for such a long time. It was more than a crush, actually…he loved me. Even if he's with Hinata now, when he found out that I…well, when he found out that you and I…"

Kiba frowned. "Why is it so hard to say? You got a problem with this?" He gestured to all of himself, and Akamaru whined from the edge of the bed.

"I don't even know what _this _is!" Sakura groaned, pinching her nose. "I mean, we haven't even…we haven't—"

"Fucked. The word you're looking for is 'fucked'. Thanks for rubbing that in my nose, by the way."

Sakura punched him in the shoulder. Hard. "This is serious, asshole. I don't know what to make of all this! You're not making it any easier when what you're thinking with _isn't_ your brain."

Kiba snorted again, and scooted closer to her. He buried his face in her neck, and although he felt Sakura tense up, she didn't stop him.

"I asked you out, and you said yes. That's what we have. You're making it more complicated than it needs to be."

"Naruto's the one making things complicated!"

"Then talk to him already! What if I help you corner him?"

Sakura drew her knees to her chest, pursing her lips. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" Kiba asked. "Afraid he'll get all jealous when he sees me with you."

"And that he'll kick your ass up and down the village, yes," Sakura said bluntly, deflating his confidence in seconds. "If I was even going to _consider_ letting you help me, you'd need to promise that you wouldn't make things worse."

"It's not making things worse," Kiba insisted. "It's telling the truth. You said yes to me, and not to him. If he can't accept that, than he's the one in the wrong, and I'm not backing down."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know where you get all that confidence."

Kiba was suddenly behind her , pulling her body against his. "I had a little boost lately. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" He started poking her, and although Sakura squirmed in his arms, she couldn't help but smile.

Until she got bored. With ease, she pushed him against the backboard of her bed, and unlatched his hand from her stomach. While Kiba nursed his wounded pride, Sakura disappeared into her closet to find something for the day.

"When are you gonna let me see?" Kiba asked, grinning cheekily. "I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."

"You are such a pervert," Sakura called back, annoyed. "I can't believe I thought Naruto was the biggest one in the village all these years."

Kiba shrugged. "He just hides it better. Trust me, if you could have heard some of the things he's said, about you…"

She stuck her head out into the doorway, a dark look in her eyes. "What did you just say?"

"N-nothing! I said that he always talked about how much you should be respected, and s-stuff like that! I swear!"

"You better be," Sakura shot back. "So are you getting dressed, or what?"

"Why would I?"

"You're getting your prosthetics today, you idiot. Don't you remember?"

Kiba looked down at the two stumps the blast had left behind. Sakura had gotten a chance to look at them as they were being constructed, and although they sounded useful enough, Kiba couldn't shake the anxiousness brooding in his stomach.

'_I'm gonna be like some half-metal man.'_ He tried to picture it, a hand of polished steel or iron, the same for his leg. It would be nice to be able to walk on his own again, without leaning on Akamaru for support or riding him outright, but the whispers and looks he got from the other villagers might get worse.

A shirt was thrown in his face. "Come on, lazy ass. Get up, or you'll have to hobble around for the rest of your life."

Kiba stuck his tongue out at Sakura, but put the shirt on anyway. As he scooted to the edge of the bed, Sakura helped him out of his pants, much to his verbal protest.

"I'm not going to sit here for fifteen minutes because you can't put on pants one-handed," she told him, forcing on the change of pants he had brought with him.

"You know, I always thought that when you finally took my pants off, you wouldn't be putting _another_ pair on. Is it because you just want some practice?"

Sakura hit him with his crutches.

They left the house with Kizashi concerned about the shiner Kiba sported in his right eye, but he insisted with great vigor that he merely 'fell down the stairs.'

"Is Akamaru just really hyper this morning?" Sakura asked, curious. Akamaru had been sniffing around them nonstop since they left her home, nosing through alleys or whatever might lay in their path.

Kiba shook his head. "No, this is pretty much how it is all the time." He pointed to his nose. "That's the price you pay for the sense of smell I've got. Hell, if you wanted to find Naruto, I could tell you where he is right now. That guy's got a stink no one else does."

"Lemme guess: ramen."

"Among a few other things, yeah, but that's the big one. Speaking of ramen, he's at Ichiraku's right now, ordering a double order of…" He took a quick sniff of the morning air. "Pork ramen, with a few eggs in it. You wanna go talk to him? My arm and leg can wait a little, if you want to get this out of the way."

Sakura steered him away. "No, we'll handle that later. I don't even know what I'd say to him right now. I'll think about it while you're busy. Are you nervous?"

"Nervous? No." Kiba adjusted the crutch under his whole arm. "Frustrated? Angry? Bored? Hungry? Yes, yes, yes, and yes."

"I still don't understand why there wasn't anything you could do to save them," Kiba continued, referring to his now-lost limbs. "I've seen plenty of other ninja come back from even worse!"

A vein throbbed in Sakura's forehead. "You know absolutely _nothing_ about medicinal ninjutsu, so don't try and tell me what I could have done. I didn't have access to the tools needed for that kind of operation, and even if I had wanted to risk it with just a technique, I didn't have the chakra reserves necessary for it. I would have needed a team of at least 3 other fully-trained medics. Suna's department can handle a lot, but saving two limbs after an explosion like that? I still say you're lucky you survived."

"Why? You think I'd die from something like that?"

"I'm not antagonizing you, okay? A lot of people wouldn't have survived that."

Kiba was about to say something else, before a smaller shape bounded out of the shadows, leaping atop Akamaru's back to use as a springboard to reach Kiba himself. Sakura jumped back in surprise, but Kiba only laughed.

"What do you think you're doing, little guy?" He held Miso by the scruff of his neck, grinning as the younger pup tried to wriggle himself free, his tail wagging.

"Little? He's growing faster than Akamaru did! What's he doing here, anyway?" Sakura exclaimed. Indeed the dog was growing bigger every day, already a little larger than Akamaru was when they were genin. At this rate it would only be a few months before he was fully-grown.

"Naruto's letting him roam free, like he should. He's also probably feeding him too much," remarked Kiba, setting the pup on Akamaru's back. "It won't hurt him, but he might have gotten even bigger if Naruto paid attention to how much food he was giving him every day."

"He really seems to like you."

"Of course he does. He was born at my house, remember?" Kiba scratched under the pup's chin, earning him a few licks on his fingers. "I've still got his mom to take care of, too. And his brothers and sisters"

"How many dogs do you have?" Sakura asked.

Kiba counted on his fingers, but stopped after he realized he had moved to his stump. "More than 10, I think. It's hard to keep track of them sometimes. A lot of them come and go as they please, and we feed them when they ask."

"Why do you need so many? It's just you, your sister, and your mom, right?"

"They need the dogs for all kinds of things. Even if they're ninja hounds, they might not live as long as us, so we need to train others just in case. They might get paired with other ninja for a few missions, then come back to us. Maybe even a few have gone on to be summons, like Kakashi-sensei's. I don't really know how all that works. Ma's supposed to teach me so that I can take over, but she sure is taking her sweet time."

"And there's no chance Miso could be a ninken like Akamaru?" asked Sakura, as she picked the pup up into her arms.

"It would be irresponsible. Having only three limbs is a liability when you're working with others."

It took a few seconds before he realized he had somewhat insulted himself, and moped about for the rest of the way to the hospital, despite Sakura's best efforts to cheer him up. He currently sat idly in a special room in the hospital, twiddling his thumb while he propped his feet up on Akamaru's back, while Sakura left to find the nurse who would help them with the transition into Kiba's prosthetics.

She returned with an elderly woman, who carried two large boxes in her arms. Kiba, who had been picking fleas out of Akamaru's fur, sat up as she made her presence known.

"You're the amputee, then?" the woman asked, eyeing him up and down.

"Uhhh, I have a _name_, lady. Also, couldn't you tell by the fact that I have _one_ leg and _one_ arm?"

The woman ignored Kiba's sarcasm, pulling a box cutter out of her pocket. She quickly cut the tape holding the boxes shut, and tossed out some of the packing material used to keep the prosthetics from moving.

"These should do nicely," the woman said, turning around. "With these, you'll be as close to being whole as you can get."

She was blunt, and perhaps even a little insensitive, but Sakura was hard-pressed to disagree. No one was kidding when they informed her that these were specially made.

Made of polished, reinforced steel, these prosthetic limbs were probably more durable than his real ones. The leg had a special attachment to simulate the mobility of the heel, allowing Kiba to bob up and down, as well as make running with the fake limb feel as natural as possible. It was very well made, and Kiba was anxious to try it on, but what really interested him was what they had done for his new arm and hand. The hand was several pieces of metal held together with a durable, yet flexible material that looked like it would allow the bending of fingers. Kiba was wondering _how _he would move those fingers, but the woman had begun speaking before he got a chance to ask.

"Tsunade-sama told us that Kiba Inuzuka wouldn't want his career as a shinobi ending because of something like this," the woman explained. "So we were told to outfit the arm with multiple combat applications."

She pointed to a compartment on the back of the wrist. "With enough forward momentum placed in this area here…" She shook it down, and a kunai suddenly flickered out of the compartment, glinting in the light. "And you have a weapon ready to defend yourself. There are also a few compartments on either side that can be used to fire senbon, but you will have to manually push this button here in order to fire them."

"On the underside of the wrist, a similar launcher will fire basic shuriken," the nurse continued. "Which may come in handy should you need something more substantial. They can be fitted with explosive tags or seals or any kind of poison you wish, and will not affect the device."

Kiba whistled. "Damn, I'm getting upgraded! What else can this thing do?"

The woman smiled. Clearly, she was enjoying herself. "This arm was made with strict specifications to its user. It would be a shame if we were to fail implementing in the design something that takes advantage of your unique talents."

She pointed to one of the fingertips. "Hidden in here are special pellets that produce an extraordinarily faint scent via gas. They dissipate upon impact, and do so relatively easily, so those you choose to strike with this will more than likely not be aware. Undetectable by any traditional means, this special blend of chemicals is specifically tailored to the Inuzuka family. Only someone with a nose like yours will be able to follow this scent.

Kiba was holding his nose. "You're telling me! What all did you put in that gunk?"

"A special blend of chemicals, as I already told you." The woman stared at him over a pair of thin-wire glasses, raising her eyebrow. "Now, are we going to try these on, or are you comfortable with them even though you've never worn them before?"

Kiba shrugged, and rolled up his sleeve. Using several buckles and straps, the nurse attached the prosthetic to the stump, taking great care to make sure it fit Kiba comfortably.

He looked down at his new arm, moving his elbow up and down to make sure it stayed on. "It fits fine, I guess."

"You sound displeased."

Kiba looked at her like she was stupid. "Well yeah. How the hell am I supposed to move the fingers?"

The woman smiled despite his tone. "That is the most marvelous thing about this device. Truly, Tsunade-sama is a genius. The metal in the prosthetic is made with the same metal as chakra blades. Meaning…"

"Meaning it will allow you to channel your chakra into it," Sakura finished, amazed.

The woman nodded. "Exactly. With the right amount of control, you move these metal fingers as if they were your real ones. Be cautious, though. They are very sensitive, and you might—"

Kiba let his excitement get the better of him. He suddenly pumped a large amount of chakra into the arm, and the surge of power was more than he could control. The arm suddenly jerked to the left, directly into Sakura's face.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing, you idiot!" she cried, clutching at her nose. "Are you trying to kill me?"

It very well may have looked like that. In his panic, Kiba only added more chakra into the limb, and it started to swivel wildly out of control. The nurse was shrieking for him to calm down, Akamaru was barking and jumping up onto the table, and in his haste to keep from hurting anyone else, Kiba turned to his side. The arm suddenly lurched forward, straight through the wall, where it finally came to a stop.

"The device is _very_ sensitive," the woman reminded him sharply. "Honestly, is your chakra control really so poor?"

"I've never really had a need for it!" Kiba whined, rubbing his new arm sheepishly. "Me and Akamaru just kind of…go with the flow."

Sakura crossed her arms. "If by 'go with the flow' you mean throw yourself at it with reckless abandon, then yes."

"Shut up!"

The nurse coughed loudly. "If you two are finished, we can make sure the leg fits properly as well."

Sakura and Kiba both nodded sheepishly, and Kiba scooted to the edge of the chair to make it easier to attach the second prosthetic.

"So, what's this one do?" Kiba asked, as she strapped the prosthetic on. "Does it have rocket boosters in the foot, or a chakra cannon?"

The woman looked at him like he was an idiot. So did Sakura. As did Akamaru. "No…it's just a leg."

"Well that's lame."

The nurse stepped back, admiring her handiwork. "Alright, I want you to try and stand up. Walk around, jump…do anything to test it out."

With a slow and deliberate pace, Kiba eased himself out of the chair. He almost fell to one side when he realized he was putting all of his weight on his real leg out of fear of repeating the same mistake with the arm, but once the nurse had reassured him that nothing like that would happen, he balanced himself out.

"It feels pretty good. A little weird, though." He took a few cautious steps around the room, with Akamaru right on his heels.

"That's to be expected. It will feel strange for a while, until your body accepts that it is no longer crippled. Learn to use these as an extension of your body, and you will be just fine."

For the first time, when Kiba looked down at his body, he smiled. "I'll try to keep that in mind. Thanks a bunch, lady!"

The nurse nodded stiffly, but there was a hint of a smile across her lips. "Thank Tsunade-sama. And do not forget that you yourself have earned some credit. A selfless act such as yours demands respect."

Kiba waggled his eyebrows at Sakura after the nurse had left them. "You hear that? I command _respect_."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Don't let it go to your head, okay?"

She looked him up and down. "So you really feel alright? Everything works? Nothing feels out of place?"

"Of course it feels out of place. I'm missing an arm and a leg. But, if this is what I have to get used to…I could do a lot worse."

He suddenly grinned a very naughty grin. "Besides, I have my own private nurse who can make me feel all better if I need it."

The sound of her slapping him across the face could be heard all the way down the hall.

"Ugh! Is that all that's on your mind?" She stomped out of the room, with Kiba hot on her heels.

"Hey, I was just kidding, alright! Can't you take a joke?"

Akamaru whined behind him, as if to warn him that he was pushing his luck. Kiba ignored him.

"I said I was sorry, okay!" He caught up to her, and grabbed her arm with his true hand. She tried to pull away, but he kept a firm, yet gentle grip. "I'm sorry. I'll stop if it upsets you."

She sighed. "Why am I so unsure that you'll hold to that?"

"I promise I'll stop. If you promise to stop hitting me so hard, we'll call it an even trade?"

Sakura looked at him incredulously, but couldn't fight the smile that forced its way out. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, or maybe it was his confidence that such an idea would even work, but it got to her. She nodded slowly, and Kiba beamed.

He was a little cautious, but slowly he reached towards her hand with his new prosthetic one. Sakura watched him silently. With control even Kiba himself didn't know he had, he gingerly held her hand in his own, wrapping the metal fingers around hers. It was an odd sensation, but Sakura felt a sense of security because of it.

"How's about I treat you to an early lunch?" Kiba asked. "Just the three of us: Me, Akamaru, and my special girl."

Sakura looked up. Heavy clouds were beginning to form, a telltale sign of rain coming. An early lunch sounded nice. She brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear, smiling again. "Sure. I'd love to."

* * *

><p>"Do I have to keep this thing in literally <em>all<em> the time? It feels like l have a kunai stuck in my throat!"

"This is so…_unnatural_. I feel naked like this."

"At least you didn't have to _insert_ anything! Your hair will grow back, so quit complaining!"

"Do you have any idea what it takes to maintain that kind of hair? Months of conditioning, shampooing, and dozens of other techniques for proper care! Techniques I cannot even begin to hope to remember!"

Tenten and Neji's argument would have attracted the attention of the entire village were they not indoors. They had arrived earlier that day, where they were scheduled to meet with several contacts with Konoha, where they would be outfitted with their new identities. Tsunade had made the right choice in picking them for this assignment; Lee's, Guy's, and Tenten's techniques could all easily be masked, and would be difficult to pin down as recognizable. Neji did not share in this luxury, which is why he was chosen to act as their outside contact once they had infiltrated the ranks of this rebel group forming in the Land of Water. But while their techniques were not distinctive, their appearances were. A simple transformation might be detected, Tsunade had assured them, and so it would be better to legitimately alter their appearances, so as to mask their true identities.

Tenten arguably had it the easiest. Her hair buns had been undone and trimmed, but she was asked to place a special brace in her mouth that gave her the appearance of risen and pronounced cheekbones. The brace would not be detectable unless someone was to force open her mouth past the point it could go, but Tenten was already complaining that it was uncomfortable.

Neji required something a little more...extensive. His hair had been very closely shorn, nearly shaved, and he was given colored contacts to mask his Byakugan, which he complained irritated his eyes. Gone was the elegance that naturally came with being a Hyūga. To put it bluntly, Neji resembled a common thug more than he did a member of one of the most powerful clans in Konoha.

But despite these changes, Tenten's and Neji's complaints were far outweighed by their humor over what Lee and Guy were forced to endure. Although they went through the least invasive measures, their look was such a part of who they were that there were times that they seemed to forget who they were. Their jumpsuits were taken (and burned, at Neji's insistence, and their eyebrows thoroughly tweezed. Guy's hair was to be cut in a similar fashion to Neji's, while Lee was allowed to wear his in the same manner as when he was a child, so long as he did not allow it back into that bowl cut he was so known in the village for.

"The horror!" Lee exclaimed, physically drooping in front of the mirror. "This is not who I was meant to be! It is like I am wearing another man's skin!"

"You were doing that before, Lee," Tenten groaned. "You and Guy were like perfect copies of each other. And quit moping! You look handsome like that!"

Lee smiled, but it quickly faded away. "But it is not the same, Tenten! If a girl would happen to fall for me, how could I break the news that this is not my true self! It would break her heart! What if…what if Sakura-san were to see me like this? She wouldn't recognize me!"

"That might be for the best…" Neji muttered quietly, picking at his shortened hair. "A fresh start might be just what you need."

Over in the barber's chair, where Guy was getting the finishing touches on his own appearance, he laughed long and loud. "Neji's right, Lee! A fresh start should always be welcome! Never worry about your appearance, for it is the youthful spirit that will woo the fair lady of your heart!"

"Of course, Guy-sensei!" Lee cried in agreement. "You are right, of course! I will not let it bother me any longer!"

"That's the spirit, Lee! Let your youthful energy spill from your—excuse me, but what are you doing?" Guy suddenly looked in the mirror, and realized just how much of his hair the barber was cutting off.

"You gotta look like a different person, right? Well pal, you got a _real _distinctive look about you. You'll need a lot of work if you want to make sure that people don't recognize you."

But Guy was stubborn. He started squirming underneath the man's burly arms, trying to worm his way out of the chair. "Surely you don't need to cut it _all_ off, though? Must the price be my youth?"

The barber rolled his eyes, gripped the back of Guy's head in a vice-like grip, and grabbed a pair of electric clippers. The noise it made when they turned on made Guy's skin crawl.

"It ain't that high of a price, buddy. Now hold still and this'll all be over soon. I got orders to fill, just like you."

Tenten and Neji struggled to contain their laughter as Guy's mood soured for the rest of his transformation, as more and more hair fell to the floor. However, when he turned around, their laughter ceased.

Guy looked _cool_.

"That's not possible…" Neji whispered his eyebrows so high on his head they threatened to disappear into his hairline.

Tenten hugged herself. "I never thought I'd see the day…"

Guy began to cry. "It's horrible, isn't it? I must do my duty for the village, and all it may ask of me…" He turned around back to the mirror. "But did it have to end like this!" He began to sob.

"Guy-sensei, you look cool. Really!"

"Please, you don't need to try and make me feel better, Tenten. I know that it must be hard to look me in the eye like this!"

"Tenten is telling the truth, Guy-sensei. Your appearance has improved significantly."

"I appreciate your concern, dear Neji, but I will get over it! Have no fear! After our business here is concluded, I shall attempt to return my appearance to that which you know and love!"

Neji groaned. Sometimes, there's just no way to get through to someone.

He stood from the chair, giving his new look one last look over. "Yes, it's not ideal, but you have done a fine job, sir! I commend your work."

The barber shrugged. "Whatever." He put his instruments up, and left them alone.

Tenten was shaking her head. "This is just surreal. I barely recognize any of you."

Guy laughed. "Surreal indeed! Why, you must be the most different looking out of all of us, I'm sure."

"Actually Guy-sensei, I think that's yo—"

"But that is not what's important," Guy interrupted. "We must not forget that we are out on an extremely important mission for our village. Tsunade-sama is counting on us."

He turned to Neji. "Just as we're counting on you, Neji. This is a big responsibility Tsunade-sama has given you. I have faith in you, but if you are worried you are not up to it—"

Neji held his hand up. "I have accepted the risks and possible consequences, Guy-sensei," Neji replied coolly. "But just as you have faith in me, I have faith in all of you."

Guy nodded solemnly. Such a tempered reaction reminded everyone how serious this mission was. Guy moved to where his pack was sitting up against the wall, and retrieved the scroll that contained their instructions.

He unrolled it on the table. "Tsunade-sama has reason to believe that there is currently an attempt to usurp the title of Mizukage from the current holder Mei Terumi. Intelligence states that there is a growing movement against the Mizukage's abilities as a user of two separate Kekkei Genkai, and accuse her of using her power to rule the village out of selfishness instead of to protect those underneath her. They use the Mist's previous persecution of Kekkei Genkai as evidence to their claim."

Tenten shook her head. "This isn't right. The Kage are supposed to protect their villages. This shouldn't be about politics."

"There's likely something more to this than we know, Tenten," Neji said calmly. "Whoever is leading this movement, they are likely seeking something only the power of a Kage can give them. There are many workings in these villages that we are not aware of."

Guy folded his arms. "Neji's right. We should expect that they have their own, mysterious reasons for why they're doing this. The rest of the group may not even be aware of their true purpose."

He looked back to the scroll. "Once again, our orders are to infiltrate this terrorist organization, and dismantle it if possible. If not, we are to simply report on their comings and goings to Neji, who will act as liaison between us and the village. There's something else here…"

"What is it?" Lee asked, leaning forward.

"We are to be on the lookout for anyone that might be a member of the Uzumaki clan. Tsunade-sama has informed us that with the discovery of Raiā Uzumaki, there may be many more in hiding. The Akatsuki are hunting down the Uzumaki for an unknown person, and she hopes to offer them protection in the village in exchange for any relevant information and their loyalty to the village if needed."

Lee's face contorted into a grimace, and his hands formed into fists. "It is not right!" he exclaimed angrily. "Naruto-kun has had to go through so much in his life. It is not fair for one person to endure this much hardship!"

"That guy's put up with more bad things in his life than I've ever seen," Tenten agreed sadly. "I'm with Lee on this. If we can help, I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

Guy nodded. "Yes, but let's not forget who Raiā Uzumaki is. I have been told of his person. He was forcibly returned to the village, and is a ruthless shinobi of dangerous ability. There may be others like him, and they will not appreciate our efforts to protect them. They will see us as blowing their cover, and may try to kill us if we get in their way."

"Maybe that's why they want the office of Mizukage," Tenten offered. "To have the resources available to look for more of them in hiding."

"You make a good point, Tenten, but that poses an even more troubling question; what is it the Uzumaki possess that is so dangerous, or so desperately sought after? These are dark mysteries, with perhaps even darker answers. We can only hope to do our duty for the village, and hope that we can stop this plot before it starts."

And then out of nowhere, Guy smiled. "But that doesn't mean we can't be happy, with smiles on our faces! We passed by a wonderful restaurant on our way here, and I insist I take you all out for dinner. My treat!"

"Are you sure it's a good idea we go out into the open so soon?" Tenten asked. "Shouldn't we keep out of sight for now?"

Guy tapped her shoulder. "Uhh, Tenten, you're talking to Lee."

Tenten blinked. "This is just too weird. Can we just pretend that never happened?"

Lee laughed. "Of course, Tenten. But I think that this proves we have nothing to fear about being recognized!"

It made enough sense, and when her stomach grumbled unusually loudly, Tenten relented. Dinner sounded nice.

The village they had been sent to was the bustling hub between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. Civilians and shinobi alike mingled with one another, each about their own business. Although it lay inside the borders of the Land of Fire, its location along the coast made it more of a hotspot for neighboring countries instead. That worked to their benefit because they were less likely to be noticed, though they took care to take the side paths when they could. Better safe than sorry.

Suddenly, someone bumped into her, slamming into her shoulder before continuing on her way like nothing had ever happened.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" she called out, against her better judgment. For a moment she considered giving him a piece of her mind, but the smells from the restaurant were wafting out into the open, and her hunger was outweighing her annoyance. She shrugged it off, and hurried to catch up with the others.

They spent the meal in quiet but pleasant conversation. Because of their need for anonymity, Lee and Guy behaved themselves very well, much to Neji's and Tenten's relief. The last thing they needed was a scene in the middle of a crowded restaurant.

"Friends, I have brought dessert!" Lee exclaimed, carrying four pieces of cake in his arms. "I have no doubt that we shall be successful in our mission, so let this cake taste as sweet as our success!"

It tasted great, but Tenten felt a bad feeling tickle the back of her mind. She couldn't explain what it was, but something was making her uneasy. "Hey Lee…what is this?"

Lee smiled mid-chew. "I am not sure, actually! The man said it was from a far off land. They call it 'rum cake'."

Neji dropped his fork. Guy nearly choked on his. And Tenten immediately lunged forward, hoping to snatch away Lee's before he could have another bite.

But it was too late. His pupils dilated, his cheeks reddened, and he drunkenly lurched out of his seat.

"HEY, DID YOU GUIZ SHEE THAT SHIGN ON THE FRONT DOOR? KARAOKE NIGHT!"

Before anyone could grab him, he stumbled across the floor of the restaurant, loudly humming a tune to himself. As it turned out, there was no such thing as karaoke night at this restaurant, but that didn't stop Lee from crawling on top of the nearest table, snagging a serving spoon from one of the waiters, and singing anyway. Even 'singing' was a bit of a stretch; he was really just burping different notes, stepping on everyone's food.

"This isn't happening right now, this isn't happening right now..." Tenten muttered to herself over and over again, as she hurried over to try and stop him. Lee saw her coming though, and jumped across the gap onto the next table. This time his balance was thrown off after stepping in some soup, and his arms flailed wildly at his sides, smacking Neji and Guy in the face before they could get close.

"We need to corner him!" Neji shouted in between Lee's caterwauling. "I don't think my eyes can take much more of this!"

"WHA'RE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Lee slurred, spinning in place before he finally found Neji. "YOU SHAYING I CAN'T SHING?"

Neji had to tread carefully. "Not at all, Lee. You're one of the best. So good, in fact, that these people aren't deserving of your talent. Why don't we just come down from there, and we can-"

But Lee misheard him, and his watery eyes flashed with anger. "WHISH ONE OF YOU SHED THAH?" He cried, nearly tripping over his feet. "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO THE…hic…BEST IS!"

Neji jumped at his feet to knock him off balance, but Lee slipped out of his hands like he was covered in butter, and spilled on top of another table, drooling all over himself and giggling. He was gone in a whirlwind of chaos across the restaurant, and the more the rest of his team tried to get him under control, the more damage he caused.

"Lee, don't touch her like that! Get back here! No, that teriyaki is _not_ trying to fight you! Lee! LEE!"

"LEEEEEEEEEEE!"

* * *

><p>Naruto blew a stray strand of hair out of his face.<p>

He had been hoping to grab some Ichiraku's after his evening therapy, but the rain had gotten there first. Normally he would have trudged through it anyways, but his therapist insisted he go home and rest instead, not wanting to take any chances with his recovery. In his opinion, he'd be able to handle a little thunderstorm, but the look his nurse had given him convinced him to listen for once. He had returned home in a foul mood, but at least he wasn't alone.

Miso had come back to escape the downpour as well, and the little pup insisted they use this time to play, squeezing a ball between his teeth. Naruto's legs were incredibly sore from the grueling physical therapy that day, but his upper body had more than enough strength to toss the ball against the wall, where Miso would dart after it with vigor Naruto could only envy.

"At least I'm just about done with this, you know?" he said aloud, throwing the ball again. It thudded in a dull rhythm alongside the rain, making music in his head. "Just a few more days, and I'm a free man. Maybe I can get better before Hinata comes home!"

Miso whimpered a little, and jumped up onto the bed, nibbling at Naruto's foot.

"Yeah, I miss her too. But Sakura-chan said that this was something she wanted to do, and I support her all the way, even if she doesn't know it!"

He frowned. "I wonder if she knows I woke up…what if she's worried about me?"

Miso yipped and padded his side, as if to tell him something.

"What? You think Hinata knows? You really think so?"

Miso pawed his side some more, yawned, and jumped up to his stomach. Naruto chuckled, and scratched him behind the ears. "I hope you're right, then."

"I'm a little conflicted right now," he said, looking up at the ceiling and watching the rain draw patterns in shadow. "Part of me wants Hinata to stay as long as she wants, until she thinks she did what she set out to do. But the other part of me wants her back right now, so that I can talk to her. I…I don't know what to do about her mom, but I don't want to lie to her anymore."

That made Naruto's stomach squirm with shame. He felt like such a hypocrite for hiding this from her for so long, and he wanted to make it up to her in any way he could. If he needed to get down on his hands and knees and beg, he would do it in a heartbeat. He would do it for _her_, in a heartbeat.

But still, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was unsure of what really happened. The Kyūbi had been noticeably tight-lipped about it, and even Tsunade seemed to be hiding something, though she wouldn't admit to it. The files he had been allowed access to told him nothing new, so that had been a dead end. If he could convince either Tsunade or the Kyūbi to tell him everything, he could learn more, but those were the only two paths left to him, and neither looked like they would open up anytime soon.

For some odd reason, he thought of Raiā. That man had been a wealth of information Naruto never thought he would know. But that man was dangerous; he was playing a game Naruto didn't fully understand, and he was smart enough to know not to start playing unless he had an advantage. There was something about the old man that interested Naruto, but for now, it would have to wait.

So much on his mind, and there was nothing he could do about it. More hair fell in front of his eyes, and he blew it aside with a huff. Miso had been gnawing on his fingers the whole time.

"Were you even listening to me?" Naruto asked, staring down the end of his nose at the growing pup. "I thought you were gonna give me some advice about what to do? What? Nothing to say?"

Miso tilted his head to one side, before continuing on with his biting. Naruto suddenly sat up and grabbed the dog under his arms, scrunching up his warm nose against Miso's cold one.

"You're acting weird. You hiding something from me too? Come on, spit it out!"

Miso wagged his tail, and suddenly wormed his way out of Naruto's grip. With one happy bark, he raced out of the bedroom. Naruto laughed, and hoisted himself to the floor, where he started to drag after him. "Hey, get back here, you! I only wanted to—"

He stopped. His mouth went dry, his eyes widened, and the rain was like thunder in his ears.

He hadn't even heard her come in.

"Hinata…" he managed to whisper, before words failed him. His mouth opened and closed several times, his brain trying to comprehend what he was looking at. Was she really here? He wasn't dreaming, was he?

(2)

Her body felt real enough. Without a word, she went down to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as tight as they would go.

"Naruto-kun…" he heard her say, over and over again in his ear. "I was so happy when I found out…when I found out you woke up. I was s-so scared that you m-might…that you might…" She choked back a sob, which turned into a laugh. She looked him in the eye, and she laughed again.

"I missed you so much!" she cried, clutching him even tighter. Naruto laughed with her, and they tumbled around on the floor in unbridled joy.

"When did you get back?" Naruto managed to ask in between kisses. "I thought you left to train with your father."

Hinata smiled. "I started home as soon as I heard you woke up. And I _did_ train. I learned a lot, Naruto-kun. I learned more than I ever thought I would. I know I'm ready now, for anything." She kissed him again, her heart leaping again and again every time she felt his warm flesh brush against her lips. He kissed her back, cupping her cheek with one hand and holding her close with the other."

There was so much to talk about, so many things to discuss. But they became miniscule, infinitesimal when compared to their reunion. There were only each other, and for now, that was enough.

Hinata laid on top of him, playing with his hair while she stared at him, the silliest smile on her face. Naruto looked back, grinning like a fool. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"No. I was just thinking about you. How long have you been awake? Are you okay?"

Before she could ask a dozen more questions, Naruto silenced her with another peck on the lips. "I'm fine, okay? I've been going to physical therapy until my body's back at full strength. It's hard work, but they say I'm going faster than expected."

Hinata giggled. "I wonder why. So…you're saying it's hard to move?"

Naruto nodded. "After therapy, it's damn near impossible. I was crawling after that mutt before you walked in." He was smiling, but then he noticed the…well, the best way to describe it was the _dirty _look in Hinata's eyes. "Uhhh, whatcha thinking about?"

Feeling especially playful, Hinata flicked at his nose. "Oh, I'm just thinking that since you can't move, I can do whatever I want to you. _Whatever_, I want."

She leaned down to kiss him again, and it wasn't long before he felt her tongue clacking against his teeth, begging for entrance. He was only too happy to oblige.

For once, nothing interrupted them. They kissed and held each other for what seemed like hours, and might have gone on all night. Hinata relished the complete control she had over Naruto; it was a strangely empowering feeling, and she was a little ashamed at how _unashamed_ she actually was about it. He was putty in her hands, and she loved every minute of it. She could feel him shudder when she pressed against his body, and she could hear him gasp into her mouth when her hands began to explore.

But finally, she stopped. It almost broke her heart to see the disappointment in his eyes when she pulled away, but then he smiled that brilliant smile at her, and she knew all was forgiven.

"I want to wait," she told him. "I want to wait until you're all better. It's not fair for me to only get what I want."

Naruto whistled. "Trust me, I was getting what I wanted too. Listen, Hinata…there's a lot we need to talk about."

She nodded. "I know, but can we wait until morning? I want to stay like this for tonight. Just the two of us." She felt two little paws rubbing against her back, and she giggled. "Okay, the _three_ of us."

Hinata knelt down and scooped Miso into her arms, crawling onto the bed before setting him down on the edge. She sat there for a few seconds, waiting for Naruto to join her.

"Uhh, Hinata?" she heard him say. "I uhh…I can't get up."

Hinata blushed a fierce red, embarrassed she had forgotten, before rolling over to help him up. Naruto was right; there was a lot they needed to talk about, but Hinata wasn't worried. She saw something in his eyes, something that made her feel so safe and so happy it swelled her heart close to bursting.

But then Naruto said something to her. It was quiet, and she hadn't heard him the first time. He had said it as she helped him into the bed, between the sheets.

"Wh-what did you say?" she dared to whisper. She nearly pinched herself to make sure this was not all some cruel dream.

Naruto cupped her cheek. "I love you, Hinata."

The sob spilled openly this time. Hinata tried to bury her face in his chest to hide her tears, but Naruto held her back. "Hinata, look at me. I love you. I wanted to tell you for so long now. I love you. I'm sure of it now. You're the most important thing in the world to me." He didn't even care that he had started to cry as well. He smiled through the tears, planting soft kisses on Hinata's forehead.

The feeling was almost too much for her to bear. It was hard to breathe, but through it all, Hinata managed to smile. "I love you too, Naruto-kun. I love you too."

The rain continued to pour in earnest outside Naruto's window. Those who compare it to the earth shedding tears of sadness would be wrong this day. Every raindrop was a drop of ecstasy, pattering against the glass in the rhythm of two hearts, now bound to one another in love. The earth cried, not out of sadness, but out of joy.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> :]

I'm really excited about the next few chapters. We're going to have a lot of fun, you and I.

So my beta mentioned that he was relentlessly curious about what Team Guy might look like with their undercover appearances, and that got me to thinking that there are several other things I wouldn't mind seeing come to life (Monzaemon, Raia, Kiba with his new prosthetics etc.). So I thought I'd ask: do any of you guys know any Class-A folks over at deviantart who might want to give it a try? I personally thought I'd ask Jupitrie (whose work I'm a huge fan of), but you never know. If you have someone in mind, let me know, or link me something of theirs. I'm just as curious, really.

I hope I didn't forget anything, like I usually do. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and are happy that Naruto and Hinata are finally reunited! If not, you know you can just tell me.

Until next time.


	62. Let's Get Down to Business! The Talk!

**Author's Note:** Hello thur.

Like I told you last chapter, I've had finals to deal with. They've come and gone, and I was finally able to push this chapter out.

So as I said last time, I was probably going to take a break for the summer after this chapter, and as of right now, that's what I'm going to do. Depending on how much time I have, I may still put up a chapter or two, but I need a break from the massive word count.

Remember that collection of one-shots I told you about? **Well, it's officially out the door and available to read, under the name "Just One of Those Days" (working title), and it follows the hilarious and un-seen side of Naruto's and Hinata's relationship, with future stories provided by you! I hope you'll check it out! I'm quite proud of them, actually.**

Now, because this might be the last chapter for a while, I wanted to make this one focus entirely on Hinata's and Naruto's relationship since they're the main characters. I know you guys waited a long time for them to get back together, so I filled this chapter with fluff and humor and some interesting ideas which will be explored later on, because you guys deserve it.

Seriously, there are stories with twice the number of followers, with only half the number of reviews. It makes me so glad that I'm able to write something you're so willing to share your thoughts about!

Anyway, here's the music you need to worry about:

(1) - /watch?v=FfE6U99pF7Y

(2) - /watch?v=z7TwsvmtixI

Both of those songs are actually from the same anime, **Bakemonogatari**. My brother has become something of a connoisseur of anime, wading through a great deal of crap to find shows worth watching, and he passes them on to me. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, I think you might enjoy Bakemonogatari's rapid-fire editing, smart dialogue, and stylized visuals. I just finished the first series yesterday (Bakemonogatari), and I'm about to start the second (Nisemonogatari).

Enough talk; on with the chapter! Thanks to **kylekatarn77** for being an awesome beta!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 10 - Let's Get Down to Business! The Birds and the Bees!<strong>

For once in her life, Hinata Hyūga was glad to have woken up in the middle of a dream.

They had been the same for the better part of her childhood. A triumph over those who bullied her, a chance to prove to her father that she was worthy of the name Hyūga, but most of all, the time with Naruto she so desperately sought when she was younger. The day had always been met with halfhearted enthusiasm on her part if one of these dreams had been interrupted, which happened often. It was so hard to drag her feet through the real world when everything she could have wanted lay just behind her eyelids. That on the worst nights, Hinata would crawl to the edge of her bed and hope that when she went to sleep, she would not wake.

But now, she was as eager as ever to jump out of the bed, to greet the day with the greatest joy she could produce. Why linger in the world of dreams when reality was finally so much better. If she needed proof, all she needed to do was look to her side, and listen to his snoring.

Her 'aggressive intimacy' as it could best be described had knocked out a lot of Naruto's energy, a surprising feat on her part considering the sheer amount of energy he had in him in the first place. While she had been relatively restless that night, waking up every few hours just to stare at his face in disbelief, he slept in blissful ignorance, oblivious to Hinata's activity.

Once more, she reached out with a single finger, and pressed it ever so slightly against his forehead, just to make sure he was real. When she felt the warmth tickle her fingertip, Hinata smiled into her other hand, and pressed her lips against his cheek, scooting a little closer to him every time.

The first few times she had woken, Hinata had sat up and tried to think of any way possible that what Naruto had told her had all been a part of some dream. Had she misheard him, was this all some twisted fantasy within her own subconscious. But to her joy, no matter how hard she tried to find an excuse, there was no denying that Naruto Uzumaki had told her he loved her.

She didn't even know how she was supposed to react? Was she supposed to treat him differently now? Was she overreacting? Part of her wanted to wake Naruto up, just so she could have someone to talk to about all these confusing feelings. The other part of her didn't want to disturb him, so she relented to wait until he woke up the next morning.

But it was still a few hours from the time he normally woke up, and Hinata's restlessness eventually overpowered her. As quietly as she could, she eased herself off the bed, stretching the sleep from her joints. Naruto might have slept through a bomb going off under his pillow, but Miso had heard the commotion, and yawned rather loudly, wagging his tail.

"Shhhh!" Hinata hissed through her lips, pressing a finger against them. "I don't want to wake Naruto-kun."

Miso nodded, and yawned again, more quietly. Hinata giggled as he hobbled over the edge of the bed, pawing at the sheets until Hinata realized he wanted to be picked up. She scooped him into her arms, and carried him towards the balcony. The early morning air was brisk and pushed a chill through Hinata's bones, but she powered on anyway.

Sunrise was still a few minutes away, but if you looked closely, you could see the brilliant shades of blue and red beginning to peek through the rooftops and trees. It seemed that last night's storm was bringing with it a wonderful day, one that Hinata couldn't wait to experience.

A pair of hands snaked around her waist, and she had time to let out a squeak of surprise before she realized it was only Naruto, having snuck up behind her with a crutch underneath one arm.

"What are you doing up?" he asked, nuzzling his face into the back of her neck. He breathed deeply, grinning into her flesh.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied with a soft smile. Naruto detached himself from her waist, and joined her at her side, leaning against the railing.

"The bed got just a little bit colder," he said with another smile. "Out of all the people in the village, I never thought I'd be the one to notice."

Hinata giggled. "You _do_ sleep a little heavily sometimes."

She looked at him. Now was just as good a time as any. "Am I overreacting, Naruto-kun?"

(1)

"Hmm?"

Hinata twiddled her fingers together. "I mean, I've cared about you for so long…and when you told me last night that you _loved_ me, I almost didn't know how to react. I don't know if I'm acting silly, or if I'm not happy _enough_, or if I—"

Naruto covered her mouth with his hand, yawning. "Do you feel happy enough?"

She thought about for a moment, before nodding. Naruto wiped his hand on his shirt, and looked back out towards the coming sunrise. "Then you're fine. You have nothing to worry about! Trust me, I'm just as confused."

"Naruto-kun?"

He smiled. "I never really thought…well, after Sakura-chan, I never really thought I'd ever find someone else. Maybe it was just because I was being stupid, or maybe I was still growing up, but I _never_ would have thought that I'd find someone better in every single way. I never thought I'd find someone who liked me for…well, me!"

He spread his arms, taking a deep breath of the cold morning air. "And I've never been happier in my life! Hinata, I really meant what I said last night, there's no doubt about it. I've never felt this way about anyone in my life before! When you were gone, every single day just seemed to drag on and on and on, and they always felt a little sadder."

Hinata nudged his shoulder. "Stop it. You're going to make m-me cry again."

Naruto laughed. "Fine, fine. So is that why you were up so early? You were worried about what to feel?"

Hinata nodded, feeling a little silly about the whole thing now. "Yes. But maybe I shouldn't over-think it. I might miss something."

She gave him a little hug, and walked him back inside by his hand. "Listen…I'm sorry I was so…"

"Aggressive?" Naruto finished for her, snickering. "Trust me, you won't hear me complaining." He waggled his eyebrows, making Hinata blush.

"Do you feel like we're…ready for that kind of step?" she asked, sitting back down on the bed. Naruto jumped down face first, burying his face in the pillow.

"To be honest, I'm just as lost as you," she heard his muffled voice say back to her. "Why not cross that bridge when we come to it?"

He showed his face, and Hinata could see he was blushing almost much as she was, if not more. "But just for the record…I want it to be um…I want it to be special. I'm super worried that I'll mess it up somehow."

An amusing thought popped into Hinata's head. "You trained under Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya-sensei, Naruto-kun. I th-think you'll be fine."

A foxy grin suddenly spread across Naruto's face. "Oh, is that what you think?" he asked quietly, nudging her with his foot, skirting around her inner thigh. Hinata remembered that morning alongside the river bank, and quickly flared red again, pulling the blanket over her head. "You're s-so mean, Naruto-kun."

He laughed. "Sorry, sorry." He reached over to the other side of his bed, yanking open a drawer.

"What are you doing?" Hinata asked, watching as he produced a piece of paper and a pencil.

"Well, there's a lot of stuff we need to talk about, right?" he said aloud, licking the tip of the pencil. "I want to write it down and make a list because I'm afraid I'll forget."

"Soo…there was your trip!" he began, scribbling furiously onto the page. "I want to hear about everything! I bet you learned a lot of really cool stuff!"

Hinata memory quickly rolled through everything that had happened during her time away from the village. There would certainly be a lot to tell him, though with the thought of her behavior by the river that morning rising to the top again, Hinata made a mental note that she might should leave _some_ parts out.

"There's also some stuff about Sakura-chan I want to talk to you about," he continued, a little less happy this time.

"Is something wrong?" Hinata asked. She had come straight here the moment they had arrived back at the village. She hadn't had the chance to ask about any of the goings on.

Naruto nodded his head. "Yeah. It's all really confusing, but I think you'll be a lot of help. Okay, what next…"

Neither of them needed to say it. It had been the elephant in the room since she had shown up in his doorway, although Naruto was still yet unaware that Hinata knew what he was talking about. He struggled to find something to say, so Hinata took the initiative. Hesitantly, she grabbed his hands, and tried to calm him down. He seemed surprised by the knowing look in her eye, and this fear quickly ballooned into shame.

"Hinata, I—"

She pressed a single finger to his lips. "I know what happened, Naruto. I know you were scared to tell me what my father told you. He told me on our trip. You need to understand something: no matter what you think or what my father thinks or what anyone thinks or says, I do not believe them. I don't believe you could be capable of something like that."

Naruto was not convinced. "B-but Hinata, no one's been able to tell me that I _didn't_ either. I'm scared…what if it's all true, and I—"

Hinata interrupted him again, this time with a fierce kiss. "I told you, I do not believe them. I believe that there is more to this than you and I know, and I am sure deep down that you did not do such a thing. And I will not stop until I can prove it."

Naruto searched her eyes, and found only truth and determination. Without a word he wrapped her into a tight hug, hiding his face in her shoulder.

"What did I ever do to deserve a girl like you?" he asked himself, almost laughing. Hinata hugged him back for a little, but pushed him away because she wanted him to look at her.

"It's what we do for the people we love," she said with a smile. She took the list from his hands, and scribbled out what he had previously written with a trembling hand, changing it to 'find the truth'.

"You know, there's still one person I haven't asked yet…" Naruto muttered.

Hinata knew in a second. "Is something wrong? Is…is he refusing to tell you?"

"I didn't want to ask until you got back," Naruto said. "I think that, if it's possible, you should be there with me when I ask. I feel like it's only fair."

"Maybe Ino or her father can help with that," Hinata offered.

"That's what I thought, too. Sakura-chan told me that when I was asleep, they got Ino to try and figure out if there was something wrong. If she can get inside my head and talk to him, maybe she can put you in there too."

"Just don't do any snooping!" he said, his lips splitting into another smile. "My brain can be a very dirty place."

Hinata lightly smacked his forehead with her palm. "I will try to remember that."

He fell back again with a sigh. One arm dangled off the edge of the bed, and he could feel Miso nipping at his fingers, turning it into a game. "Where the heck do we start? There's so much to get done, and I don't know where we should go first with it all!"

There was a rumbling sound, and he first looked at his own stomach, then at Miso, who was sitting on the floor with his tail wagging, before he realized that the noise had come from Hinata, which repeated itself as he turned his eyes to her belly.

She covered it with her arms, embarrassed. "M-maybe we could start with breakfast?" suggested Hinata. "I didn't exactly stay long enough at my own house to eat something."

"That sounds like a date!" Naruto said excitedly. "I don't think we've gone on a date for months now! We'll have to make a thing of it! They opened someplace new, I think. You wanna go see if they make breakfast?"

Hinata's stomach rumbled again. "I would love to, but…the sun hasn't even come up yet, Naruto. I don't think they'd be open yet."

Naruto slapped his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that? Well, what do you want to do while we're waiting?"

A very certain thing came to Hinata's mind, but she pushed it back down. They had done plenty of _that _last night, and she wanted to talk to someone about where to go from here before anything happened that they might regret later. Kurenai seemed like the best choice, but if she was somehow unavailable, Hinata wasn't too worried about going to Ino.

"Why don't you tell me what happened between you and Sakura?" Hinata suggested, lying back down on the bed at Naruto's side. He lifted his arm, letting her inside, and started running his fingers through her hair, sighing.

"Alright, but it's a long story."

Hinata wasn't angry when Naruto told her that he was upset. She had been all too aware of his previous affections for Sakura, affections that had persisted for years. It hurt only a little to hear him talk about his feelings for Sakura even now, but every time she felt his fingertips brush against her back, her sadness faded away.

"And now, she starts dating Kiba out of nowhere, after he asked just one time!" Naruto murmured, staring at the ceiling. "I must have asked her over a thousand times, and she only said yes once or twice, so long as I paid for everything. That never bothered me, but I wonder if she was just leading me on all this time…I'd rather have my feelings hurt all at once than over years and years, you know?"

Hinata nodded slowly, carefully digesting all he had told her. Kiba trusted her well enough, so maybe if she ran into him alone, she could see what he had to say about all this, without anyone else's input souring Kiba's honesty. Hinata herself was also curious as to why Sakura had been so accepting of Kiba's offer of a relationship, but perhaps her own relationship with Naruto made her feelings a little biased towards their situation.

"Have you tried just talking to her about it?" Hinata asked quietly, leaning up and over onto his chest, looking him in the eye. "It sounds like Sakura has been trying to talk to you for a while now."

"Yeah, she had, but I've gotten pretty good at avoiding her," Naruto replied. "I don't _want _to talk to her about it right now. She would just try and tell me why I'm wrong for thinking what I'm thinking and make me feel like an idiot. Now that I really think about it, she did that a lot over the years."

He turned on his side, smiling at Hinata. "Besides, I have you now. If Sakura-chan really cared about how I felt, she'd be trying harder than she is. I don't think she minds me giving her space as much as you'd think."

"D-don't say that, Naruto-kun!" Hinata said, almost scolding. "Sakura is your oldest friend. You know she cares a great deal about you."

She looked over Naruto's shoulder, and reached over to grab what she saw. "She gave you this for your birthday. Don't you remember?"

Naruto clutched the picture close to his body. It was the picture of his mother that Sakura had found buried somewhere in the administration building. Every day at one point or another, Naruto could remember staring at the photo, though as of late he had been neglecting to remember that it was Sakura who had given him the photo in the first place.

"Yeah, but you gave me this," Naruto pointed out, holding up the pieces of the Hokage's necklace that Hinata had managed to find throughout the village. "It means a lot to me, you know."

Hinata smiled, happy he was still thinking of her, but she took the hand that held the pendant, and closed his fingers around it. "I'm glad you love it, but if you ask me, getting the chance to see your mother is more important. Sakura gave you something really important, something no one ever had before. Deep down, you know you could never let your friendship fade away."

Naruto groaned. "Ahhh, I know you're right! But it's so hard, going up to her and wanting to talk to her! I'm still mad, and I don't know how long I'll _stay_ mad."

"Then you just talk to her when you're ready, ok? Would you like me to be with you when you do?"

Naruto grinned. "Sure thing, _mom_."

"H-hey!"

She tried to play hit him, but Naruto jumped away from her just in time, laughing. "Next you're gonna tell me to wash behind my ears, right? Or maybe that I need to clean my room?"

Hinata took a look around. There were still several piles of clothes lying around, and more than a few empty takeout containers littered across the floor. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to run a vacuum through here every now and then."

It only proved Naruto's point, and he hobbled out of the room laughing, Hinata hot on his tail. Miso ran behind the both of them, thinking it was some new game they were playing.

Naruto ducked behind the kitchen table, threatening to go in the opposite direction every time Hinata tried to cut him off. "You're gonna have to try harder than that!" he said, laughing even harder. Suddenly, Hinata jumped across the table, tackling him to the floor.

"No fair!" he complained, trying to worm his way out from underneath her. Miso added his weight to the pile, playfully tugging at Naruto's hair with his teeth.

But he somehow squirmed out from underneath Hinata's arms, and crawled out the room as fast as he could. Hinata followed after him, laughing so much that she didn't hear the loud crash come from his bedroom. She jumped back up to her feet, and found Naruto face first into his wall, having slipped on some of his own trash.

"Okay, maybe I could clean a _little_," she heard his muffled voice say. She put her hands on her hips, sighed, and rolled up her sleeves to help him back up.

It was still a little earlier than when most places opened in the village, so they decided to spend the rest of their time cleaning up a little. Luckily, Naruto had at least one spare set of clothes to wear while they worked, while Hinata used one of the sets she had brought along with her on her trip. She wore a plain white t-shirt, with its long sleeves rolled up, and she had tied her hair back with a bandanna to keep it out from her eyes. Naruto, always the serious one, fashioned an apron out of his bed sheets, and insisted he wear it the entire time they were working.

"I thought Shino-kun's insects were supposed to be helping you," Hinata said aloud, as she wiped down the windows. "It was his present, wasn't it?"

Naruto snorted from across the room. "Yeah, but they've been sneaking out over the past few weeks. Apparently those dumb bugs thought my room was too messy. I say good riddance to them!"

He was scooping up the trash he had dumped all over the floor with a dustpan and his hand, because the broom was covered with so many cobwebs that it would have made the room even messier had he used it. He double-gloved the hand that was scraping across the bottom of the floor, but you could still see the goosebumps run up his arm every time he got near something particularly disgusting.

"I'm booored," he complained tossing the dustpan in the trashcan along with everything it had picked up. "Let's go eat now!"

"Naruto-kun, you've barely gotten anything up off the floor," Hinata scolded, turning back to the window. "If you clean it really well just this once, it will be a lot easier in the future."

"But it's booooring! Can't we come back and finish up later? I promise I'll do it!"

"Naruto-kun…"

Naruto fell to his knees, shuffling over to her with his hands together and his best puppy dog eyes. "Pleeeeease? Pretty please with ramen on top?"

Miso hopped up on Naruto's shoulder, and gave her the same look. Their forces combined were too much for Hinata, and she gave up with a sigh. "Okay fine, but only because you look really cute like that."

Naruto waggled his eyebrows. "And you look cute like that. There's just something about seeing you in old clothes…" he shivered a little, and Hinata felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"N-no I don't!" she insisted, twiddling her fingers. "You're just saying that! I'm all sweaty and dirty, thanks to you, by the way."

"And who said you couldn't be sexy when you're all sweaty?" Naruto asked, grinning even wider. "Maybe we _should_ stay and clean some more."

Hinata was rolling her sleeves back down, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Too late. If it's okay with you, I'm going to get a shower, and then we can head out?"

Naruto pouted for a moment. "Alright, fine. I'll get one after you."

As Hinata disappeared into the next room, Naruto scooped up Miso and trudged over to the bed, where he would patiently wait for Hinata to finish.

Only, it was barely thirty seconds before a very devious idea popped into Naruto's head. A very devious, _naughty_ idea.

A very devious, naughty, Jiraiya-would-be-proud kind of idea.

As quiet as can be, Naruto set Miso back down on the floor, and crept over to the dresser by his bed. Through the wall, he could hear Hinata turning on the water, waiting for it to heat up. His plumbing wasn't ideal, so he knew that he still had time.

He lifted the dresser up off the floor just a few inches, and let it fall against the floor and wall with a resounding crash. He howled in mock agony, and fell to the floor, clutching his ankle in 'pain'. Miso, from his spot in the corner, growled a little at Naruto's trickery, but Naruto shushed him with a finger to his lips, before turning to the door and waiting for…

"Naruto-kun, are you alright!?" Hinata burst back into his bedroom, having just stepped into the shower before rushing back out. She had grabbed a towel, but was only holding it in front of her instead of wrapping it around. Combined with the water trickling down her skin, and her damp hair clinging to her shoulders...

Naruto grunted, and the blood came spurting out his nose like a pressurized hose, sliding him across the floor until his head bounced against the wall just as it had less than an hour ago. Miso almost seemed to be laughing as he hopped up and down, barking, and when Hinata realized that he was not truly hurt, her cheeks puffed up.

"Na-Naruto-kun!" she cried, wrapping the towel around as much of herself as she could. "What do you think you're d-doing?" She stomped back into the bathroom to finish her shower, while Naruto's head spun, drifting in and out of consciousness.

She found him in the kitchen with a makeshift icepack on his head, looking as sheepish as can be.

"You're not still mad at me, are you?" he asked dumbly. He attempted to give her the puppy eyes once more, but the fresh bruise on his head make it look more like he was constipated than cute. Hinata rolled her eyes.

He slunk off to get his own shower, while Hinata waited by the door, tapping against the wall with her fingertips as she watched the morning clouds go by. A few minutes later, they were both dressed and out the door.

* * *

><p>The place Naruto had remembered just opening was a diner-style restaurant that served breakfast twenty-four hours a day, much to his embarrassment. Nonetheless, at least they had worked up an appetite, and were seated quickly. Naruto and Hinata were both looking through the menus, when Naruto felt a tug on his, pulling it back down to the table.<p>

"Hey, I was reading that!" he complained. He turned his head to find the culprit, only to see Ino and Chōji smiling at him from the side of the table.

"Ohhh, don't they look adorable!?" Ino squealed, right into Naruto's ear. He stuck his pinky finger inside, trying to get rid of the ringing sensation.

"Yes, honey," Chōji replied. "You excited to have Hinata back, Naruto?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but how did you know we were going to be here? Hinata told me she went straight to my house when she got back last night, and we didn't exactly leave fliers around the village that we would be here this morning."

I ran into Kō this morning, running errands with Hinata's sister, and he told me that her dad came back last night. I put two and two together, and we just happened to be passing by when Chōji spotted you from the window."

As she started gushing about how nice it was to see the two of them together, Naruto leaned across the table. "How is always that we meet up with someone when we go on a date in the village?" he whispered. Hinata shrugged, just before Ino turned her attention back to the two of them.

"So did you two have a lot of fun last night? I bet you were _so_ excited to see each other! Did you learn a lot on your trip, Hinata? Your dad wasn't too much of a pain, right? Naruto, how's your rehab going?"

There were too many questions and too little time for either Hinata or Naruto to answer them, because soon Ino was dragging Hinata off to another table, while Chōji slid into the empty seat.

(2)

"Did you just kidnap my girlfriend?" Naruto asked, craning his neck to try and see where Hinata had been taken. Chōji blocked him with his head and hair.

"She's curious," Chōji explained calling the waitress over. "You know how much she likes gossip, and there's a rumor going around that you said a little something-something when Hinata came back."

He leaned across the table, grinning. "So is it true? Did you use the 'L' word with Hinata?"

Naruto stammered for a response as Chōji ordered something, his teeth tripping over his tongue. "Wh-what?" he cried. "Hinata's not a lesbian!"

The silence that fell across half the restaurant could have been cut with a knife, and even though he couldn't see her, Naruto just knew Hinata would be glaring at him. He slumped in his seat, wishing he had never suggested they leave the house.

* * *

><p>"Come on, you have to tell me everything!" Ino said excitedly, dragging Hinata across the diner floor to a booth out of sight.<p>

"Did you just kidnap me?" Hinata asked, trying not to stumble from Ino's overenthusiastic pace. "Do we really have to—?"

"Of course we do!" Ino barked, without really hearing the question. "I need to know _all_ the juicy details. I've heard rumors, and I have a reputation to uphold. You're gonna tell me if they're true or not!"

She sat Hinata down, and was close to bouncing up and down in her seat, she was so excited. "Is it true, then? Did Naruto tell you that he loved you last night?"

"H-how would anybody know about th-that?" Hinata said, bumbling over her words. "I've only been home a few hours!"

"You two are one of the hottest pieces of gossip that goes around the village, Hinata," informed Ino. "If something happens between you two, there are a _lot_ of people who start guessing what it is. One of them is bound to be right."

"Besides…" she said, leaning in close and lowering her voice to a whisper. "When Naruto spent the night at the hospital while you were gone, some of the nurses swore he was talking in his sleep."

Just then, and what seemed as loudly as possible, Hinata heard Naruto's voice shout something about 'Hinata being a lesbian' across half the restaurant. Many of the patrons turned in the direction of the noise, but there were a few who had noticed when Hinata had first walked in, and turned in their chairs to look at her, with raised eyebrows and concerned looks.

Hinata slumped in her seat, glaring at where she knew Naruto's table was. "What is he saying over there…"

Ino, after giggling over it for about ten seconds, waved it off. "I'm sure it's nothing. You know how Naruto can be. There's more important stuff to be worrying about right now, like you telling me if he told you what everyone thinks he told you!"

Hinata's head was still reeling from what had just unfortunately come out of Naruto's mouth, but she still managed to weakly nod, and the utter joy displayed by Ino by the revelation snapped her out of it.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you, Hinata!" she said, reaching across the table for a hug. "I knew that idiot would get around to it eventually. He sure waited long enough, didn't he? What was it like? Was it the most romantic thing you've ever experienced?"

Considering they had been sticking their tongues down each other's throat at the time, maybe 'romantic' wasn't the best word to describe it, at least from another's standpoint. But from where Hinata was sitting, there couldn't have been a way for Naruto to tell her that she would have liked even more.

She heard Ino giggling across the table. "Oh my, is sweet, innocent little Hinata thinking about a certain someone, and doing a certain _deed _with that certain someone?"

Hinata was turning as red as tomato, so Ino quickly changed tactics. "Hey, hey! It's nothing to be embarrassed about! Haven't we talked about this before?"

"Y-yes, but that was a long time ago. Naruto-kun and I are…closer now." She brushed her hair behind her ear, and leaned out to try and catch a glimpse of Naruto, but Ino stuck her head in the way.

"Oh, that's gotta be so romantic! He'll sweep you off your feet, and you'll know what it's like to be a woman! It's the best feeling in the world, Hinata. Naruto can be a dunce sometimes, but I'm sure he'd be a great lover."

But Hinata had missed her last few words. She had to mentally rewind for a moment. "Ino…did you just say it's the best feeling in the world? H-how would you know that?"

It was Ino's turn to blush. She started playing with her hair, much like a little girl with a crush. "I didn't see it coming either! Chōji was so embarrassed about his body whenever we started getting close like that, but one day, he just kept going. I was so surprised I didn't know what to say anymore."

Hinata unconsciously leaned forward, drawn in by the story. "What happened? Did something change?"

Ino squealed again, getting up from the table and scooting in next to Hinata. "It was the best night of my life! He was being so caring and gentle that night, he could have gotten me out of my clothes if he had just snapped his fingers."

Hinata was burning red from head to toe now. "Ino, I d-don't need _all_ the details…"

"Oh, where's the fun in that? Anyway, like I was saying: we had just gotten back from dinner one night, and his parents were visiting some friends that night. We had the whole house to ourselves. I was feeling a little tired, so he carried me up to his room, and set me down on the bed."

Ino clutched at her cheeks, squirming in her seat. "He told me: "Ino, you've been the best thing in my life for months now. I know I can be a bit of a pig, and that I've been afraid of who I am for a long time now, but not anymore. You taught me that I can be proud of who I am, inside and out, and I want to prove to you how much that means to me."

Hinata was so drawn into the story, that she was unaware of everything, and everyone else, around her. Especially someone who had overheard their conversation, and sauntered over, curious.

She leaned over the two of them, putting the flat of her palm on the table, with a devious little smile, and a loud cough, she made her presence known.

"Never would have pegged a guy like Chōji to be a romantic," she said with a snicker, pulling a chair over from another one of the tables. "You gonna tell me all about it, or do I have to just start guessing?"

Hinata felt a bead of sweat roll down her cheek. "Oh uhh…h-hello, Anko."

* * *

><p>Chōji covered his face eyes with his hand. "Naruto, you have the biggest mouth I've ever seen. Do you <em>really<em> think that's the word I meant?"

Naruto held his hands up in defense. "Hey, it was a simple mistake. I didn't know what word you were talking about!"

"Well what other word _would_ I use when I'm talking about you and Hinata?"

"I dunno! There are lots of words that start with 'L'."

Chōji shook his head. "Ahh, you know what I meant! Ino's been going on and on about it, ever since she heard Hinata got back. Did you tell Hinata you loved her?"

Naruto smiled from ear to ear. "You bet! I told her last night! I really mean it, too!"

"I don't doubt it. How did she take it? Pretty much everyone in the village knew about how much she liked you. I bet it was a sight to see."

"There was a lot of crying," Naruto said, fiddling with his napkin. "But it was the good kind of crying. I think she didn't really expect it at first. I thought she was gonna pass out again on me."

Chōji laughed. "That's our Hinata!"

"I've been trying to find a way to show her how much I really mean it," Naruto continued, folding his arms. "But nothing seems like quite enough, you know?"

A silly grin fell over his friend's face. "Oh, I could think of something that could show her how much you care."

Naruto missed Chōji's meaning, but that didn't stop him from turning bright red. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"I don't have to spell it out! What do two people who love each other do when they want to show how much they care?" His expression gradually became more and more exacerbated the longer it took Naruto to think about it. "Oh, come one! It isn't obvious?"

A sudden knowing look spread across Naruto's face. "Woah, you want me to marry her? But I just recently told her that—"

Chōji flicked his napkin across the table into Naruto's face. "That's not what I meant! Maybe you guys are too young for that, maybe you aren't, but I was talking about—oh, the food is here!"

His eyes looked like they were drooling as much as his mouth was, as their waitress set down twice as much food as Naruto had ordered for himself. Chōji immediately began digging in, much to Naruto's annoyance. "Well? What were you talking about?"

He was in mid chew when he realized he had stopped talking. "Oh, sorry! I got a little carried away. Anyway, I was talking about the most intimate thing you can do with your partner. I was talking about sex, Naruto."

Naruto's ears felt like they were burning. "S-sex?" he repeated, a shiver running up his spine. "Wh-why the hell are you so comfortable talking about it in public like this?"

Chōji laughed. "What's this? Naruto Uzumaki, famed as one of the biggest perverts in the village, is worried about talking about sex?" He wiped a tear from his eye. "It's not that big of a deal, especially when you hang around Ino a lot. Have you and Hinata not gotten to that point in your relationship yet?"

"No! We've kind of been busy with other stuff…"

"It sounds like it's been on your mind, though…" Chōji said with a smile. "Don't tell me it hasn't; I can see it in your eye."

Naruto folded his arms, turning to look out the window. "Why should it? I'm not some pervert like all you guys make me out to be!"

Chōji picked at his teeth. "You're right. You're a _huge_ pervert. Now stop feeling bad about it. Just because she's your girlfriend doesn't mean you have to suppress those kinds of feelings."

Naruto squirmed in his seat. "But Hinata deserves better than that! I don't want people to think that I only think of her as someone I can have…well, you know. I'm not Ero-sennin."

"I never said you were. Besides, there's no one here who thinks that that's the only reason you're dating her. We all know how much you really like her, so you shouldn't be afraid to show it. Now, are you gonna be honest about those feelings, or aren't you?"

"Okay, you got me!" Naruto cried, throwing his hands into the air. "It's been on my mind for a while now, maybe even before everything that happened in the Land of Wind. It doesn't matter if she's right next to me, or if she's all the way on the other side of the room. I just see her smiling at me, and I get all…."

He shuddered, and both of his hands fell underneath the table. Chōji watched him with laughing eyes. "You don't need to explain. I know the same feeling. You just have to trust your instincts, Naruto. You can't keep something like _that_ bottled up inside you. It's not healthy. Even if Hinata doesn't feel ready yet, it's best you talk about it."

"We did talk about it a little," Naruto told him. "We said we'd cross that bridge when we came to it. So I guess that means we let whatever happens, happen?"

He started fiddling with his fingers, just as Hinata would do when she was nervous. Chōji, with a raised eyebrow, leaned back against his seat. "Something else on your mind? You can ask me anything, you know."

Chōji watched Naruto fiddle with the table for a few more seconds, averting eye contact. Finally, he looked Chōji dead in the eye, and took a deep breath.

"I want to do that with Hinata…to show how much but I don't want to wait until we get there. I get so nervous, that I afraid we'll never get there. I wanna know what you did with Ino that was so romantic, so that I can…"

Chōji raised an eyebrow. "Alright then. Here's what I did…"

* * *

><p>Anko squeezed in next to Hinata, barking at the nearest waiter for a drink. Hinata, well aware of Anko's reputation as something of a 'free spirit', began to feel her heart pounding in her chest. If she was lucky, Anko wouldn't ask any questions about Naruto, and she and Ino could just get on with their conversation.<p>

Anko yawned as a cheeky grin split across her lips. "So, I'm guessing Ino's telling you about the garbage disposal because you wanna figure out how to bone your boyfriend. Is that it?"

Ino was red as can be. "A-Anko!" she squeaked, her whole body going rigid. "Wh-where did you get that idea?"

But Ino's reaction was nothing compared to Hinata's. She felt her head spinning, and she almost collapsed against Anko's shoulder, were it not for the return of the waiter snapping her out of it. It took a great deal of self-control, but Hinata managed to push it back down, just as Anko began laughing loudly.

"I knew it was something like that!" she said with excitement, elbowing Hinata on the shoulder. "I don't blame you. I don't know, maybe it's the whole 'hero of the village' thing, but if you weren't dating him, I'd have tried to test out that famous stamina myself. You think he's as freaky in the bed as they say he is? I wouldn't be surprised; he had Kakashi and Jiraiya as teachers. That doesn't happen without _something _being passed on."

Hinata felt a shiver go up her spine. "As they say he is?" she repeated, her lip trembling. "What do you mean by that?"

Anko looked confused. "Wait, you mean to tell me that you two _haven't_ been doing the horizontal mambo?" She smiled. "You're pulling my leg, aren't you? There's no way you have Naruto haven't…"

But the longer she watched Hinata's face, the more she realized that she had told the truth. Her smile slowly faded away, and her eyebrows climbed higher and higher on her forehead.

"You're serious. You and Naruto, after all this time, still haven't bumped uglies yet? What the hell do you do when you're bored?"

Ino, while feeling sorry for Hinata, couldn't help but find the situation hilarious at the same time, and stated giggling uncontrollably. "Anko, be nice! No, Hinata and Naruto haven't taken that step yet. She was just talking to me about that part. I was telling her what happened with me and Chōji, and…"

She explained for a second time, while Anko listened, usually with a lewd comment on hand to make Hinata's ears burn. By the time she finished, Anko was nodding her head knowingly. "Okay, I get it. You wanna make your first time with that idiot extra special. Smart idea. You'll be more willing to experiment with the _fun_ stuff."

Ino could see Hinata looking at her in the corner of her eye, and they both seemed to share the same thought. But while Hinata was shaking her head as fast as she could without being noticed, a very devious idea was forming in Ino's head.

She looked at Anko, and smiled. "What do you think Hinata should do, Anko? Have any pointers?"

If there was a technique to disappear forever, Hinata would have gladly taken it there and then. The way Anko looked at her made her body want to shrivel away, and she mentally began preparing herself for an onslaught.

"You love him, right?"

That was the last question she had been expecting, and could do nothing but nod.

"And he loves you too, right?"

Hinata nodded again.

"Then you've got nothing to worry about. If two people love each other, they have fun learning each other's rhythms, what makes the other person feel good, and what they want to convey with their partner. It's a learning experience, yes, but you get to learn with someone who loves you and cares for you and wants you to be happy, not some stranger who's only hoping for a quick one-night stand. It doesn't matter what Naruto does and doesn't know, because you don't know either. If I sit here and try and tell you what positions are the best, or that you might enjoy a certain hole more than you think, you'll walk in with the wrong expectations."

That last comment nearly made Hinata faint, and Anko didn't help by clapping her hard on the back. "So if you want my advice…_don't_ listen to my advice. Go in there blind, because regardless of what's going to happen, those nights are gonna be the best nights of your life. I _will_ say, however, that there's nothing like a good fuck after a mission."

She scooted back out of the booth to her feet, and laughing. "You guys need to lighten up, okay? I swear, it felt like the two of you were about to pass out the moment I sat down. Sex is nothing to be ashamed of. It's one of the best things in the world, and one of the most powerful ways you can show your partner how much you care about them."

Hinata was about to thank her for the advice, despite what she had to go through to get it, but Anko cut her off, pulling something out of her pocket. "Can you return this for me? I don't really have the time to." She set a book down on the table, in front of Hinata.

"B-but Anko, I don't know who to…" Hinata had started to say, but Anko was already leaving, though Hinata had stopped paying attention before she could realize that Anko was making her way over to Naruto's table.

She and Ino looked at each other. "What the hell just happened?" Ino asked, in disbelief. "You saw that too, right? I wasn't just imagining this?"

"I d-don't really know what to think…" Hinata muttered, staring at the table. "I had no idea even Anko could be so…forward."

"What was that book she gave you?"

They leaned over the table, and Ino had to stifle a gasp. She pointed down at it. "Anko left this on purpose. There's no doubt in my mind. Is she just messing with us?"

Hinata shook her head sadly. "I don't know. What should we do?"

Ino gingerly picked the book up. The words _Icha Icha_ were emblazoned across the front in a garish print, but they both knew that it was what was inside that was the important stuff.

Almost hesitantly, Ino pushed herself out of one side of the booth, and sat down next to Hinata, setting the book down in front of them. "Well, I've always been a little curious. Just a little peek wouldn't hurt, right?"

* * *

><p>"So Hinata will like all that stuff, right? Like, opening doors for her and carrying her back to my house and stuff like that?" Naruto said, scratching his chin.<p>

Chōji nodded. "Hey now, don't just copy me! Haha, but yes, Hinata will love that stuff. Now stop worrying; if you think too much about it, you'll just mess something up. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because you're both bound to."

Naruto chuckled. "When did you become such an expert, huh? Just how much do you like doing that kind of stuff?"

"You know how much I like barbeque?"

"Yeah, so?"

Chōji leaned across the table, as serious as can be. "It's better than barbeque."

Naruto's eyes widened, and he whistled. "Okay, I'm sold. You don't need to tell me twice." He craned his neck. "You know where Hinata ran off to? I'm gonna go get her back, so we can actually start this date."

But his view of the rest of the restaurant was blocked by a coming figure. Naruto subconsciously swallowed a lump in his throat when he recognized Anko heading straight for him.

Without a word, she lifted him from the table with one arm, and yanked him close until their faces were inches from each other.

"Listen to me, and listen good. Two things: One, if you forget to wear a condom and get that poor girl pregnant, I will personally find a way to make _you_ pregnant."

Naruto squeaked with fright. "B-b-but.."

"Not finished. Two, don't you dare finish before she does. You're a guy: you _always_ get yours. Your job is to make sure Hinata gets hers just as much as you do. And if you forget that job, and she's not walking around the village bow-legged…"

She yanked his head to the side, and licked his ear. "I will find you, and I will _personally _make sure you can't sit down for a month. And not because of your legs."

Anko didn't wait for a reply as she started to leave, but she did leave Naruto with a wink and smile, while he was bumbling all over himself, and Chōji laughing his ass off. They were too busy trying to take in what had just happened that they hadn't noticed Anko go back over to Hinata, and pick something up from the table before she left.

"Oh man, I forgot how scary she could be!" Chōji said, wiping his cheeks. "You gonna be okay, Naruto?"

He nodded, but that was the last thing on his mind. He suddenly felt a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and leapt from the table, and rushed across the restaurant. Chōji heard a cry of surprise, and jumped up to see what was the matter.

He found Naruto pulling his hair out as both Ino and Hinata lay face first on the table, their faces bright red and their cheeks burning.

Naruto started shaking Hinata by the shoulders, getting more and more worried the longer she couldn't answer him. "Hinata…Hinata, are you alright? Hinata! Dammit, what the hell did that woman do to my girlfriend!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So I hope you liked it, thought it was funny and worth your time! It'll be a lot of that fun stuff for a while.

For those of you who might be worried that I'm giving up or losing my motivation for this story, allow me to fill you in on some ideas I'm playing with for the future.

-Kamajii Aburame, an ancestor of Shino's clan who sought power for his clan by attempting to bring some of the more dangerous insects under their control. His name comes from the character in Hayao Miyazaki's _Spirited Away_.

-Exploring the Jashin religion of Hidan, perhaps with new members or the god himself. That opens several doors, yeah?

-The different death gods of the Narutoverse, drawing inspiration from Greek myth, specifically the 5 rivers in Hades' underworld.

-Many more! I'm totally psyched, but I think a break from this story is what I need most, to get creatively re-charged.

Also, don't forget:

**Whenever I am not working on this story over the summer, I will be working on my new series of Naru-Hina one-shots, "Just One of Those Days", with ideas suggested by you! I'm extremely happy with the first two, so I hope you'll check them out!**

If you have the time to review, I'd wholly appreciate it!

Until next time!


	63. It's Time for Answers! Demon's Help

**Author's Note:** Surprise surprise, dudes and dudettes.

I got the itch, the kind of itch you can only scratch by churning out another 10,000 word chapter for you guys. It felt great, but make no mistake; I'm very much enjoying my break. It's like a long-term creative charge, and I have all the time to think up new plot points, or further detail ones already planned. Some interesting ideas have already bubbled to the surface, in fact.

I hope your summer's going well! I'm back to work at my summer job. It's hard and the hours are long, but it's better than sitting around all day. I'm actually looking forward to the school year now. Oddly enough, I have more free time when I'm at college, and that means more time to write for you guys as well!

My motivation for the music has gone done somewhat, namely because an absolutely GREAT source for songs has been taken down, _after_ I had assigned them characters and scenes and everything. A few managed to survive, but this chapter will probably only have one song, unless I change my mind like, right now.

Big thanks to **kylekatarn77** for beta-reading, and ** OGAFazer89AC** for offering a second-opinion! They make my job a hell of a lot easier, haha.

It's good to see you guys again! I hope you like the chapter.

(1) - /watch?v=PaIFjWvJIbI (This theme fits Temari so well it blew my mind the first time I heard it.)

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 11 - It's Time for Answers! Gaining a Demon's Cooperation!<strong>

"Come on, Pineapple Head. Are you even trying anymore?"

Shikamaru gritted his teeth. "_Pineapple Head_? I'm not even angry; that's just bad, even for you."

Temari winked at him. "You seem pretty flustered to me. Now come on, give me your best shot."

She leapt into the air just as his shadow snaked its way towards her own, missing by inches. It shot for where she would land, but with one swing of her fan, Temari gained a few extra feet, and just barely made past to his maximum range.

"You going to try a little harder than that? I didn't even break a sweat." To tease him further, she produced a smaller fan, and cooled herself off from the midday desert sun.

Shikamaru licked a beat of sweat from the corner of his mouth. "That makes one of us. Maybe it's because I don't live here. Or maybe it's because you're just not as worried as you need to be."

Suddenly, several tendrils sprang from the ground surrounding Temari, wrapping themselves around each of her limbs. Just as he was about to tighten his grasp, however, 'Temari' evaporated into nothing more than a ball of wind, dissipating into the air.

(1)

What sounded like a tornado came rushing up behind him, and he felt his feet lifted into the air as the powerful gust tossed him aside like a leaf caught in the wind. He tumbled head over heel, but managed to stop himself before his head bounced off one of the large boulders dotting the area. Another was heading straight for him as he jumped to his feet, but this time he had enough time to throw a scroll in the path of the blast. It unfurled in midair, and the attack was drawn within, disappearing completely.

'_She's way more aggressive today…'_ he thought to himself, as he dodged several other blades of wind thrown his way. _'Why's this fight more important than the others?'_

To catch him off guard, she went against the instincts of a long-range fighter, and drew in close. She threw her fan above her head, and would have brought it down on top of his had his shadow not reached out and stopped it. The tendril wrapped tightly around her weapon, and twisted it hard enough to break her grip. He aimed a kick at her to chase her away and put some distance in between them.

He couldn't help but smile. "What're you gonna do now, without your weapon? A long range fighter is useless when they don't have a means of using that range."

Temari rolled her eyes. "As if I'd be that careless." She threw her own scroll into the air, and two smaller fans fell into her hands. "I picked this up a long time ago from your friend Tenten, after our fight in the chūnin exams. Never hurts to have a spare or two."

"If you were _really_ like Tenten, you'd have several hundred spares, not just a few," joked Shikamaru. "Besides, I know you're style. You don't like to get close and personal."

"Maybe I've learned a thing or two since then. It's been a while since you and I have gone against one another." With that, Temari was after him. Shikamaru was surprised by the grace in her movements; usually, she resorted to pure power to fuel the massive windstorms she could conjure with her fan, but with her weapons reduced in size by more than half, she was forced to change her tactics. Instead of singular, immensely powerful torrents of wind, she utilized a rapid-fire technique, firing off sharp blades of wind from her fans with worrying accuracy. Shikamaru could split them with his shadow, but they were getting faster, and his chakra was feeling the strain.

Temari jumped forward, and used all her momentum for a stronger gust more akin to her natural style. Shikamaru was able to split it with his shadow, but he was surprised to see Temari charging straight into him. She flipped her fan over, and revealed a bladed edge. She thrust it towards him, inches from his face.

She smirked. "Looks like I win," she said.

Shikamaru disappeared with a puff of smoke, and reappeared from behind one of the boulders, scratching the back of his head. "No, I don't think you do. Seems like no one else thinks their opponents are capable of using the shadow clone technique just because they're not Naruto. That kind of assumption can be helpful if you know what to do with it."

Temari swallowed her pride. "Okay, I'll admit it; I'm impressed. I never would have thought that anyone besides Naruto would use that technique."

"Don't be too impressed. There's a reason he's one of the few people who can do it as often as he does. That used up so much of my chakra that I wouldn't have been able to handle you much longer."

"Then why did you use it in the first place?" Temari asked. "Why willingly give up? Again, I might add."

"Because there's a reason you dragged me out here in the middle of the day to 'spar'. You also fought a lot harder than usual, like you were actually trying to hurt me."

Temari snorted. "Don't think I don't have _any_ confidence in you. I knew you could get out of the way."

"That's not it. You were testing me, weren't you? I think I'm allowed to know what this is about." He stared at her evenly, waiting for an answer. When she kept silent for a few seconds, he became exasperated. "Listen, I was brought here because Gaara specifically asked for me, and Gaara asked for me in the first place because of this system Tsunade-sama has worked out with the other villages. I know they have their reasons for every one of the shinobi sent or received, and I know that this is related to why we're here today. Save me a headache, and tell me what's going on."

Again, Temari held her tongue, but only for a few seconds. She shook her head, laughing. "How did someone so lazy ever become so smart? Yeah, there's a reason you were brought out here today, and why I've been pushing you harder than usual. Multiple reasons, actually."

"Such as?"

Temari snatched her fan from his hands. "Gaara-sama wants to see you. He wanted to make sure you were ready."

Shikamaru tensed up. "Ready for what?"

But his question fell on deaf ears. Temari refused to answer him as she led him out of the desert and back to Sunagakure. He didn't like to admit it, but it would have been almost impossible for him to find his own way back.

This had become a regular occurrence between the two of them once Shikamaru had arrived at Suna. Temari relished the idea of sparring with him every chance she could get; maybe because she liked seeing him strain himself, or maybe for some deeper reason he had neither the time nor the patience to understand. He was content to wait and see for himself, and at least with this meeting with the Kazekage, he would get some answers.

It always surprised him how the desert air managed to suppress the clamor of the markets and village streets. You couldn't hear a thing until you were right before the massive stone walls, consumed in their shadow. The moment you stepped through, the heat came alive with sounds and sights.

That didn't mean it didn't have its downsides. Gaara was a pragmatic person if anything, and could see Shikamaru's potential as a leader (should he be forced to take such a role), and as a result had placed him in a management position over teams instructed to help rebuild the village after Monzaemon Chikamatsu's attack, although he was still beneath several Suna citizens with a more thorough knowledge of the village and repairs it needed. Progress had already climbed twenty or so percent, though Shikamaru insisted he spent more time trying to find a place to hide and nap than he did motivating and helping his workers. At least, until Temari had heard about it. After a particularly grueling spar, in which he had been thrashed like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar, he decided a more proactive role in the team would be appreciated.

"You said there was more than one reason to why you were so hard on me, right?" he asked. "Well, if you're not gonna tell me what Gaara-sama wants, can you at least fill me on some of those other reasons?"

Temari nudged him with her shoulder. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. It depends on if you behave yourself today. You think you can do that?"

Shikamaru groaned. "I'm not a kid. I can handle myself just fine."

"Well, I'll hold off on judgment until the meeting's done."

She could be so infuriating sometimes, he decided to himself. He would make it a point to try and lose her after the meeting was over; he hadn't had much alone time since he was here. While Temari was the main culprit, there were two others who were making his stay all the more stressful…

"Shikamaru! Hey, Shikamaru!"

'_Don't turn around, don't turn around, don't turn around…'_ He fixed his eyes ahead of him, playing deaf. Maybe if he pretended he couldn't hear them, they would go away.

A face suddenly appeared, too close to Shikamaru's for his own comfort. He sighed inwardly. Well, it had been worth a shot.

Kotetsu grinned. "It's good to see you, Shikamaru! How are you today? Are you well?"

Shikamaru offered him the slightest nod. "Same as usual, I guess. And how about you?" he cursed himself for asking the question.

Kotetsu and Izumo had been less acclimating to their new environment than Shikamaru had, and as an indirect result, ended up clinging to him like two lost puppies whenever they caught the chance. They complained about the heat in the daytime, the cold in the nighttime, and that Gaara had given them a position almost identical to their position in Konoha, which meant running paperwork back and forth for almost half the office, and getting stepped on by _everyone_ in the office, excluding Gaara himself.

"Oh, I've been alright I suppose. It's a lot hotter than it was yesterday, and my clothes are hanging on me like wet rags. I'm sweating like a pig, and everyone here is treating me like dirt, but it's getting better. One of them almost remembered my name!"

"That's good to hear," Shikamaru said, with weak enthusiasm. "Where's Izumo?"

Kotetsu chuckled. "Oh, he's getting chewed out by one of the council members. You know, the one with the bald spot and the lazy eye? What's his name again?"

Temari raised an eyebrow. "You mean Bukimi?"

"Yeah, that's the one! Apparently he had sent Bucky the wrong set of documents, and he made Izumo start all over again. I said I had to go to the bathroom, and that was fifteen minutes ago."

"His name is _Bukimi_, and I doubt he'd appreciate you skipping out on work while you're here representing Konoha," Temari reminded him, glaring. "If I were you, I'd get back there before I let it slip to Gaara you're slacking off."

The look on Kotetsu's face was priceless as he scurried away, throwing out apologies left and right. Shikamaru felt a little bad for the two of them, but dealing with Bukimi was like trying to count the sand around here; a colossal waste of time. Those two were on their own.

"They seem to be adjusting well," Shikamaru said, for no other reason other than to break the silence.

"They'll learn eventually," Temari told him. "But they're not doing as well as you. It's like you've lived here half your life. I didn't even need to show you where the right shops and services were."

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. "I'm capable of learning that kind of stuff on my own. I didn't want to bother you."

He looked over, and Temari was giving him a strange look, unable to meet his eye for more than a few seconds. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to let me help you every once in a while, would it? You're the kind of lazy-ass who could easily get lost if they weren't careful."

He was about to ask her what she meant by that, but the Kazekage's office came into view, and he pushed it out of his mind. There would be time enough for that later. Shikamaru leaned against the wall while Temari rapped her knuckles against the door.

"Please come in," a voice from the other side said.

Shikamaru walked into the Kazekage's office to a curious sight. Gaara was not sitting at his desk, in a position of authority. Instead, he was sitting in the middle of the floor with his legs crossed, and papers and documents of all kinds surrounding him.

"I apologize for the mess," he admitted, setting a stack of papers to his left. "It is a habit I have picked up from Naruto. It's actually much more comfortable for me this way."

"Only Naruto could be _that_ kind of influential," said Shikamaru, his eyes smiling. "How are you today, Kazekage-sama?" This time, he was legitimately interested.

It was fascinating to watch someone not a year older than he run an entire village, especially when they did as well as Gaara did considering their circumstances. Through clever use of diverting funds from some areas temporarily into others, he continually prevented any overbearing financial strain. That, coupled with his inspiring of those who followed him created a village that could keep up with the other major four, despite their shortcomings.

Gaara nodded. "Things are well enough. The village is not without its problems, but they are happy and feel safe once again, and that is most important. I have you to thank for that."

Shikamaru held his hands up. "Please, you've thanked me enough already. It's hard enough hiding from all the 'fans' you've managed to create."

"They are simply thankful for your help that night," Gaara said, his eyes closed. "But I will pass on that you appreciate time to yourself when I can."

He turned to his sister. "How did he fare today? Your enthusiasm led me to believe he'd have more serious injuries."

Temari punched Shikamaru in the back of his head. "He's more durable than he looks. He's also got more tricks up his sleeve than I would have thought. I even tried all those different tactics you told me about!"

The Kazekage slowly rose from the floor, approaching the two of them. He tried to hide it, but Shikamaru instinctively tensed up. Gaara's eyes had had that effect on him since he had arrived, and they stared at him with a particular intensity this morning.

"I have something I wish to return to you," he said quietly, holding out a scroll.

Shikamaru was more confused than he was comfortable with. "Wait…return? I never gave you anything, did I? Was it my father?"

Gaara closed his eyes, setting the scroll in Shikamaru's hand. "I regret to say it is from a darker side to Suna's past. The invasion of your village yielded many things, including some I was not made aware of until much later in time."

"There were individuals who had taken spoils from the village during the attack. Even after our alliance had been cemented, they were not willing to give up what they had taken, seeing such a move as weakness. They hid them away or destroyed them, and while I have done my best to retrieve and return as many of these items as I can, there will always be special circumstances. You see, your father was aware we were in possession of these, whereas previously they thought the scroll had simply been lost in time."

"My father knew this was here?" Even as Shikamaru said the words, he already believed them. If there was a Nara who would know, it would be his father. "What were these special circumstances?"

"I suppose that depends on what's actually in the scroll," Gaara said. "Out of respect, I never inspected its contents. He simply wished for me to wait until the proper moment for them to be returned to the clan."

"And you decided that the right moment was now?"

Gaara came very close to smiling. "Yes. Your act of selflessness in helping my village survive, as well as your motivation of others around you has influenced my decision. I do not know why your father had decided to keep the scroll away from your family for so long, nor do I know what is even inside that scroll, but he trusted my judgment, and so do I. You may take that with you, and you have my sincere apologies that it was stolen from you in the first place."

The Kazekage excused both Shikamaru and Temari, returning to his spot in the middle of the floor. Temari gently shut the door, and almost fell over Shikamaru with curiosity. "So? What's in there you think?"

Shikamaru grunted. "Who says that's your business? If Gaara himself, the Kazekage of this whole village, decided it wasn't his place to look, what makes you think you should?"

He turned it over in his hand. It was such a small thing, and yet now he knew it held great importance for his family. "If my father wanted to wait until it was returned, he somehow knew a clan member would one day be here to take it back. Maybe he knew it was going to be me, or maybe he just took a guess. Either way, I think he should be here when I read it."

Temari didn't agree. "Your dad wanted it returned when the time was right. Maybe the reason he didn't take it back himself was because he didn't think he was worthy of it. What if he thinks you're the only one who should?"

Shikamaru almost laughed. "My dad's the smartest guy in the village. I don't see why he'd think his son would turn out better. Remember, he made this decision a long time ago, back when I had forfeited my match with you because I was lazy."

"Because you were smart about it," Temari reminded him, getting angry. "Stop bashing your own achievements. I think your dad had a lot of faith in you, and that's more than I ever got from mine, so maybe you should stop whining and just use your own judgment. It's a parent's job to have faith in their kid."

She started walking away, dissatisfied by his silence. But Shikamaru was deep in thought. He had heard those words once before, when Naruto had told him the story of when he had been lucky enough to meet his father, if only for a few short minutes. While a parent is there to help you when they can, there comes a time when they can no longer be there for you, and the only one who can fulfill that faith they had in you is yourself.

"…maybe you have a point," he said quietly, but loud enough to get her attention.

Temari smiled at him. Not the usual cocky, self-satisfied smile, but something sweeter and more sincere. "Good. I don't think you have anything to worry about." She started to leave again, but Shikamaru coughed to grab her attention once more.

"Aren't you coming with me to see what's inside?" he said.

Temari seemed surprised, but happy. "Really? You're sure?"

"Well, you were right about me making this decision on my own. And I decided that I want you to be there. Think you can do that?"

"I think I'll manage," said Temari, gently nudging him with her fist. "Come on lazy-ass, let's get going."

He watched her for a few seconds, until she realized he wasn't following her. "Hey…" he murmured, almost too quietly for her to hear. "What were those other reasons you were talking about earlier? About why you had asked me to spar with you today. Usually, we would have had the day off."

For a second he swore he saw her blush, but if she had, it had left almost as soon as it had come. But she smiled again, and he was _sure_ that he was the one blushing.

"I like spending time with you," she said simply, and opened the door.

* * *

><p>A wet nose dug its way to the bottom of the can, sniffing its contents. They weren't up to standards, so the nose left, looking for greener pastures.<p>

Attached to the nose was a muzzle, and attached to the muzzle was a dog. A stubborn itch nagged behind his ears, but he ignored it. There were more important things to do right now. Like looking for more new smells, and finding the source of those smells.

Miso found reasons to love every time of day. In the morning he could poke through everyone's trash before it was taken away, and in the afternoon most everyone was out and about, where open windows and doors wafted new scents out into the open. Especially in the evening, when many of the younger people of the village started a night out, he found all sorts of interesting sights and sounds to explore.

The itch came back, this time a phantom feeling in his missing leg. He nipped at it a little until it went away, and went back to his dumpster diving.

A particular scent caught his fancy. He pawed through some stubborn trash to find the treasure beneath; an almost full meal from the nearby restaurant, stuffed into a to-go bag. Someone must have left it behind, and the staff chose to throw it out instead of eating it themselves. Miso didn't mind; one man's trash was another's tasty treat.

But not for himself. He clamped the bag in between his jaws all the same, but he had no interest in the meal. He trotted out of the alleyway, and onto the main road.

Naruto walked him as often as he could, even despite his injuries, so plenty of the village was aware of Miso's presence by now. He enjoyed as much attention as he could stand, with children and adults alike calling out to him, petting him, and offering him treats. He could spend a whole day meeting the people and playing with their children or dogs, but there were more important things to do today, so that would have to wait. He would saunter over for a quick belly rub for a few of his favorites, but for the most part, he concentrated on his destination.

The two guards out front had stopped noticing him after a few weeks. He had only nosed through the trash to keep them from getting suspicious, and now they didn't pay him any mind, and he could trot past without worry. Still, the bagged food in his mouth was a _little_ suspicious, so he kept his distance when he could.

He passed underneath a wooden fence through a large hole he had made himself, and into the yard. It was small; just enough for one or two people to have a little leg room. The building on the other end of the yard had but one window, and there were many bars covering it.

Miso sniffed at the air. The ventilation system ran through here, and he could smell if the guard on duty was paying attention or not. He felt he was safe, and went to work.

There were a few boxes back near the hole. Miso had spent nearly a whole afternoon finding a way to throw them over the fence. It was a lot easier to just drag them across the yard, though they made a fair bit of noise, hence his making sure the coast was clear.

The boxes were stacked, and he had his way up. He trotted up the boxes, which gave him a clear view of the cell inside the window, and the prisoner inhabiting that cell. He pawed at the bars, but the man was asleep.

A loud, crisp bark did the trick. The man awoke with a grumble. With some effort, he managed to reach the edge of the bed, letting his feet dangle onto the cold floor. A pair of shackles bound his hands, inlayed with glowing seals.

He was not an attractive man. Heavy lines clung to his face like rags, held up by bony cheeks and a protruding forehead. He was filthy and carried an odor, a result of being denied basic hygiene. Even his hair looked like a patchwork of white and faint red; it was hard to say which color was winning, but it did nothing to help his appearance improve. Not that he cared. Being stuck in a cell freed you from worrying about what others thought.

But nothing like that bothered Miso (except for possibly the smell). He barked again to get the man's attention, proudly displaying the meal he had brought him.

"Good boy," the man said weakly, rising to his feet. "Those men out there don't seem to mind if I starve or die of thirst in here." He laughed bitterly. "Even after I've entertained them with my company for _so_ long."

He reached through the bars, patting Miso's head with one hand, and taking the food with the other. "If it weren't for you, my figure would really go to hell, wouldn't it?"

Miso whined in agreement, his tail wagging.

It had been several weeks since he had found the man, and for whatever reason, he felt compelled to help him. The man seemed fond enough of him, which was repayment enough for Miso.

The man shuffled back to his bed, though calling it a 'bed' was somewhat of a stretch. "I can't say for sure how much longer they'll keep me in here. Those idiots don't seem to realize I have no intention of running away to tell what I know, of betray them for the enemy. If there's a village in the world that can keep me safe, it's this one."

He took a ravenous bite of his food. "But that does not inspire any loyalty. Don't think I would give my life for any of you. That includes you as well, dog."

Miso cocked his head to one side. He didn't seem too upset. Maybe he thought the man was lying, or joking around.

"None of them trust me…and I doubt they ever will," the man mused on, idly chewing away. "Except for maybe that boy. He doesn't like me as of now…but he'll have to come to me sooner or later. He'd be a fool not to. His Hokage has angered him enough, and he seeks real answers. From what I've been told, he's been through enough to deserve them…_damn_ these people and their secrets!"

He laughed aloud. "Listen to me, spilling my heart out to a damned dog. Well, at least you're a good listener. You promise not to tell anyone what I've said, right?"

Miso whined again, eyeing the leftovers the man had set aside.

He followed the dog's eyes to his food. "Whoever your master is obviously needs to feed you more. You wouldn't deprive an old man a snack for later, would you?"

Apparently, Miso was perfectly willing to rob the man of a snack. He started pawing the bars, his whining increasingly louder.

"Fine, just be quiet!" the man stomped over to the window and handed over the food, which Miso snapped up happily. He licked the man's hand to show there were no hard feelings between them.

"You better leave, or someone is going to come by, and then I won't be getting fed as often," the man said, pushing Miso's head in the other direction. Miso heard a noise, and looked to the door on the other side of the cell. His eyes lit up, and he started wagging his tail.

The man turned around, a surprised smile splitting across his face. "Didn't I tell you? Now they won't let us speak to each other ever again."

* * *

><p>"Everything about this procedure sounds like a horrible idea."<p>

Naruto frowned. "Why? I think Hinata should be there. So does she. What makes that such a horrible idea?"

Inoichi shook his head. "_Everything_. If it were me going into your mind, that would be fine. But you want someone who has never had any experience with this coming face-to-face with one of the most terrifying creatures known to man. You're used to the Kyūbi because you've dealt with it all your life. Bars between them or not, Hinata has not seen it up close. It would be a jarring experience, one I'm not even sure I can perform."

Tsunade nodded. "I understand your concern, Inoichi, but I have been looking through the relevant files on hand. Based on what we've learned, I think it will be safe."

"Surely you aren't condoning something like this, Tsunade-sama?" Inoichi pleaded. "This is a risky venture at _best_. At worst, horrifically traumatizing."

"I _am_ condoning this, because Hinata's mother is a case I'd be very interested in solving. We know next to nothing about that night, and the Kyūbi is in a unique position to help us. And as I already told you, I have done proper research into this. I feel that with my supervision, it will be safe."

Inoichi folded his arms. "And what makes you think the Kyūbi will be willing to divulge that information? He is evil incarnate, Tsunade-sama. I do not think he will be so apt to share."

"What do you think, Naruto?" Tsunade asked. "Would he be willing to tell us what we want to know?"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe, but I might have to trick him. If it's really bad, though, he might want to tell us just because he'll know how much it might hurt."

Hinata, who had remained silent, finally caught Tsunade's attention. "And you're okay with this, Hinata?" the Hokage asked.

Hinata nodded slowly, taking Naruto's hand. "I am. Naruto-kun will be with me, and that is enough. I can be strong."

Tsunade watched the girl for a moment, and her eyes were a mixture of acceptance, and worry. "Very well. I won't stop you if that's what you want. We have to give it a try, Inoichi. That information could be very important."

The Yamanaka head sighed with resignation. "Of course, whatever you wish. I will do my best. If you can be certain of our safety, I have no reason to stop Naruto from doing this."

He led them to one of the interrogation rooms, specifically designed for two prisoners at once. Naruto recognized the machine, but this one was big enough to fit two people. It was the first time Hinata had seen it, however, and he felt her cling to him a little tighter.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded shyly. "Y-yes…but I am a little scared."

Naruto squeezed her hand. "Everything will be fine. I'll be there, and Inoichi and Granny will be watching over us. But I'll be right beside you the whole time, alright?"

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. That makes me feel a little safer."

They were eased into the machine while Inoichi prepared himself. He sat in the middle of the room, meditating and strengthening his mind. Tsunade looked over the machine as well as Naruto's and Hinata's general health, making sure they were properly prepared.

"You understand that I will pull you out at my discretion, okay?" Tsunade told them firmly. "I won't risk your safety even if you think you can do it. The moment I feel your safety is threatened, we'll get you back here. We still don't know everything about what a foreign presence does when inside your mind."

She leaned in closer. "And Inoichi doesn't know what happened when Ino tried. I'd like to keep it that way, so keep your mouths shut."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks Granny."

Inoichi got to his feet, and crossed the room. Naruto noticed Hinata squirming in her part of the machine as it turned on, and steam surrounded her body. "It's okay, Hinata, this is supposed to happen."

"It feels funny…"she said, as Inoichi was placing his palm on her head. She immediately relaxed, and slumped downward.

Naruto's side did not activate, since he could willingly enter his mind to converse with the Kyūbi. Nonetheless, Inoichi placed his hand on his forehead, to create the connection.

The world became black. Naruto was alone, but he could still feel another presence nearby.

"I have never done something exactly like this before," Inoichi's voice said. "There will be things that you do not understand, that I cannot explain. I can hear what you say, so if you need to be brought back out, I will know."

Naruto threw a thumbs-up into the darkness. "Sure thing, pops!" He started walking forward, once he heard the familiar sound of pooling water, and soft breathing.

"Na…Naruto-kun?" a small voice called out. "Are you there?"

A faint shimmer appeared in front of him. He could not discern any details, but he knew it was Hinata. He reached out with his hand, and felt something take it back.

"It's a little scary in here…" Hinata's voice murmured. "I c-can't see you. Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Just hold my hand, and we'll be fine."

He led her through the dark, and with every step, her form seemed to get stronger. He could make out her clothing, then her hair, and then her eyes, as they looked around in part curiosity and part anxiety. He squeezed her hand a little tighter. "See? Everything will be fine."

And they were standing before the cage. The massive iron bars stood solemnly in front of them, in a way Naruto had never experienced before. Perhaps it was because Hinata was beside him, or perhaps it was because deep down, he was terrified to hear what the Kyūbi had to say.

"Hey! Furball!" Naruto called out suddenly into the black. "Get out here! I need to ask you something!"

His reply was silence, apart from the breath weaving in between the bars. He could feel the heat on his face. Naruto frowned. Why was the Kyūbi ignoring him?

"I said come out!" Naruto said again, stepping forward to pound on the cage. "We're not leaving until we get what we want from you!"

The clanging echoed louder and louder, but still the beast ignored Naruto's demand. He stepped even closer to the bars, and brought Hinata closer alongside him.

There came a terrible roar, a pair of vicious red eyes, and a claw burst from the cage, inches from Hinata's own eyes. She stumbled backwards with a scream, and her knuckles went white as she clutched onto Naruto with every ounce of strength.

Laughter burst forth, and the monster stepped forward into the light, his black lips drawn back in a malevolent sneer. **"DID I SCARE YOU, LITTLE GIRL? AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A SHINOBI?"**

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Naruto whispered, kneeling down to check on her.

Hinata nodded, but he could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and the look in her eyes angered him. He hadn't seen Hinata that afraid for a long time.

"What's your problem?" Naruto howled, pulling Hinata to her feet and stepping in between her and the Kyūbi. "What did she ever do to you?"

**"SHE EXISTS, THE SAME AS YOU. SHE'S WORTH NOTHING MORE THAN A QUICK DEATH, AND I AM LOATH TO GIVE HER EVEN THAT. YOU INSULT ME BY BRINGING HER HERE. THIS IS _MY_ DOMAIN."**

"What, you mean your cage?" Naruto replied with a smirk.

The beast's fur bristled with anger. **"WATCH YOUR MOUTH BOY, OR I'LL FIND A WAY TO CUT OUT YOUR TONGUE. I DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU'VE BROUGHT THIS GIRL HERE, BUT I OWE YOU NOTHING."**

Naruto cast a sullen look. "You know why we're here, and what we want to ask you. No one else knows anything else about that night but you."

To his surprise, Hinata stepped forward. "Please…I want to know what happened to my mother."

The Kyūbi's eyes lit up with delight. He leaned as far forward as the cage would allow, until his breath washed over Hinata and covered her in his stench. **"DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW?"**

Hinata nodded, though it was clear her confidence had been shaken. "Y-yes, I do."

For the second time, the Kyūbi bashed his claws against the cage, baring his teeth.** "NARUTO SLAUGHTERED THAT PITIFUL WOMAN LIKE SHE WAS MADE OF PAPER! HE RIPPED HER TO SHREDS, THE SAME AS HE DID TO THE OTHERS. DEEP DOWN, HE WANTED NO CONTROL OVER MY POWER. HE WANTED IT DESPERATELY, TO SHOW YOU PATHETIC HUMANS WHAT IT MEANS TO CROSS A MONSTER."**

Hinata's lip trembled, but she held her ground. "I d-do not believe you."

The beast ignored her.** "OH, IF ONLY I COULD SHOW IT TO YOU? YOUR MOTHER'S BLOOD SPATTERED ALL OVER NARUTO'S CLOTHING, THE LIFE IN HER EYES SLOWLY SLIPPING AWAY, AS NARUTO DID NOTHING TO STOP IT. DID YOU KNOW SHE CRIED FOR YOU WHILE SHE LAID THERE? SHE CALLED OUT YOUR NAME, AND THERE WAS NOTHING YOU COULD DO TO SAVE HER."** He threw back his head and laughed for a second time.

Naruto was petrified. His throat was dry and agonizingly tight; he felt he could not breathe a second longer if remained in there. He took a step backward.

And a hand caught him.

He stared at it in shock. There Hinata stood in front of him, defiant before the Kyūbi. Naruto could see the internal struggle tear at her body, but she refused to yield. "I do not believe you!" she said again, louder this time. "You are lying!"

Her voice was so quiet compared to the Kyūbi's, but he heard her all the same, and his laughter subsided. **"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU LITTLE WENCH?"**

"I do not know why you wish to keep the truth from Naruto-kun and I, but I will not blame Naruto for what happened to my mother. I miss her, and nothing I do can bring her back, but I cannot believe she died that way!"

The beast snarled, but he had no time to speak. "Maybe something has happened to you in the past to make you hate humans, or maybe just anyone from our village, but I won't believe what you have said. And…I do not hold it against you."

Naruto gaped with surprise. "Hinata…"

He felt her squeeze his hand. "I pity you. Trapped in the darkness, with only your own hatred for all those around you…it is no way to live. I am sure if Naruto-kun found a way to change you, he would. I do not look like much to you…but I want you to know that I would not give up on you either. Maybe someday I _can_ do something for you."

The Kyūbi backed away from the cage, his eyes burning with fury. **"BE QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL! I'LL KILL YOU ALL ONCE I'M FREE OF THIS ACCURSED BOY! I WILL KILL YOU THE SAME WAY I KILLED YOUR MOTHER!"**

Hinata turned her back on the cage. "If you truly did kill my mother…I forgive you."

"Please, Naruto-kun…" she whispered to him. "I want to go now."

Naruto turned to look at the Kyūbi before they disappeared. He saw many things in the demon's eyes: confusion, fear, apprehension…but not anger. The rage had left him, and Naruto felt a strange feeling emanating from the Kyūbi as he stomped further back into his cage. He wanted to stay and talk to him more, but he knew it was best for Hinata to leave.

He blinked, and they were back with Tsunade and Inoichi. Immediately he checked on Hinata, who was sitting beside him, heavily sweating and barely conscious.

"Is she alright?" he asked, struggling to get free as Inoichi helped him.

Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief as she looked Hinata over. "Yes, she's fine. Just a little worn-out from the ordeal. Hinata, do you feel alright? Is everything okay?"

Hinata wobbled to her feet, clutching her head. "Y-yes…I think I'm fine. Thank you."

The moment he was free, Naruto rushed over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him, rocking back and forth. "I'm so sorry, Hinata. No one should have to go through something like that."

"Th-thank you, Naruto-kun…that means a lot. I'm glad I could be with you for that."

"What happened in there?" Tsunade whispered to Inoichi.

But the Yamanaka head shook his head. "It is none of our business any longer, Tsunade-sama. Hinata is a strong girl, but I don't want to make this any harder for her."

Tsunade watched Naruto and Hinata slowly make their way from the room, questions spinning in her head. What had the Kyūbi told them, and why did Hinata seem worse off than Naruto? They were nagging questions, but she could wait until they were ready to talk about them. For now, it would be best to give them some space.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata squeaked, once they were outside.

"Yeah?"

"I'd l-like to go home today, if that's okay with you? I just want to go home."

Naruto watched her with eyes filled with worry. "Are you sure you're gonna be alright, Hinata?"

She managed a peck on his cheek. "I just need a little rest. I'm sorry to leave you alone tonight, but I need this."

Naruto smiled. "You do whatever you need to do, Hinata. That took a lot of strength to do what you did. Sometimes I think you're from heaven, when I see things like that. I'm so proud of you."

She hugged him again, fiercely. "I meant what I said, Naruto-kun. I do _not_ believe him, no matter what. Even if we never find the truth, I will not believe him."

Hesitantly, she pulled away, and left him with a smile. Naruto was worried for her, but if this was what she wanted, he would be happy to leave her alone for the day. There were still some things he needed to do on his own anyway.

* * *

><p>The way the Kyūbi had looked at them before they returned to the real world refused to leave his head. He had never seen him look like that; a powerful, primordial demon looking vulnerable and anxious. It was an upsetting sight, and he made a mental note to add it to his list of questions.<p>

He had spoken with Tsunade before he had left as well, filling her in on as much as she needed to know, as well as asking her permission to see Raiā. He held her to when she had said he was free to talk to the man provided she was aware beforehand, and although Tsunade was not happy about it, she accepted, provided Shizune went with him to make sure Raiā did not say anything she didn't want him to. She would meet him there, as she was already attending to some business nearby.

Their first face-to-face encounter had not gone well. Raiā was rude, cruel, and spoke his mind no matter who his words might hurt. But he had information no one else in the village had, and may have known his mother better than Tsunade had. It was likely that she wasn't much older than a child, but any information was better than none, and Naruto was willing to work with Raiā to get it. He also may know more about what made the Kyūbi so angry, so it would be unwise for him to ignore that kind of opportunity, even if it was attached to one of the most colossal assholes Naruto had ever met.

Raiā had been moved to a less secure facility due to his insistence he had no intention of leaving the safety of the village. Certain political prisoners as well as other special cases were housed in the facility, which while it did not have the almost draconian security measures, it still had guards posted outside most doorways, as well as any entrances and exits. Still, the security seemed to be lax, as when Naruto approached the front entrance, the guards on duty were in the middle of a card game, more accurately an argument about who had _won_ the card game.

"Uhh…I guess I'll be going in now?" he said aloud, trying to get their attention. They ignored him, so Naruto just walked inside.

The second set of guards _did_ notice him, however, and stopped him in the hallway. "State your business," one said.

"I want to see Raiā," said Naruto. "I have permission from Granny to talk to him, okay?" He tried walking by, but the guard moved into his path.

"Unless I receive direct confirmation from Tsunade-sama herself, I cannot allow you to see the prisoner Raiā Uzumaki."

A vein in Naruto's forehead began to throb. "Look, I got the okay to come here, alright? You think I would risk Granny beating me up just to lie to you?"

"Please sir, do not make this more difficult than it has to—"

"That is _enough_."

Shizune arrived to his rescue. She glared at the guard, and shoved the clipboard she was holding into his face. "This is the proof. I just received the notice from Tsunade-sama herself, so if you choose to waste even a second more of our time, I'll make sure Tsunade-sama hears this, and puts you on the graveyard shift for the next six months!"

The man began to sweat, muttered a hasty apology, and removed himself from their way.

"Wow, I never knew you were capable of something like that!" Naruto said with a laugh. "You don't ever do that when Granny's around."

Shizune smiled. "It's not necessary when she's around. I can sit back and let her handle that. Are you ready?"

Naruto shrugged. "I guess. I don't know if I'll ever be 'ready' to talk to this guy."

"I know what you mean," Shizune replied.

Raiā was kept in one of the more secure wings of the facility, and as Naruto found out through Shizune, with only the most stoic guards. Apparently Raiā had a penchant for talking their ears off for his own amusement, leaving only a select few willing to accept the job. The guard currently standing outside didn't even seem to know Naruto and Shizune had arrived, staring straight ahead with no reaction whatsoever.

Shizune craned her neck. "Is he…talking to someone?" she asked.

"I hear it too," Naruto replied. "Are there other people allowed in his cell?"

"No, there are not."

It was worrying, so Naruto burst through the door to make sure nothing was going on. Instead of Raiā speaking with someone else, he was greeted with a different, much stranger sight.

Raiā was talking to a dog. More importantly, _his_dog. He was wagging his tail when Raiā finally noticed they had company. He turned around, and a wicked smile split across his face.

"Didn't I tell you? Now they won't let us speak to each other ever again." He laughed, and leaned against the wall. "I didn't expect you here so soon, Naruto. From what I gathered from our last little chat, you wanted to avoid me whenever necessary."

"Miso! What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, ignoring Raiā and striding to the window. Miso barked with happiness to see his friend, and lapped at his face through the bars. "Ugh! You smell like cheap fast food!"

"I'm sorry your mutt couldn't get some finer dining," Raiā said sarcastically. "But he did the best he could. Don't make him feel bad."

Naruto was confused. "Why is he here, and with _you_? Has he been feeding you? Is that even allowed?"

Raiā pointed to the wrapper in the corner of the room. "No, your dog hasn't been feeding me secretly with food he picks up from all around the village. What _ever_ gave you that idea?"

Shizune was scribbling something onto her clipboard. "We'll be putting a stop to that. You're not allowed any more food than what you're given. Not until we can properly decide what to do with you."

"You mean you haven't already decided to kill me? I mean, with the food you've been forcing me into eating, I'm surprised I haven't kicked the bucket already. Now, what do you two want? I have so much to do today, like staring at the wall, or maybe scratching mad thoughts into the wall."

Shizune put her hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'll be in the corner writing everything down, Naruto. Just ask what you want, but know that I _may_ have to stop you depending on what might come up. There are some things that are still highly classified that Raiā might be aware of."

Naruto nodded. "Okay, I guess that's fair."

"Don't tell me you're still beat up about that little incident the last time we were all together?" Raiā asked in mock repentance. "So I spilled the beans about Naruto's mother once housing an incredibly powerful demon. I don't think I deserve to be treated like a terrorist because of it!"

There wasn't even a chair to sit down in, and Raiā was conveniently splayed out across the bed, so Naruto just sat down on the floor, cross-legged. "How did you know my mom was a jinchūriki like me?"

Raiā scratched his head. "That was a long time ago, Naruto. My memory may be a little fuzzy. But it _may_ have been because I was a part of the process!"

Just as quickly as he had sat down, Naruto was to his feet. "You what? You did that to my mom?!" He took a step forward, his hand drawn into a fist, but Raiā held his hands up in innocence.

"Don't get so angry, boy! Unlike in your case, being the jinchūriki back then was a great honor!"

It was enough to calm Naruto down. "What are you…talking about?" he asked.

"Did you know that all three of the Kyūbi's jinchūriki have been from the Uzumaki clan? Your mother and yourself were the second and third respectively, and the very first was Mito Uzumaki, one of the oldest Uzumaki who had ever lived. She married the First Hokage, you know."

Naruto's eyes went as wide as saucers, while Shizune was writing furiously into his clipboard. He turned around to make sure it was alright, but Shizune gave him the go-ahead.

Raiā was nodding, seemingly genuinely proud. "Oh yes, we were practically royalty back then. While the Uzumaki did not have much of a presence in Konoha itself, our relations were very strong, and for those that were aware of Mito's jinchūriki status, she was well-respected for it."

"Wait, you mean not everybody knew about it?" Naruto asked.

"Of course not, you idiot! If everyone was aware one of their heroes housed such a demon, it would cause a panic! It was not widespread knowledge, but those who did know the truth knew that Mito and your mother understood the vast sacrifice they had taken, and treated them like they should have been treated. They were both well-taken care of, though your mother did end up dying, so maybe Konoha failed in that regard." He shot a vicious glance in Shizune's direction, who refused to meet his eyes.

Naruto was curious about that private exchange, but Raiā had already moved on. "And yes, I had a hand in the sealing of that beast into your mother. I had not finished my work with the Eight Trigram seal that was used on you yet, so we were forced to use something else. Only those with exceptionally potent chakra could have contained the demon with that kind of seal, so I'm sure she did the best she could."

"Why would you want to do that? Did it really matter that much? Couldn't we have sealed the Kyūbi into something else? Something that wouldn't have to live with it?"

Raiā shook his head. "Absolutely not. Animals are meant to be controlled, and it would have been a massive waste of resources not to possess that trump card when we needed it. Though maybe I turned out to be wrong about that…"

"What do you mean?"

"Politics. I hate them, and have no desire to go into that now. It is a long, terrible story, one I'm sure would bore you to tears, though maybe Shizune-_san_ over here would be interested?"

Shizune frowned at him, shaking her head. Now Naruto's curiosity had been piqued, but Raiā shut his mouth for once. He must have had his own reasons to keep it to himself, but Naruto had plenty of other questions he could ask.

"I want to know more about why the Kyūbi kept me in that coma," he said. "You said it was because he was angry with me, and that it had something to do with Hinata."

"Naruto…" Shizune muttered, stepping forward. "Don't go too far."

"Relax, woman," Raiā spat. "I won't tell him." He turned back to Naruto. "Obviously the beast hates the girl because she represents everything he is not. She is love where he is hate. Light and darkness, kindness and cruelty. It's the only thing that makes sense, really. The beast sees her as an affront in his attempts to control you, and weaken the seal enough to release himself."

He sat up. "Lift up your shirt, boy."

"Huh? Why?" asked Naruto.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you to listen to your elders?" Raiā asked, even though he knew the answer. It was a low blow. "I said lift up your shirt."

Naruto glared at him, but relented anyway. He felt a cold sensation as Raiā placed his clammy hands over his stomach, where his seal was placed.

Raiā frowned. "I can't do anything with these stupid cuffs on." He looked to Shizune. "Would you be useful for once, and take them off? I'm not going to kill anyone, if you must know."

"I don't have permission from Tsunade-sama to do that," Shizune replied curtly.

He was not amused. "Then you have mine. Just get on with it, will you? I need access to my chakra, and I imagine you were told to allow Naruto anything he wants provided it doesn't step over some bureaucratic line. You scratch my back, and…?"

Shizune had a look in her eye reminiscent of Tsunade when she was angry, but with great self-control, she managed to ignore Raiā's insults. A little rougher than needed, she grabbed his cuffs, and unlocked them.

Raiā didn't even look down. With one smooth motion, he snapped the metal in two pieces, freeing his hands. But he didn't strike out at Naruto or Shizune, nor did he try to run away. He simply rubbed his wrists, letting the blood flow ease back in. "It's about time. Now, Naruto, hold still."

Naruto's seal began to glow. It tingled for a few moments, and faded about another few later.

"Just as I thought; the seal has actually strengthened somewhat."

"How is that possible? My dad once told me that he could only restore the seal's strength once."

Raiā rolled his eyes. "Ignoring that you somehow spoke to your corpse of a father, I am the one who created this seal in the first place. Do you _really_ think I don't understand it a little better?"

Naruto was angry about the comment regarding his father, but if he said something about it, Raiā might become even more difficult than he was already, so he held his silence. "Fine. You said it got stronger?"

"Only a little. That only means that the beast's desire to break free has grown a little less, which is surprising, considering how stupid that animal can be."

'_Maybe this has to do with what happened with Hinata earlier today…_' Naruto wondered.

Raiā leaned back in his seat. "This is a good thing, mind you. Despite it being a waste of time, a good relationship with the beast is the smart move. You could gain access to its considerable power, in ways you cannot even imagine."

Naruto shook his head. "I don't think that will work. He still hates me, and I don't think that will ever go away."

"Then you're just not trying hard enough, boy. When something possesses great power, you don't start of by trying to make it like you. You demand respect. You _command_ it."

Naruto almost laughed. "Respect? How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

The grin on Raiā's face was frightening. "I think I could help with that," he said quietly.

* * *

><p>"How long has she been out there?"<p>

"Longer than she needs to be. Someone go out there and retrieve her. It's time for dinner anyway."

"I don't think that's a good idea. She looked rough when she came home."

"You think it was Naruto or something?"

"I doubt it. Maybe he was involved, but Naruto would never hurt her like this."

Hiashi sighed. "Fine, we'll leave her be, but I'm worried about her. Hinata has been out there all day, and has barely moved a muscle. If she's still there in the morning, I will get her myself." He left the window, leaving Hanabi and Neji to their own devices.

"I feel bad for her," Hinata's sister murmured sadly. "I didn't really know Mom for that long. Hinata and she must have been really close."

Neji nodded. It was painful to watch his cousin out there by herself, but he just felt that she needed to be alone right now. She had come home hours ago, and disappeared straight into the backyard, in front of her mother's grave. She had barely moved since.

"…Yes. Hinata cared for her mother a great deal. She will need you and I for the next few days, so we must be there for her, just as she has been for us."

"Should we go out there?" Hanabi asked.

Neji left the window, shaking his head. It was getting late, but he would not intrude. "No, it is not our place. Hinata is making her peace, and we will give her as long as she needs."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> What do you think? Was this up to snuff? Be sure to let me know! I've been out of the long-fic game for a little bit, so it might be a little off from my usual. I promise at least SOME of the questions I've managed to build up in Book Three will be answered.

Thanks to all of you who take the time to review!

Until next time, guys.


	64. New Arrival! A Cloud Over the Leaf!

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, I just wanted to drop off another update before school wound back up.

I'll actually have _more_ free time during the school year, as odd as it sounds, so that means I should be able to rev up my update schedule back to every four days for you guys. Now, I've started my major classes, so we'll have to see how this plays out, but I'll do my best.

I wanted this chapter to include several 'woah' moments, and I'd like to thank my beta **kylekatarn77** for making sure the errors were cleaned up! I also want to thank all of you who take the time to drop off a review, or tell me what they liked/disliked. You guys are the reason this story's been successful so far!

Up until college starts, I've decided to clean up the chapter titles and song links. Some of them are broken (that makes me soooo mad), and the titles in the chapter selector should be more than 'Chapter 1', yeah? Just need to make it look a little nicer.

Here are the songs you need to worry about:

(1) - /watch?v=MHSIoZCJs-4 (The version with lyrics works just as well, but because a particular theme isn't officially released yet, I used this song instead.

(2) - /watch?v=2cJ9733hjV8 (I consider this Raia's **official** theme. There's a slower version out there, but unfortunately it has been taken down due to copyright. I think it captures his 'devious assholishness')

On with the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 12 - New Arrival! A Cloud Hangs Over the Leaf!<strong>

**"This is a _bad_ idea."**

"You know, you say that _all_ the time! When did taking a vacation become such a crime?"

**"Since you decided to drop everything and leave without telling anyone. Your brother will not be happy about this."**

"What he don't know can't hurt 'em. Now stop sulking around, and being so grim! It's you and me, us together, in a new place. Now quit fuckin' crying, and get off my case!"

The sun burst through the trees, draping across the ground the complex patterns of light and shadow. A pair of birds flew over the main road, singing a beautiful morning song. If there had been a more beautiful morning, he hadn't found it yet.

Before him stood the massive wooden gate of Konoha, a show of strength to anyone visiting like him. Not that he saw it that way. To him, the gate was wide open, filled with opportunities and good times.

Provided the voice in his head didn't nag at him the entire time.

**"How long do you think you'll last before you're caught?"**

The man smiled, adjusting his sunglasses. "You worry too much. Besides, who says I wanted to hide in the first place? Mothafucka!"

* * *

><p>Hinata awoke feeling sore. She ached from head to toe, and when she turned to get away from the sunlight, it drummed into her skull. She groaned.<p>

"Hey…are you feeling okay?"

She opened one eye towards the voice. Naruto sighed with relief when she smiled. "Good morning, sleepyhead. I was starting to get worried, you know."

"Wh-what are you doing here, Naruto-kun?" she asked, pushing herself up onto her elbows. She licked dry lips, and Naruto offered her a glass of water.

"I was worried about you, you dummy. Even I could see how shaken you were after what happened yesterday. I didn't get much sleep last night, and eventually I got tired of waiting for you. That's when your dad told me you were out there with your mom's grave almost all night."

Hinata took another drink. "My father?" she rasped. "You spoke to him?"

"Don't worry; he was friendly enough," Naruto said. The corner of his mouth twitched. "Hinata, about what the Kyūbi said to you and me…"

"I don't want to tell him anything. Not yet," Hinata answered firmly, slowly pushing herself to the edge of the bed. "It does not matter what I think; he will be harder to convince, and you do not deserve that hanging over your head. It's best if we keep it to ourselves."

"You know how I feel about lying, Hinata. Your father deserves to know the truth."

"And he _will_, when we know the truth ourselves." She reached out for his hand, and he took it. "There is still something missing from all of this. I just know it. I won't tell father anything until I am sure of it myself."

Naruto squeezed her hand, frowning. "But why would the Kyūbi ever tell us the truth? He doesn't have anything to gain from it. Even after you said you forgave him—which was amazing, by the way—he didn't seem any more willing to tell us."

"I did not forgive him for his sake," Hinata said. "That was not for him; it was for me. I needed closure, after all this time. I needed to finally learn to let go, and accept that my mother is gone, and nothing can change that. It will only bring harm down on me if I hold onto that anger. Whoever is responsible for my mother's death, it doesn't matter anymore. She would not want me out for revenge."

Suddenly, Naruto pulled her into his lap, holding onto her as tightly as he could without hurting her. He buried his nose into her shoulder, and she could feel him breathing deep.

"You're the strongest person I've ever seen, Hinata. I don't know of anyone else who could do what you did."

She hugged him back, kissing him on the cheek. "I have a good teacher."

He wasn't finished. "I…want you to know that I'm here for you, if you need me. Even if it's the opposite, and you don't want to see me, I'm okay with that."

"Why would you think I wouldn't w-want to see you?" Hinata asked, even as she realized what it might be. "Naruto-kun, you don't need to put yourself through this. It was _not_ you who did this."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I can't help it. Even if I wasn't in control, and there was no way I could have been, it's not something you can't _not_ blame yourself for. Every time I've ever lost control, even if there was nothing I could do, it's still a part of me. _He's_ still a part of me."

"Then what can I do to help you?" Hinata asked, cooing in his ear. "Please, tell me. I want to be there for you the same way you are for me."

He managed to smile. "You're doing it right now. Maybe I can change later on, but I just don't know right now, and I need to know you're okay with that."

She didn't hesitate. "I will always be okay with that." Another hug, quicker than the first. "I love every part of you, Naruto-kun. Even the parts you haven't learned to love yourself."

Hinata leaned against his shoulder, the two of them sitting at the edge of her bed staring out the window. It was an hour later when they realized they had both fallen asleep again, both awaking to the sounds of their stomachs rumbling.

Naruto laughed in the middle of a big yawn. "Now I remember what I was going to ask you when I came in. You want to go get something to eat? I guess it's more lunchtime than breakfast now, but that doesn't matter."

Actually, breakfast sounded delicious. "Who cares what it's 'time' for?" Hinata sighed, stretching her arms as she stood. "There's nothing I want more in the world right now than some breakfast food. We can just stay here and eat."

"You sure your dad will be alright with that?" Naruto asked.

"He will need to learn to get used to it. We'll call this lesson number one, okay?" Hinata giggled. "But I'll n-need you on your best behavior. We don't want to start off on the wrong foot. So no calling him 'old man', no pranking, and you'll need your best table manners."

Naruto groaned, but nodded anyway. "Right, right. I'll be good, I promise."

Her home was unusually bustling with activity, with clan members chatting in the hallway and more arriving every minute. Many greeted Naruto and Hinata with the expected Hyūga grace, but there were a few who were a little icier to Naruto. He smiled all the same, but Hinata could see it ate at him.

"Is something happening today?" Naruto asked, after they squeezed past a larger group standing in the middle of the hall.

"It's a clan meeting, so everyone's expected to be here," Hinata informed him. "Father announces the meeting the day before, but he never sets a specific time because he does not know how long it will take to prepare, so everyone else has to wait until they're summoned. Sometimes, it can be a while."

"What do you guys talk about?" Naruto asked.

"We discuss our training since the last meeting, and how we have improved or slowed our p-progress. We also settle disputes between family members, should they become intrusive enough to interfere with day-to-day matters."

"Sounds boring," said Naruto.

"You have _no_ idea. Some of the older members have learned to sleep with their eyes open so father doesn't notice. I'm still learning," she said with a laugh.

The kitchen was one of the busiest rooms in the house. Even though it was almost noon, almost a dozen clan members stood shoulder to shoulder, snacking on some food left out. Naruto eyed it hungrily, but Hinata tugged him past.

"No, we're here or breakfast," she reminded him.

"But they're standing right in the way of everything!" Naruto complained. "The stove, the cupboards…how are we supposed to eat if they're like a human fence?" He shook his fist at them in mock anger. "I'm hungry, dammit!"

"There is ample food for you, Naruto, despite what I've heard about your appetite."

The two of them froze. Perhaps it was the voice's icy courtesy, or because they knew the source of that voice. Whatever the case may be, it scared them witless.

"H-hello, father!" Hinata squeaked. "I didn't hear you coming!"

The lines in Hiashi's forehead deepened. "A kunoichi must always be aware of her surroundings, Hinata. Even when you are somewhere you feel safe."

He folded his arms into his robe. "Now…what can I do for the two of you? Hinata, I hope you didn't mind Naruto's intrusion. He was worried about you, and I know he makes you feel better."

"Thank you for letting him in, Father. We were just looking for something to eat. Something breakfast-y."

"Breakfast-y?" Hiashi repeated slowly. "You mean food that you consume at breakfast, yes?"

Hinata blushed. If her father was having fun at her expense, he was hiding it well. "Uhhh, yeah. Something like that."

"I think I can help." Hiashi turned towards the other clan members. "The meeting will begin in a few moments. Please follow me."

Like moths to the flame, they marched out behind the Hyūga clan head. He turned, inclined his head towards his daughter and watched Naruto for a moment, and then he was gone.

Naruto released the breath he had been holding. "Wow! That went a lot better than expected."

"I thought you said he was nice to you when you came to visit me?" Hinata asked.

"I don't want to worry you, but let's just say he's warmed up a little since our last conversation." Naruto hurried over to the cupboards, flinging them open. "Now, where's the grub? I bet you guys have some top shelf stuff tucked away."

Hinata giggled. "Actually, father prefers meals to be simple and well-portioned. There are those who are less fortunate than we are, so he does not splurge on food as much as he could."

Naruto tried to hide the disappointment in not getting his breakfast smorgasbord with respect for Hiashi's choice. It was odd to think that a man capable of such a frosty greeting catered to those less fortunate at the very same time. A complex man with many layers. He hoped one day he would get through some of those.

Since he didn't really know where _anything_was, Naruto relegated himself to an assistant, taking out bowls and ingredients that Hinata pointed him towards.

"What are we making?" he asked.

"Nothing too fancy," his girlfriend replied. "Maybe some pancakes with fruit in them?"

Naruto made a face. "Who needs fruit? I say chocolate!"

"You know that's not good for your health." She tried giving him the 'firm' face, but Naruto countered with his 'sweet' face. They had reached an impasse, until Hinata fluttered her eyebrows. Naruto crumbled in defeat.

"Fine, I'll eat the stupid fruit." He pretended to sulk for the rest of their preparation, pulling exaggerated faces and sighing every few seconds. Hinata found his performance endlessly funny.

"Anything on the agenda today?" she asked, hoping to start a conversation.

Naruto's nose twitched. "I talked to Raiā some yesterday, and he said some interesting things about what I could with the Kyūbi. He said I could get it to respect me."

Hinata was curious. "What do you think he means?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'm going to ask him today and see. I'll have to go by Tsunade's office to see if it's alright to see him twice in only a few days. You wanna come with?"

Hinata smiled. "If that's alright with you, I'd be happy to join you."

But Naruto wasn't taking any chances. "Are you sure? I know that Raiā's…different. If you don't want to go, don't feel obligated."

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I can take it. If I can take what the Kyūbi can tell me, I can take what Raiā can say."

Naruto smiled broadly and reached over the table, grabbing the dishes. "You know, it's kind of weird, but I think he likes you."

Hinata made a face.

"No, not like that! I just meant that he probably won't be as mean to you. Probably." He fiddled with his nose in embarrassment. "Just be as confident as you were yesterday, and you'll be fine."

He waited for her to get dressed in the hallway. She left the door open, but only with a small crack so Naruto wouldn't be tempted to peek.

"So why aren't _you_ going to the meeting?" he asked, swaying from side to side with his hands in his pockets. "Weren't all clan members supposed to go?"

"It's mainly about financial matters, of which I have no say in," said Hinata. "Those men you saw in the kitchen were in charge of this fund and that one, and they have to tell my father what they spend and earn each month."

A question popped into Naruto's head. "Hey, how come there aren't more women in positions of power in the Hyūga clan? You dad seems like a progressive enough guy."

"He is," she called back, "but the rest of the clan is not so easily persuaded. They are stuck in their ways, and many believe that women are not yet ready to handle that kind of responsibility. The wife of the main house's head usually has some duties, but not that many."

"Does that mean your mother had some of the same responsibility?" Naruto asked, before a second, stronger question came to mind. "Hey…how come your mom has the Byakugan? Does that mean your parents were related _before_ they got married?" He was starting to freak out before Hinata had even replied.

"Yes, they were. For a long time, the clan married within the family to keep the Byakugan strong, but only in cases where the relation was extremely distant. My mother and father might have been related in name, but they shared almost no blood."

Naruto shivered. "Yeah, but still…and your dad was okay with that?"

The door opened, and Hinata stepped out into the hall, fully dressed. "I've never asked him. It seems to be a particularly sore subject, and I can understand and respect that. Maybe I'll get the courage to ask him what he thought about when he met my mother, but not right now. Not with all this going on."

She held out her arm. "Are you ready to go?"

Naruto linked his own in hers. "You bet!" And side by side, they made their way off the compound, and into the village.

* * *

><p>Even as far from the Hokage's office as they were, Naruto could sense something was going on. Something big. Maybe he had seen someone go flying out the window with a stack of papers scattering to the wind, and maybe he had seen wrong. It was making him uncomfortable.<p>

The moment they opened the door to the main floor of the office, it was obvious something _was_ going on. People were running back and forth like their lives depended on it, racing past one another and screaming down the hallways.

"What on earth is happening?" Hinata asked, a hand to her mouth. "I hope nothing's happened to Tsunade-sama."

"Let's go see." Naruto grabbed her hand, and started weaving in between the frantic employees. Most didn't even notice Naruto's presence, and the few that did made it very clear that they couldn't be bothered to deal with him right now. Naruto's heart started pounding in his chest. What is something _had_happened to Granny? There were very few things that could set the office off like this, while not alerting anyone else in the village.

"Naruto, this _really_ isn't a good time to be here." Shizune looked like a wreck. Her hair was matted in some places, and frizzled in others. One of her shirt sleeves was torn, and half of the paperwork she had been carrying was crumpled or stained.

"Jeez, what the hell's going on in there?" Naruto craned his neck towards Tsunade's office, hearing the shouting of voices. Tsunade sounded more worried than angry. That didn't bode well. He took a step forwards.

Shizune moved to block him. "I said _no,_ Naruto. Tsunade would kill the both of us if anyone else was allowed in there."

"Anyone_else_?" Naruto repeated, growing more curious by the second. He tried peeking over her shoulder, but Shizune was desperate to direct his attention elsewhere. "I'll do anything you like, if you need any kind of permission again, but you cannot go—"

The door burst open, and another worker scurried out with his tail between his legs. In the middle of Tsunade's office stood a bear of a man, dark-skinned and darker-haired. Naruto felt his academy days nagging at him, and he tried to remember where the garb the man wore came from, but his mind was drawing a blank.

(1)

Eight scabbards adorned his back, sheathing what Naruto and Hinata assumed to be swords. They took him to be a foreign shinobi at first, but the way he was swaying his hips back and forth insisted dismissal of the idea.

The man turned, and though his eyes were masked behind a pair of sunglasses, Naruto could tell he was looking at him. His hair stood on end. No…this man was looking _through_him.

Tsunade groaned. "Naruto, this is _not_ a good time. Come back later and I'll deal with whatever bull—"

"YOOOOOO! Feast yo' eyes on this beautiful sight! Killer Bee-sama, in all his glorious might! Bow and be amazed, fool!" The man hopped from one foot to the other, striking a dramatic pose. Even his sunglasses twinkled in the light.

Naruto leaned over. "This guy reminds me of Bushy Brows."

"Naruto, this is Bee." Tsunade was massaging her temples, apparently deeply troubled this 'Bee' person was here.

"Ahem!" Bee folded his arms and stared at her with a defiance that Naruto was surprised he was willing to risk.

"Excuse me…Killer Bee-_sama_. He's the brother of the Raikage."

Naruto took the conversation as an invitation to step inside her office. Hinata followed after him, thought a little shy. "What's he doing here?"

"Man, these two are cruel! Acting like I ain't even here, like I'm some kind of fool!"

"And what's with the bad rhymes?" Naruto added. That earned him a dark glare from Bee. Tsunade seemed to dislike his choice of words as well. Naruto wondered if there was something else to this he hadn't been filled in on.

"Bee-sama is here because he decided he wanted a vacation, and when he overheard that his brother was taking part in the Shinobi Exchange program, he put his name forward."

"So I'm guessing he got in?"

Tsunade sighed. "No. The Raikage did not want his brother to set foot outside of the village. He…doesn't even know he's here."

With a sudden burst of rage, she flung her chair out from under her. Everyone jumped in surprise. "Do you have any idea how much trouble this will cause!? A will be out for blood if he has any reason to assume we kidnapped his brother. This could start a war, and all because _you_," she said, pointing at Bee, "decided you had to take a vacation! Couldn't you have gone somewhere else?"

"No. My team came here for the program. Wherever they go, I go, yo."

The room fell silent, save for Tsunade lightly knocking her head against her desk.

Bee was staring at Naruto again. It was unnerving, not being able to see his eyes. Naruto shifted uncomfortably.

"What are you looking at?" he was frustrated. This man's presence might put his meeting with Raiā on hold, as well as anything else that he might need from Tsunade. "You got something to say?"

"You called him Naruto…" Bee said quietly, looking back at Tsunade. She raised her head a little, and nodded.

"Naruto Uzumaki…" Bee walked straight up to him, and then around him in a small circle, without saying a word. "Naruto Uzumaki…" he repeated.

"What?" Naruto was tired of 'Bee'; he tried to step backward, but something caught his eye. The tattoos he sported: a pair of horns under his left eye and the symbol for iron upon his right arm. Naruto felt his eyes drawn towards them. Something about them made him feel…

Bee's hand was in front of him, balled into a fist. "Tap it," he grunted.

Naruto did so with tepid enthusiasm. Something like a spark jolted through him when their knuckles touched, but he decided it was only his imagination.

"Cool, man…" Bee smiled, something that made Naruto more at ease. And then, for what must have been the first time, Bee spied Hinata, quietly standing behind Naruto. She had been content to observe in silence, shy of the newcomer. It was something Bee wouldn't have any part of; he strode right up to her, and held out his fist once again.

"Hello, little lady. Don't be afraid; I ain't anyone shady."

Hinata managed a nervous smile, and returned the gesture. It felt awkward for someone like her, and she felt especially frail next to such a large man. Yet just the same as Naruto, she felt a tingling sensation, and immediately felt a little more at ease with Bee.

The Raikage's brother looked from Naruto to Hinata, and back again. His smile was wider. "Very cool." He turned back to Tsunade. "Heyyy! It's time for me to dash! Gotta go find a place to crash. Fool, ya fool!"

He slid out of the room walking backwards, muttering other lyrics to himself to a horrible put-together beat. Tsunade looked like she might try and stop him for a moment, but the motivation left her, and she slumped back into her chair.

"Tsunade-sama, is it really wise to let him roam the village unattended?" Shizune asked, fretting over her clipboard.

"Let him do whatever he wants. He's perfectly capable of defending himself if by some small chance he managed to get into trouble. If he wants to do this, let the record show that I had _no_ part in it!"

She pointed at Naruto. "_You_ can do whatever you want, and if you stay in this office for even one more second, I will rip your head off. Get. OUT."

Hinata latched onto Naruto's arm and pulled him out of there as fast as she could, as Tsunade was reaching into the depths of her desk drawer for the strongest booze she had.

* * *

><p>(2)<p>

"You're back so soon? I must say, I'm surprised." Raiā had recently been washed. Apparently the smell had been too much for the guard on duty, and he had allowed Raiā a quick bath to wash most of the grime from his skin and hair. Still, the lesser reached areas of his body, his knuckles and behind his ears, reeked with dirt, and Naruto made sure to keep his distance.

Raiā's eyes locked with Hinata's. Hinata felt naked as his hard eyes bored holes through her body. "You must be that Hyūga girl. Naruto's squeeze, perhaps?"

"Back off," the blond growled, stepping in between the two of them. "Granny gave me permission to do whatever I wanted, and I'll take advantage of that to beat you if you mess with her."

"You don't scare me, boy. Not yet." Raiā leaned against the wall of his cell. "Besides, I have no interest in watching your girlfriend squirm. Why are you back? Have any interest in what I had to say during our last little chat?"

"You said you could help me gain the Kyūbi's respect. What did you by that?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. The monster is not something you can just become friends with. If that ever crossed your mind, I fear for future generations. You two…haven't started breeding yet, have you?"

Naruto turned a deep red. "N-no! And that's none of your business."

"Then don't ask stupid questions. We can talk about what I can do for you all you like, but as long as I'm stuck in here, I'll do nothing."

"Why? Do you need the space?" Naruto asked.

"No."

Naruto didn't understand. "Then why not? What's the problem?"

"…I think he's b-blackmailing you, Naruto-kun."

Raiā clapped. "Ahh, so she _can_ speak! I wish you wouldn't use such harsh words; I prefer to think of it as a non-negotiable condition. If you want my help, you need to find me a way out of this cell."

"That's not fair! You're in here for a reason, you know. Why should I give a damn about helping you?"

"Because I am a human being, not a piece of meat. I never did anything wrong when I stayed in Sunagakure. I minded my own business, even saved a few lives! But no, when I try to flee for my life when I know that there are those who want to take it from me, I'm thrown in prison as a political prisoner."

He leaned back. "Is that enough reason for you, my fellow Uzumaki?"

Naruto frowned. It had been easy to be offended when Raiā did not have a case in his favor, but Naruto felt his mind changing rapidly. "What about your house? You almost killed Hinata and Kiba when those traps went off."

"A precaution to protect secrets that no one should get ahold of. There are many reasons why Uzushiogakure was destroyed, Naruto. Things that cannot be buried or hidden away. I kept them as safe as I could."

"Tell your Hokage that I want out of this tiny little cell, an apartment of my own, and an ample allowance for food and utilities. I have no intention of leeching off of the village; I am fine helping in what ways I can. But do not dare to presume that you know everything about my situation, or that I will sit down and take an unjust punishment like a dog."

"What do you plan to do for Naruto-kun when you're free?" Hinata asked, as caution crept into her mind. "He should know if what you have to offer is worth it."

Raiā smirked. "And now I know which of you are the brains. Very well, I'll tell you. Without my expertise of both your specific seal, as well as jinchūriki and tailed beasts in general, you cannot hope to gain control over the Kyūbi's power."

Naruto and Hinata both were surprised. "You want me…to learn to control the Kyūbi's power?"

"Is there an echo in here? Yes, that's what I plan on doing. A weapon isn't a weapon if it cannot be wielded, and from what I understand, your control over its power is tenuous at best. You will need to take it for yourself, and that is how you will command respect over the beast."

Naruto sat down, crossing his legs. "Why would the Kyūbi respect me for taking away all its chakra? Wouldn't that make it hate me more?"

"You don't understand its mind very well. It respects power and strength over all else, and if you can manage to take away its own power, that is a very good way of showing it you are an equal, if not superior. It despises the weak, and proving you are not weak is the first step in the right direction."

"Naruto-kun does not only want to use its power," said Hinata. "He is not that selfish, or as bloodthirsty as you want him to be. He wants to mend the relationship between the Kyūbi and humanity."

Raiā almost laughed; he settled for a wry look. "I rescind my statement about you being the smart one. Girl, that beast is nothing more than a chakra factory. It has no feelings; it has no dreams, no friends. Do not think you will be the one to change that."

Naruto felt a darkness stir within himself. He heard Raiā's words, but he refused to _listen_ to them. He had never given up on anything, and now was not the time to start. Maybe it would take months, or years. It might not even happen in his lifetime, but Naruto would prove Raiā wrong. There was more to Kyūbi than any of them realized. He was sure of it.

Raiā folded his arms, and yawned. "You have my terms, so the sooner you make this deal happen, the sooner we can get on with it. I _do_ get lonely, you know." He offered the two of them a small smile; a genuine one. It looked strange on such an angry, crafty face, but maybe he only needed to get used to it.

Naruto gently shut the door behind them, and let out the breath he didn't even know he had been holding. "So, what do you think? We'll be having family reunions pretty soon, yeah?"

Hinata held his hand. "He was…interesting, but I think he genuinely wants to help. He seemed afraid that he couldn't."

"Afraid? That old guy acted like nothing could scare him."

"I do not know what it is," Hinata said, "but I could not shake the feeling that everything he did was motivated by fear. Fear of being useless, fear of inaction…fear of the wrong action, even. He is under a lot of stress. Maybe releasing him would be the best idea."

Naruto shrugged. "I wanna leave that up to Granny. That's not my decision to make."

"But what would you decide were it your decision?" asked Hinata. "If you want to become Hokage, you must see yourself in these kinds of situations."

"I guess I would trust him." Naruto dropped his eyes to the floor, lazily tracing the cracks in the stone. "I think he should be allowed to help. If he doesn't, whatever you say he's afraid of might come true."

* * *

><p>A light rain fell on Sasuke's head, though he scarce seemed to notice.<p>

The tiny port they had found themselves in was nothing like the bustling seaside town they had started their search in. The buildings were cobbled together with whatever material happened to be plentiful at the time; this could anything from flimsy straw thatch to sheet metal to hardy oak. They were placed haphazardly wherever there might be some room, even if that meant building directly over another home or shop. Some of these towers rose into the sky so high Sasuke would need to crane his neck to see the top. Others were being reclaimed by the earth through sinkholes popping up underneath the property.

The nicest inn in town was tolerable at best, not that luxury was ever a primary concern. The seedy looking man who welcomed them seemed happy enough to accept his coin, despite rumors flying around the docks that a captain had been tortured in his cabin, and his money stolen. As long as it didn't affect him, it wasn't worth thinking about.

Sasuke had gotten little sleep the past few days. The ship they had chartered passage on had reeked of rotten fish and spoiled foodstuffs, and a storm had made the trip a grueling ordeal of endless rocking back and forth. His stomach had retaliated in the only way it knew how, and he had been in a foul mood ever since.

Karin stood nearby, hidden in an alleyway while she did her work. Eyes closed with practiced concentration, she reached out and searched for any chakra signature that might stand out. Each and every shinobi possessed their own chakra, and to someone new to the skill, many might blend together, but this was an area that Karin excelled at. Even the most minute differences became glaringly obvious, and even those experienced with hiding their chakra signature would find it difficult to mask it from her.

But she was encountering an unusual amount of trouble. As they had learned upon their arrival, a few shinobi here and there used the village for discreet travel into other countries, or just when they needed cheap alcohol, and didn't mind waking up in the mud. Karin had detected them in seconds, but their signatures seemed to be changing constantly, rising and falling. It muddled her vision, and made it that much harder to pinpoint a location where this Uzumaki might be hiding, provided she was still here. She dare not tell Sasuke, though. He would blame her, and as she ran a hand over the scar where he had pierced her, she reminded herself it was wise to make herself useful.

"What's taking so long?" he asked, startling her.

"It's nothing. I'm just searching a broader area," she lied. "It shouldn't be too much longer."

He said nothing, and that surprised her. He had been a little gentler ever since they had left the town in Konoha, and despite her best efforts, it was hard to find enough hate to keep him at bay. He was silent most of the time, but he had asked her about her parents once or twice more, and took care not to antagonize her. It wasn't much, but from someone like him, it meant a great deal.

She pushed her ability to the limit. Sound and smell and touch faded away, leaving only one sense reaching out with its fingers into the world.

"I found something," she said. It felt familiar, though she dare not tell Sasuke that. "On the other side of town. There's a bar or inn with rooms underground."

Sasuke looked behind him. "Let's go." He leapt to the nearest rooftop, and was off. Karin soon followed, relieved she hadn't failed.

The found the inn, and Sasuke could see why they missed it their first time through the village. It was tucked away beside several other buildings that had been condemned, and made no attempt to persuade anyone that it wasn't as well. Sasuke recognized some of the imagery and graffiti that adorned the windows and walls; this building had been used by organized crime at some point or another. Considering their stance on the law, it wasn't too ridiculous to imagine that measures were put in place to prevent detection by shinobi.

Karin seemed to agree, frowning at the concrete. "I've seen this before. This can artificially hide chakra, or at least make it harder to spot. Combined with a shinobi's ability to mask their own chakra, they could make themselves almost invisible."

"I'm glad you were stronger than that," Sasuke said quietly, approaching the door. He did not notice Karin blush.

The front door didn't even lead inside; it led to a staircase, straight down. Sasuke drew his hood down once he was out of the rain, and descended. A light flickered to his left, rapidly painting him in orange light, and then darkness.

He found a door at the bottom of the stair, and voices behind it. He pulled his hood back up and stepped inside. Better to be careful.

The room was larger than he had guessed; it had been converted into something akin to a bar, although from the look of some of the patrons, it wasn't legal. Sasuke spied expensive alcohol normally subject to high taxes on the top shelf, and cheap swill on the bottom. He could see needles and pipes and other drug paraphernalia. A sort of unofficial hideaway for criminals, he assumed.

The patrons turned to stare for a few seconds, and went back to their own conversation or drinks. As Sasuke approached the bar, he heard two men grumble about their villages chasing after them for tax evasion, and he relaxed. Anyone fleeing the village for something as pathetic as that was no one to be concerned about.

The bartender asked what he drank, but Sasuke ignored him. As Karin chose the seat next to him, his eyes were scanning the mirror on the back wall, looking for his target. Most everyone there were older men, though a few hid their face from view. One person, sitting alone in the back, caught his interest.

"Karin," he whispered, pointing to the person's reflection in the mirror. Karin nodded, and closed her eyes. She reopened them seconds later.

"It may be. Something's keeping me from concentrating on him."

It was enough for him to go on. Sasuke slowly pulled a special senbon from his pouch when the bartender's back was turned. With expert precision he flung it straight towards the mirror. It barely made a sound as it bounced off, and dove towards the stranger in the back, striking their glass. It went right through, embedding itself in the wall nearby. The strange didn't notice the senbon; they only noticed their drink all over the table. He stood up, and swore loudly.

It was a man's voice. He abandoned his suspicions, and looked elsewhere. Two men arguing over the tab, one passed out on the table snoring, and another getting up to go to the bathroom.

It had been his plan all along. Even something so slightly out of the ordinary as a man's cup being broken would be enough. It would scare off anyone trying to hide, or those who were simply paranoid.

The one who going to the bathroom hurried into the hallway on the other side of the room. In their haste, their cloak fluttered, and the flash of red was enough for Sasuke. He rose from the bar, and raced after them.

The bathroom door flung open, and Sasuke was able to catch the woman squirming out a small window near the ceiling. He jumped for her leg, but she pulled it through before he could grab her.

Subtlety no longer mattered. The air screamed as he formed a Chidori into his hand, and unleashed it against the wall, blowing it away. The explosion rocked the rest of the building, producing a hold large enough for him to jump through and continue his pursuit.

Karin barely caught up with him, her breathing already labored as they leapt through the trees. "You found her?" she called.

"Maybe. She's running for a reason. We're not going to lose her." His Sharingan blared to life, and following her movements became a breeze.

The woman quickly realized she could not lose them, and slowed to a stop in the middle of a clearing. Her cloak hid her face, clinging to her body in the rain.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want?"

Sasuke pulled one of the scrolls from his pack. "You can make this simple. There are seals on this scroll, seals that will react if you are who I think you are. If you're not, we'll let you go. Try to run, and I will kill you."

"I haven't done anything wrong!" the woman protested, her hands curling into fists. Something slid down her sleeve, and she flung it at the two of them with incredible speed. Sasuke saw the paper bomb before it was too late, and shoved Karin out of the way before jumping back to safety as well.

But now he had lost her. Turning around to save Karin had given the woman the chance to hide, or maybe even escape. Sasuke couldn't see her.

"Is she still here?" he asked, red eyes darting around the clearing.

Karin pointed to the ground. "Below!"

The woman erupted from underground, tossing a few more paper bombs towards them. Sasuke unsheathed his sword, and with practiced precision, intercepted each of the bombs before they could hit him. They began to glow, but he forced a small amount of lightning chakra into the blade, neutralizing the bombs. They fluttered harmlessly to the ground.

"She's hiding again!" Karin shouted over the growing storm. "Over there!"

But instead, the woman appeared behind Karin, and she would have been killed had Sasuke not grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way for the second time. She fell heavily to the ground.

"Be useful or get out of the way!" Sasuke hissed between gritted teeth. "You're going to get us killed!

Karin jumped back to a safe distance, hair standing on end. This was like the old Sasuke; the Sasuke that would kill her if she got in the way. She looked at her own hand, and was startled by how much it trembled.

The woman relaxed her stance, casually flipping a kunai into the air. "Just what kind of shinobi _are_ you? Being aware of your surroundings is one of the first things they teach you." She grinned from underneath her hood. She made a good point, but she simply had no idea who she was talking to. In the rain, Sasuke's eyes were hidden from her.

"I'm giving you one more chance. Surrender now, or I'll kill you. I don't need you alive."

The woman's grin shifted into a scowl. "Neither do I." She charged.

Her kunai pierced through Sasuke's shoulder, and he cried out in pain. Her blade had gone clean through, shining with blood on the other side of his body.

She smirked. "You're nothing to me. You're just…"

Sasuke turned to mud, which quickly hardened, and her arm was trapped. _She_ was trapped.

Sasuke emerged from the ground, his Sharingan fading away. "You weren't even worth my time," he said with malice. As the woman struggled, he approached.

He flung her hood back, and stared at the brilliant shade of red in her hair. Even in the darkness and rain it glistened like fire.

"Don't try to escape," he warned, taking the scroll out again. He unfurled it, and placed her palm against one of the seals. He waited for the sign to emerge, to confirm his suspicions, but it never came.

He calmly stepped back, and through his hand into the air. The storm grew more and more turbulent by the second, and the woman's struggling turned to desperation. She could feel something was wrong.

"You wasted my time," he spat. The clouds erupted with blue light, and the enormous bolt of lightning that burst from them incinerated the woman instantly. The only thing left was a pile of ashes.

From the trees, Karin felt her heart stop a beat. She had seen the anger in Sasuke's eyes, despite how little that look had lingered. She feared he might want to take it out on her, and it rooted her to the spot. But then he turned his attention to her, and she found her feet once again.

"They were nothing but rumors…" Sasuke said aloud as he sheathed his sword. He held out the scroll. "Hold onto this."

She reached out to take it. He grabbed her hand, and forced it onto one of the seals. It began to glow, and Sasuke reactivated his Sharingan.

"You lied to me," he said, tightening his grip on her hand. Something popped, and Karin might have cried out had she noticed.

Karin's world was spinning. If what she saw and heard was correct, Sasuke believed that _she_ was an Uzumaki. That didn't make any sense. She had never lived in Uzushiogakure, nor did her parents. They had lived quietly in a small village, never ones to make trouble. This didn't make sense. It didn't.

"Sasuke, I…" she started to say. The blow was so fast, her body had no time to react. She collapsed to her knees, and gasped for air.

Sasuke's fist returned to his side, and the sound of steel sliding across leather cut through the clearing like a scream.

And Karin screamed. Sasuke's blade has forced her onto her back, and he stood over her, his eyes gleaming. There was a mad look in his eyes; he was utterly lost in bloodlust.

"I will not be taken for a fool, Karin. You're lucky I don't want to draw this out any longer." He shoved his sword a few inches deeper, and she screamed again.

She had nothing to say; the words refused to come out. Fearful eyes searched Sasuke's face for mercy, illuminated by the Chidori in his other hand, and found none. His hand plunged into her body, and the world went black.

* * *

><p>"Oh my. I didn't expect him to react so…<em>violently<em>."

Hidden away in the trees, Zetsu watched events unfold with utmost curiosity. A spectral image of Tobi stood nearby, shimmering in the dim light.

"I'm sure some of that anger is pointed at you and I. He still believes himself capable of acting on his own. He probably cannot stand the idea that he has been fooled by those he thinks to trick."

"He'll learn," Black Zetsu growled. "One way or the other."

They looked back to the clearing. The glow was fading from Sasuke's hand, and he yanked his sword free of the corpse. He turned on his heels, and left.

Karin's body began to change; the flesh loosened and shifted on itself. Her red hair receded into her skull, and her glasses cracked apart, pulled back into the skull. Her flesh turned stark white, and a moment later, a mirror image of Zetsu had replaced the body.

"You're lucky Sasuke didn't decide to stick around," White Zetsu teased. "Do you think he knows the girl is alive?"

"It makes no difference. She is away from him now, and he will believe himself free from her burden. That Sharingan of his will more than make up for the lack of her abilities."

Zetsu turned, intrigued. "What do you plan on doing with that girl, Tobi? You knew she was an Uzumaki."

Tobi's eye glowed with secrets. "She has her part to play. For now she'll remain with Kabuto and assist him. Once she hears about this, she will be more than willing to help us use Sasuke to suit our needs."

"Does that mean you plan on keeping her alive?" his comrade asked, a devious smile planted across half his face.

Tobi ignored the question. "Continue to keep an eye on him. Make sure his Sharingan is adapting as planned." He faded away, leaving Zetsu to his own thoughts.

_Oh, very well, Tobi. I'll keep an eye on your little project for you. He's quite the amusement._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Shiiiiiit.

Killer Bee is one of my favorite characters, so you have no idea how happy I was to bring him into the fold. He's gonna be a shit ton of fun to write, even _with_ all the rhyming.

And then there's Sasuke. I debated leaving the Zetsu clone revelation out, but I feel like I'm holding a lot of secrets from you right now, so I went ahead and revealed it, though I hope some of you were squirming for a little bit.

I hope you'll leave a review, and tell me what you think! Book Three is shaping up to be a great adventure, to be sure.

Until next time.


	65. Relationships! Hardest Battle of All!

**Author's Note**: New chapter!

Just got finished with the first week of school, and tomorrow we start the second. I like my classes, and since most of them are hands-on kind of stuff, I don't have to worry about too much work outside of class aside from reading. This gives me plenty of time to write, and assuming I can keep up the pace, we can get a new chapter every 4-5 days.

Question: If you got to pick between a trip across Europe, or a trip to Japan, which one would you pick? I'm saving up some money from my summer jobs, and I'll have enough for an ample trip when I graduate. Trying to pick is harder than I thought.

There are a couple guest reviews that I need to answer.

One asked how Karin was able to locate the ninja she and Sasuke were tracking when 'she' was in fact Zetsu all along. Zetsu possess two key abilities: he can make an exact copy of anyone, right down to their specific chakra, and even their techniques to a degree. He can also use a basic kind of chakra sensing technique. Considering he can be in two places at once, it's fair to assume he already knew where she was/knew how to find her.

The other is for **MarianneTrev**: Yes, I am male. Maybe sometimes it doesn't seem like it, but I've been hit in the nads enough to know for sure. I'm glad you enjoy the story, though!

For future reference, I prefer answering reviews privately, so that misunderstandings are minimized. If you still want to leave a guest review, that's perfectly in your rights. I just may not answer, is all.

There's not really much in the way of music right now, so you won't need to worry about that this chapter. I just hope you enjoy it! Big thanks to my friend **OGAFazer89AC **for his advice! It really helps improve the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 13 - Relationships! The Most Difficult Battle of All!<strong>

Shikamaru slumped against a boulder, sliding down its side until his butt hit the sand.

Sweat dotted his forehead like morning dew on grass, and he took deep gasps of air. Beside him, Temari dug through the pack she had brought along, searching for something. With a triumphant grunt, she produced two water canteens, and passed one to Shikamaru.

He took a swallow. "I feel like Chōji did back when he was a genin, wheezing and stumbling his way through Asuma-sensei's rigorous routine. This is brutal on my…well, on my _everything._" He groaned when a muscle stretched the wrong way.

Even though she was tired, Temari chuckled. "What's the matter, haven't had a decent workout in a while?" She lifted her canteen over her head, and poured a generous amount down the back of her neck.

"I use my brain so I don't have to use my body," he said. "I prefer working smarter, not harder. If I wanted to hit something until it broke, I'd be like Naruto."

"His results are a lot better than yours, that's for sure." She wobbled to her feet. "Come on. I think it's time we gave it another go."

Shikamaru groaned. "I just sat down. Can't we take a few more minutes for the feeling to come back into my arms?" When a sweaty hand in his face was his only answer, he pursed his lips, grasped ahold of it, and pushed himself back up the rock. One more try couldn't hurt.

The desert sun beat down on them mercilessly in the middle of the day, but at least Temari had picked a better spot for their training. She had led him to the river that provided Sunagakure with most of its water. Underground there were numerous pipes leading an ample supply back, but back on the surface, oases dotted the landscape like jewels. Tall, slender palm trees craned wooden necks over the water, and desert flowers of striking color nestled among their trunks. Shikamaru could have spent all day here, relaxing in the pools and the shade, but instead he was sweating like a pig, attempting to master a new technique.

Temari hopped a short distance away, and gave the signal to go ahead. "Put your all into it this time!" she shouted.

'_As if I wasn't doing that already.' _Shikamaru closed his eyes, and focused, forming a few new hand signs. The chakra was deeper down this time, forcing him to reach further to get it. He had maybe one more shot at this before his chakra levels would be too low to risk trying again.

At least the sun made strong shadows. Black as night, Shikamaru could manipulate them easier and with more finesse than in the Leaf. And as he concentrated his chakra into his shadow, it began to move.

It shook along the ground, bulging in some places and shrinking away in others. Shikamaru's head started to ache as the shadow's dancing grew more erratic, and while he remained motionless, the shadow lifted one foot into the air.

The other foot suddenly broke off, and the shadow was free, darting across the desert so fast Shikamaru's eyes could barely keep up with it. Controlling it was hard enough when they had first started. Now, it was taking all his concentration not to pass out.

He forced it towards one of the palm's shadows. Temari watched with bated breath as it disappeared inside the tree's shadow, only to spring out again in a long tendril, latching onto her own. Shikamaru lifted his arm, and so did she.

Victory was his, but it didn't last long. His vision started going blurry, and Shikamaru was finding it hard to stand. He lurched forward and barely caught himself from falling. The second time he didn't have the strength, and as the ground rushed up to meet him, he could see Temari racing over.

Surprisingly, he never hit the ground, and a pair of soft hands lifted him his arm over a shoulder, and helped him limp to the closest pool of water. He finally got his chance to relax in one of the pools, when the soft hands shoved him into the water.

Temari was already yelling when he sputtered to the surface. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she said. "Why didn't you tell me you were that low on chakra? You could have killed yourself!"

The water wasn't very deep where she had thrown him, so at least he didn't have to worry about drowning. It was hard to keep his eyes open, but Shikamaru managed to glare at her. "Says the girl who told me to try again in the first place."

She flushed red. "I didn't think you were _that_ tired! Ugh, I don't know how your teammates managed to deal with you all these years." She picked up a rock and half-heartedly threw it into the water. It splashed into his eyes. And he sat up of his hands so he could rub them clean.

When he was done she was in the pool with him. She had taken off her sandals, and left them on the bank. "Don't scare me like that. I remember what you told me about this technique. I'll say it again: you could have died."

He sighed. "I know. Maybe I'm not cut out for the Naruto training method after all." Something was poking at his back, and he reached around for it. It was the scroll, hidden away in a water-proof box. He flicked open the latch, and glanced through the scroll until he found the technique he had been practicing.

It was only one of many. Shikamaru was amazed his clan had stretched the capabilities of their techniques so far, but the cost for such versatility was dear. Through rigorous training, their shadows could be detached from their bodies and controlled from afar, giving them almost limitless range. However, such an extension of their bodies demanded a portion of their own life force, the most valuable of their chakra, in order to maintain control. Should the technique be dispelled or interrupted before their shadow returned that infusion of chakra, it would be permanently lost to them. If they were weak enough, it could be deadly. Shikamaru had learned that first hand.

Temari sat down next to him on an adjacent boulder, letting the cool water run between her toes. "Why do you always compare yourself to Naruto?" she asked.

His brow furrowed. "Do I? I haven't noticed." He spied a glittering stone near his foot, and he bent over to scoop it over, and tossed it across the surface of the pool, watching his reflection shatter.

"He's accomplished so much in such a short time, and he had every odd stacked against him. He didn't have any parents to teach him early on, his classmates scorned him whenever they got the chance, and he's one of the worst learners I've ever seen. And now look at him. He's stronger than Kakashi, and there are people who are sure he'll surpass the Hokage soon enough. But he's no different from when he was a kid. He treats everyone fairly, and I've seen hated enemies turn into allies because of him. If it wasn't for Naruto, you and I probably wouldn't even be speaking right now."

Temari nodded. "He was the one who changed Gaara, yeah. I never really thought about it like that. But you never answered my question. That almost sounds like jealousy."

He didn't bother denying it. "Who wouldn't be jealous? I feel like I'm sitting in one place, and he's getting farther and farther ahead, and through sheer hard work. I've barely improved over the years."

"Don't give me that," said Temari. "If it weren't for you, our village might have been destroyed. You're one of the smartest people in the world. And don't try and say otherwise; you know how hard it is for me to compliment you."

Shikamaru tossed another stone. "And look where that's gotten me. I've been skating by my whole life. I'd rather watch the clouds than train to protect those I care about. It took me this long to realize that's wrong."

"Maybe it's because you're here," Temari teased. "Spending so much time with someone who knows what they're doing will do that to you."

But to her surprise, he nodded. "Yeah, you're right. You're a big part of why I finally realized all this. You're someone I want to protect. You're loud, in-my-face, you never pass up a chance to taunt me, and you're everything my father warned me about when it came to women."

He looked her in the eye. "What _are_ we? It doesn't happen often, but I have no idea what the answer is." Asking such a question was incredibly uncomfortable for him, but was something that had nagged at him for years.

Temari's face was a blank slate. She grabbed the front of his jacket, pulled him close, and gently pressed her lips to his. He didn't pull back, but he didn't pull forward. Shikamaru was a hard person to surprise, but not impossible, it seemed.

"Does that answer your question, genius?" she asked, when she lifted back.

Shikamaru opened his mouth, but he found it full. Temari had pushed him back into the water, and he came back up sputtering. "What the hell was that for?" he asked.

"For taking so long to get the hint." She said it as if it were obvious. "For someone so smart, it took you _way _too long to ask that question." Temari laughed and offered her hand to help him out of the water.

"Maybe my father was right about women…" Shikamaru grumbled.

"Oh, shut up. I'm a delight."

"If by 'delight', you mean over-bearing tomboy, then yes."

"You're just angry because you're less of a man than _I_ am," said Temari.

They bickered back and forth all the way back to the village, unaware they were holding hands at the same time.

* * *

><p>Naruto's foot caught in his sheets when he tried to get out of bed. Miso had peed all over the floor because he had forgotten to leave the window open. He stubbed his toe on the bedroom door on his way into the kitchen, and worst of all, he forgot to get more ramen last night.<p>

He feared today was _not_ going to be a good day.

The only consolation was the young woman fast asleep in his bed. He was used to it, but a lot of things Naruto dealt with on a daily basis were mentally exhausting for Hinata. Dealing with Raiā, her father, and the chaos of the man from Kumo they called Killer Bee was enough stress to override her desire to wake up early. She had noticed Naruto getting up that morning, but instead of waking up alongside him, she grumbled something incoherent, and crawled further into the sheets. Naruto had laughed, and headed for the kitchen to make something to eat.

Eggs were one of the few foods aside from ramen that he had enough confidence in to cook consistently without setting something on fire, usually his own person. The carton felt light, but he breathed a sigh of relief when there was still three left in the carton. He wanted some seasoning to sprinkle in while they cooked, but the spices Hinata had bought for him were in the cabinet just out of reach. He tried to reach anyway, and his foot landed on yolk that had spilled to the floor. With a howl of shock, he slipped into the air. One hand latched onto the spice rack, yanking almost a dozen bottles out of the cabinet, and his other ended up tossing the eggs high into the air. Of course they ended up landing on his arm and neck, still piping hot.

Hinata stumbled in to find him sobbing on the kitchen floor. Apparently he could do nothing right.

"You really n-need to be more careful, Naruto-kun," she said, stooping down to help him up. He grabbed a nearby chair while she wetted a rag to dab the egg off. "You scared me with all that noise."

Naruto blushed. "Sorry. You can go back to sleep if you want!"

"It's ok. I don't need to be sleeping that late anyway." She dabbed away the last bit of failed breakfast from his cheek, planted a little kiss, and washed the rag in the sink while Naruto looked for something else to cook. He spied some instant pancakes hiding in the back of the shelf, and decided to give those a try.

Most of the package was wasted through failed attempts, but with enough practice, and a little extra help from Hinata, he managed a passable set for the two of them to eat.

Naruto pointed to a message on the table. "That was here this morning. Granny wants me to show that Killer Bee guy around the village. I don't know why she picked me, but I'll have to leave pretty soon. Do you have anything planned for today?"

Hinata shrugged. She had planned for the two of them to spend the day together, so this was a little disappointing. "I'll find something to do. M-maybe I can train with Father or Hanabi-chan today. There's a lot I want to practice before I become too busy."

It raised a question that had been on his mind for a while. "Why haven't any of us been sent on missions lately?" Naruto asked. "It doesn't make any sense. I mean, we're ninja. It's what we do."

Hinata seemed surprised. "It's always like that around this time of year, Naruto-kun. Perhaps it's because this is the first time you've been around to see it?"

"See what?"

"Preparations for the jōnin exams are under way," said Hinata. "Villages are less willing to send out chūnin because they don't want to lose any shinobi before the exams. Coupled with the exchange program, I would i-imagine that they want to show their strength as much as possible this year."

She regretted telling him. Hinata had forgotten for a moment that he was _still_ technically a genin. It wasn't fair at all, that he worked so hard for the village, and yet always had other things to do when the chūnin exams came around. It was almost suspicious.

He stared at his breakfast with a sullen look. "What are they like?" he asked. "The jōnin exams, I mean. What did Neji say about them?"

Hinata hesitated for a moment, but Naruto was genuinely interested. "There was much he was not allowed to share, and you know how Neji loves to follow the rules. However, he d-did tell me it was completely unlike the chūnin exams. They're specifically tailored to each individual, to make sure their abilities are well-rounded and their weaknesses lessened as much as possible. He said it was as grueling as any mission he's been on since, if not more so."

Naruto raised his eyebrows. "Are you gonna do it this year? I think you're ready, you know."

"I appreciate the confidence, but I don't think so," said Hinata. "Candidates have to apply, and are put through a rigorous selection process. I d-don't think I'm ready for that at all."

"No, you should definitely give it a try! You won't know unless you try. Hinata, you need to have more confidence in yourself. You're a great ninja!"

Hinata smiled. "Th-thank you, but I'm fine waiting until—"

But Naruto was already thinking aloud about what kind of obstacles they'd have in this year's exams, while he picked up his and Hinata's dishes. Because he wasn't thinking about still being a genin anymore, Hinata didn't interrupt him. It was nice to see him happy again.

They dressed, and went their separate ways after a brief hug. Hinata felt a strange spark shoot through her body when his fingertips brushed through her hair, but she dismissed it, and headed for the Hyūga compound. Naruto left for the Hokage's office.

He couldn't shake that feeling of apprehension, despite how nice of a day it was in the village. The exchange program was in full swing, and civilians and other shinobi alike were excited, and maybe a little afraid, at the prospect of seeing foreign ninja. Naruto could see faces peeking out of windows and doorways, as guides led their guests through the busy streets. Konoha was the most heavily populated of the five main villages, so many of these people have never seen such crowded stores and pathways, and stared with mouths agape.

Several seemed to recognize Naruto, and while some walked up to speak with him, others glared at him from afar, turning up their noses. Bad blood ran deep, it seemed. He didn't trouble himself thinking about it. Starting a fight would make Tsunade mad.

"…Naruto?"

He knew the voice, and ducked into the nearest store. This was _not_ something he wanted to deal with right now. Looks like that bad feeling was right after all.

Sakura found him hiding in a clothing rack with his fingers crossed. "I can see you, Naruto. _Please_ come out. I just want to talk to you."

"I don't really have time for this," Naruto grunted. "Granny wants me in her office to show someone around the village, and I'm already running behind." He moved to leave, but she blocked his path.

"Then I'll take the blame, but I want to talk to you while I have you. You can't avoid me forever. We need to talk about what happened, okay?"

Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets. "What for? I get it, Sakura-chan. You're with Kiba now, just like that."

"It is not 'just like that'," Sakura said, angry. "A lot of this is really confusing, and I don't know what to make of it sometimes. But he asked me out, and I said yes. Why did that make you so angry?"

Naruto wasn't in the mood for beating around the bush. It started to spill out all at once. "Because you said yes! Just like that! I'd been asking for years, and you only ever went out with me when you wanted a free meal or someone to complain to. I feel like I was just being used all this time, and you were just waiting for someone better to come along. But then you picked _Kiba_ out of all people—"

"What's wrong with me?"

Kiba stood in the doorway, Akamaru at his heels. Sakura sighed, and Naruto glowered.

"Kiba, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked.

"I smelled you two in the same store, and I sure as hell wasn't going to avoid it. I'm part of this too, you know." He approached the two of them. "So what's so bad about me, Naruto? Am I not good enough?"

"Be nice, Kiba!" Sakura said, nudging his shoulder. She turned back to Naruto. "It wasn't like that at all. I never led you on."

"How do _you_ know?" Naruto asked. "You never cared enough to ask! I just feel like I don't mean that much to you if you moved on that fast."

He felt bad seeing her look so ashamed, but it was the truth, and it felt good all the same to get it out there. Kiba was glaring at him, but Naruto wasn't bothered. This was really between him and Sakura.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Naruto," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "I never meant for that to happen. I'm dealing with a lot of feelings right now, and I don't really know what to do with them all. I want you to know I'm sorry. Could we meet up later today? There are some things I want to talk about with you."

She looked at Kiba. "In private, by the way." Naruto saw the way his shoulders slumped. She would probably be paying for that later.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "…Yeah, fine. I can make the time. I'll meet you at the hospital or something, okay? I have to go now. Granny's probably gonna be pissed I'm so late."

* * *

><p>And she was.<p>

"Where the hell have you been, Naruto? Bee is the _brother to the Raikage_. How can I spell that out any clearer? He doesn't deserve to be treated like some second-class citizen!"

Naruto held his hands up in defense. "It's not my fault! Sakura-chan held me up for a few minutes. You know how she gets when she 'insists'."

"Whatever the case may be, Bee is expecting you."

"Why me?" Naruto asked. "Why do I have to be the one who shows him around the village? He looked like the kind of guy who could handle himself just fine."

Tsunade laced her fingers. "He requested you specifically. You'll find out why soon enough." She scribbled something onto a scrap of paper. "Here's the address. Remember to keep your temper in check."

That didn't sound good. He wanted to ask why she felt the need to tell him that, but she was already burying her nose in some paperwork, so it looked like he would just have to find out for himself.

It didn't take him too long to find the address. The building was one of the nicer ones in the area, in a part of the village already known for its upscale housing. Naruto thought about a place here every now and then, before he was reminded that some of the snootiest people in the village lived here. He always decided he liked his little hole in the wall.

He climbed the stairs, and found the appropriate number, rapping his knuckles against the door. A dark-skinned woman answered, with fiery red hair, and an even fierier look in her eyes.

"You!" she shouted, pointing at him with disdain.

Naruto squinted. The woman looked vaguely familiar, especially with the way she was glaring at him. "Uhh, does Mr. Bee or whatever live here? I'm supposed to show him around."

"Bee-sama would never spend time with the likes of _you_," the woman spat. "We may be visiting your village, but if you stay here a second longer, I'll kick your ass a second time!"

_A second time?_ Naruto felt familiarity nag the back of his mind. The look on his face must have offended the woman, because she reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt.

"Hey what the hell, lady?" he cried. But he took a closer look at her knuckles as she was yelling at him some more. Something about those rough fingers…

He jerked himself free, eyes wide open. "I know you! You're that crazy lady I let beat on me!" he spied another person behind her, and recognized him quicker. "And you're the guy who just sat there and watched!"

The man began muttering to himself, shuffling out of sight.

The woman scowled. "That damned Uchiha tried to capture our teacher! And you refused to give him up. He's a dangerous criminal that shouldn't be allowed to roam freely." She pushed him backwards.

Naruto pushed back, butting heads with her. "We're not _allowing_ him to do shit! We've tried to get him back lots of times! You'd probably do worse than we have!"

"Oh yeah?"

"YEAH!"

"YOOOOOOO!" called a third voice, echoing off the walls of the hallway. The two stopped fighting almost immediately, intimidated by the authority behind the voice.

Killer Bee stepped up behind the woman. Naruto couldn't see his eyes through his sunglasses, but it felt like he was looking at both of them at the same time. "What's all this ruckus going on outside? Don't you know there are basic rules to abide? Common courtesy, mothafuckas!"

The woman pointed in Naruto's face. "Killer Bee-sama, you can't be serious about touring the village with _this_ idiot around? He defended the Akatsuki who tried to capture you!"

Naruto pointed right back, baring his teeth. "Is this psycho your teammate? She's meaner than Sakura-chan is!"

Bee looked at the woman. "Karui, is this true?"

Karui snorted. "It's him alright. I almost didn't recognize him without all the bruises I gave him." She smirked.

"You mean this is the kid that wouldn't hit you back? Who you took your anger out on even though he had nothin' to do with that mess?" Bee folded his arms.

Naruto giggled inwardly as her whole demeanor changed, her shoulders sagging and her eyes dropping to the floor.

"That's what I thought! Don't brag about past battles fought! Especially when they're unfair, mothafucka!" He gave Karui a thunderous pat on the back, and sent her back inside with her tail between her legs.

Bee shut the door behind him, holding out his fist. "Yo!"

Naruto smiled, and bumped fists with him. He felt another spark, and suddenly he didn't feel as uncomfortable. "Where do you wanna go first?" he asked.

"Man, anywhere you wanna go is cool! Show me this place from yo' perspective, including your school!"

"You're not gonna rhyme like that the whole way, are you?"

Bee loomed over him, his glasses twinkling dangerously. "Got something against my rapping?" he growled.

"N-no! Not at all!" Naruto laughed nervously. "Let's get going! There's a whole bunch to see."

* * *

><p>Naruto showed him all his favorite places. He showed him where his apartment was and where he would meet up with Jiraiya. He showed him Ichiraku's three times, always trying to persuade Bee into stopping for a bowl of ramen. Bee rapped on and on about anything and everything he saw, scribbling down his favorites in a notebook he kept in his pack. They grated on Naruto's nerves, but he didn't say anything for fear of Bee's wrath. Those muscles were kind of scary up close. He also mentioned someone named 'Gyūki' several times. Naruto assumed he was just talking about his brother (because really, who would have a name like A?), but his curiosity was mounting.<p>

Now they stood on top of the Hokage monument. A strong breeze whipped through Naruto's hair, and he almost laughed. He loved coming up here, looking down at the whole village. It made him feel strong, like he was watching over them. The sun was on its way towards the horizon, covering the surrounding landscape in swaths of color.

Bee leaned over the side and whistled. "Dayuuumm. We don't have anything like this in Kumo. Oh no."

"It's a reminder to the whole village that the Hokage will always watch over them, even when they're gone. If it weren't for the First and Second, we wouldn't have the village as it is today. And the Third, Fourth, and Granny have all saved the village in one way or another. They're the strongest people in the whole village, and there's nothing I want more than to protect them too."

He heard Bee chuckle behind him. "Have you forgotten, shorty? You're a hero already, the life of the party! I've heard about what you've done for this little town. Fool!"

Naruto scratched his cheek. "I didn't really do that much. I couldn't have done it without my friends. They're the reason I try to get stronger every day."

Neither said a word for a moment. They just looked down at the village in all its splendor, watching the dots that were the men, women, and children go about their daily lives without a care in the world. It was a good feeling.

Bee pointed downward. "Is that the Academy?"

"Yeah. You wanna go see it?" Naruto asked. He motioned for Bee to follow, and they leapt down the faces of the stone Hokage. In seconds they were in the yard.

Class was still going on, so all the students were inside. But their arrival did not go unnoticed. One of the younger classes had a room by the window, and a child spied Naruto standing outside with Bee. They heard a commotion going on inside, and minutes later, a class of twenty young students came pouring out, with Iruka following behind.

He laughed. "They insisted on seeing the hero of the village. Told me it would be good for their education. I swear they get smarter every year."

Naruto grinned as the kids crowded around him. "Can't help that _I_ used to be a student."

Everyone laughed, and insisted he show them a few of his favorite moves. Naruto was reluctant to do with Bee waiting on him, but the Kumo shinobi seemed perfectly happy to give him as much time as he wanted, so Naruto spent a little while with the students, showing off some of his favorite moves much to their delight.

He was about to show them his favorite 'Iruka-Distraction' technique, i.e. his Sexy Technique, but Iruka caught on before he could transform, and hurriedly told the children to go back inside and study. With a collective groan and protest, they turned around and shuffled back into class.

"I can't tell if you're a good influence or a bad influence on those kids," said Iruka, shaking his head. "A few of them are still trying to learn that technique, you know. They got it from Konohamaru, and I _know_ where he got it from himself."

Naruto shrugged. "The kids recognize talent. Who am I to judge?"

Iruka noticed Bee. "You must be Bee. It's an honor to have you in the village." He bowed deeply, a courtesy Bee surprisingly returned.

"I was wondering if I'd get to meet ya," he chuckled, glancing at Naruto. "You two cats are pretty close, huh?"

"How'd you know?" Naruto asked. "Do you know Iruka-sensei?"

"In a way," Bee said.

Iruka smiled at Naruto. "I have to get back to my class now. It was good to see you Naruto, and it was an honor meeting you as well, Bee. If either of you want to stop by the academy, don't hesitate to do so. The students love meeting strong shinobi like you."

"I like that guy! He's pretty fly!" Bee realized Naruto wasn't paying attention to him, his gaze focused elsewhere. A solitary swing hung on a branch in the big oak tree that towered over the yard. It swung slightly in the breeze, creaking.

Naruto wasn't thinking about it, but his feet carried him to the swing, where he sat down, and limply pushed himself back and forth. Bee watched in silence.

"This place has a lot of memories, doesn't it?" he finally said.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. My life…wasn't easy for a long time. I came here to think or be alone. It means a lot to me that they've kept it here."

"It's peaceful here…heh, Gyūki would like it here."

The blonde lifted his head. "Who is that, by the way? You've mentioned his name a few times. Is that your brother's real name?"

Bee chuckled. "Man, yo a funny guy! It comes naturally; you don't even have to try! Brother's real name…that's classic, fool!"

Naruto was confused. "What's so funny? Is your brother not who you're talking about?"

"You mean…you're serious?" Bee leaned forward, his face inches from Naruto's. "Now I didn't expect anything like _this_…I figured he would have told you by now!"

"Told me _what_?"

"Gyūki ain't no brother of mine. He's the Eight-Tails! Hachibi, Killer Bee, you see?"

Naruto fell out of the swing, knocking the air out of him. "What? Hachibi? You know a jinchūriki?"

Bee did a little dance, folding his arms and adjusting his sunglasses. "Yo! Killer Bee, owner of Hachi! Eight is great. Master of the Eight-Tails, Hachibi, you see? Yeaahhhh! I _am_ the jinchūriki!"

_The Hachibi… _Naruto was amazed. He had met other Jinchūriki before, but none of them had ever been as openly proud of it. Bee acted like it was something to celebrate. It made Naruto feel just a little better about himself, if only for a few minutes.

"Wait, the tailed beasts have names?" Naruto asked. "You sure the Hachibi isn't just messing with you?"

"His name is Gyūki, and no, he ain't playin'." Bee folded his arms. "We respect each other. He and I. Two peas in a pod, you dig?"

This was huge. Naruto had never heard of a jinchūriki that actually got along with its tailed beast. Not only that, but they had names! He wondered what the Kyūbi's name was, and if he would tell him. Maybe that's why Bee came to the village in the first place.

"You've got to show me how you did that!" he almost shouted.

"How I did what?"

"Beat your tailed beast! Make it like you! Everything! I'll be the best student you've ever had." Naruto got on his knees and placed his head against the ground. "I'll do whatever it takes!"

Bee wagged his finger. "The tailed beast inside me ain't nothing to show off like a prize, kid. He's his own, with pride like mine, and I ain't about to outshine."

He sat down in the grass in front of Naruto. "I spent half my life workin' with him. Under my control, two halves became whole. He and I are one and the same, yo."

Naruto's enthusiasm only grew larger. "And that's what I want! I want what you have!"

"And that is?" Bee asked

"To control the Kyūbi! I'm tired of him trying to ruin my life! It's time I got back at him, and you can help me!"

Bee's entire demeanor changed. His muscles tensed up, and disappointment was etched all over his face. "Wrong answer, kid. You got a lot to learn before yo ready. Fool."

"Wait, what did I say?" Naruto jumped up and started after him. "Please, this means a lot to me. I'm tired of living in fear that I might lose control and hurt people! You can't just tell me no like that!" This wasn't fair. Why was Bee refusing him?

Bee didn't bother turning around. "You need to think about what you really want from me, and what being a jinchūriki means. Until then, I can't help you." He jumped up on the roof of the Academy, and was gone before Naruto could follow him.

He turned, and angrily kicked at the tree. He had been so close to finally ridding himself of that uncertainty, and Bee took it away from him with a stupid riddle. He knew what he wanted! How could he not?

He spat on the ground. "Good riddance," he muttered, heading for Ichiraku's for some comfort food. He made a mental note to try and get Raiā freed like he wanted, since he actually offered to help him with the Kyūbi, and seemed interested in Naruto succeeding.

There were a few other customers sitting at the bar as it was just around dinner time, but Naruto was allowed to take his meal where he pleased, provided Ayame could keep an eye on him. He chose a low stone wall across the road, hopping up and blowing on the piping hot ramen.

"You completely forgot about meeting up with me, didn't you?"

Naruto winced at Sakura's voice. He had indeed forgotten, but there was some small consolation; Sakura was not trying to accuse him of purposely avoiding her anymore.

She sat down next to him, smelling of rubbing alcohol and cotton balls. Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Sorry about the stench," she said. "I had to finish my shift with a chūnin who had no idea how to use shuriken. I've never seen so many cuts before in my life. I sent her to Tenten for some tutoring, so hopefully I won't have her back in the ER again."

"Now, we're going to talk about what happened earlier today when I get back with my own food, okay?" Sakura stood up and hurried over to order her own bowl. She came back just as Naruto was slurping down the remains of his.

"It's not because I don't like Kiba, or that I don't think he's good enough for you…" Naruto began suddenly. "I dunno! It just feels like something you would have talked to me about before you went out with him!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow as she blew on her meal. "Like, make sure you were okay with it? You're not my dad, Naruto. You don't get to pick who I go out with."

"You said yourself a lot of it was really confusing, so I thought that maybe you wanted someone to talk to about it. What are you worried about?"

"Can you keep this between us?" she asked. "A lot of this is private, and might start up some issues between me and Kiba that we can't really deal with right now."

Naruto nodded. "Fine. I'll keep quiet."

Sakura looked unusually vulnerable. "I didn't really know what happened when I agreed to go out with Kiba. It just sort of…happened. I think I was lonely."

That took him by surprise. "Lonely? You? But you have me and Kakashi-sensei and Ino and—"

"It's not that kind of loneliness. Seeing you and Hinata together, the two of you happier than you'd ever been…I wanted that feeling. More than anything else. Sasuke-kun is still out there somewhere, and I don't know if we'll ever see him again, let alone convince him to come back. I don't even know if we can stop him!"

She sighed. "It's so stressful thinking about him all the time. I worry that he's killed someone, or that he's helping the Akatsuki, getting further and further away from the right path. I don't want to think about it anymore."

Naruto frowned. "It sounds like you're just using Kiba as a distraction."

That upset her. "That's not like it at all!" she insisted. "I'm starting to like him. He's got his flaws, and I've got mine. Sometimes I think we're getting better at the same time. He helps me with mine, and I help him with his."

"You haven't hit me yet," Naruto observed. "That's a good sign."

Sakura shrugged. "I wonder if we'll ever have what you and Hinata have, but I'm not really thinking about the future. I just want to focus on the present, what's happening right now. And what's happening right now is I'm dating Kiba, and that won't change for a while. I don't need your approval, but I do want your acceptance."

"I guess that's fair." Naruto motioned if he could get a little bit of Sakura's ramen. She rolled her eyes and leaned her bowl over, letting him pick out a tasty morsel. He smacked his lips. "Maybe I overreacted a little bit. I just thought I'd be one of the first people to know."

"If anything else happens, and you feel comfortable talking about it, I'd be happy to come talk to you," Sakura said. "I've never seen so much as a slight disagreement between you and Hinata. You probably know what you're doing more than I ever could. That doesn't mean I'll come to you when I have girl problems, though. I'll go to Kakashi before I go to you."

Naruto made a face. "Ugh? Kakashi? He'd be more embarrassed than you'd be!"

"I just meant things that I would need to talk to a girl about!" said Sakura, her cheeks flaring up for a second. "And I have Ino for that. I feel bad for you, though. You could talk to Chōji, but he's pretty much your only option instead of Kiba and Lee and Neji and especially Shino. They don't know the first thing about women."

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "I could just come to you, couldn't I? You're pretty manly." He quickly realized his mistake. "In a good way! Like, you know how to talk to guys and stuff."

Sakura hit him over the head. He noticed it was softer than usual. "That's not what I meant either, idiot. I meant _personal_ stuff. You know, things you might need to _know_."

"Ohhhh…wait, Kiba hasn't pushed you into anything like that, has he? Cause I'll beat him up if he has."

"No, he hasn't 'pushed' me into anything." She looked at him carefully. "How come that took you so long to figure out?" she quietly gasped. "You and Hinata haven't gotten that far? How long have you two been going out?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know, it's just never come up! Me and Hinata don't really worry about that kind of stuff. Plus, I'm kind of worried that if I think too much about, she'll think I'm some pervert."

"You _are_ a pervert," Sakura replied. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go through with it. It's a natural part of the relationship, and one of you is bound to reach a boiling point. It's a good feeling for the other person when they know you want them like that."

"And if I know you like I _know_ I do, then you've thought about it plenty. Don't put it off for too long, or Hinata might think you're not interested in her in that way."

Naruto blushed. "Okay, okay! I thought you said I wasn't someone to talk to about this stuff! You're embarrassing me."

Sakura laughed, and pressed some money into his hand. "That's enough for another portion for you, as thanks for sitting down and talking to me. It wasn't a lot of fun without you around the past few days."

Naruto beamed. "Thanks, Sakura-chan! I'm sorry I've been acting like a jerk these past few days."

She waved goodbye, and went back to the counter to pay for her food. Naruto folded the money in his pocket, already thinking about what flavor he could get this time, before he got another idea. A much better use for the money, he decided.

He only hoped Hinata would like it.

* * *

><p>It wasn't getting any easier, no matter how many times Hinata tried.<p>

The sheer amount of hard work Naruto must have endured to master wind chakra so quickly became apparent every time she tried to replicate his speed with her own lightning chakra. She had told Kakashi of her problem creating the chakra, and he told her as much as he could before leaving on another mission.

'Picture a storm inside your own body,' he had explained. 'Rubbing the chakra against itself, creating more friction and pressure until it can't be contained anymore. With enough practice, you'll be able to control when you release the technique, but for a while, it will pretty much come out when it's at its bursting point. Lightning chakra is very finicky.'

It hadn't been the best of news, but Hinata tried to make the best of it, and she had the perfect partner to spar with. Hanabi insisted they duel another, and that Hinata not worry about striking her with the lightning chakra. It wouldn't be strong enough to seriously harm her, she had surmised, playfully adding on that Hinata had to catch her first.

Forming the bolts through her palms was easier than before, but just as Kakashi had said, Hinata couldn't really control when it left her fingertips. She could only aim and hope it connected with her target. But Hanabi's Byakugan was just as effective as seeing it ahead of time as Hinata's was as helping her keep up her aim.

Another bolt burst forth, stronger than the last few. Hanabi jumped into the air, flipping backwards to land on a wooden dummy. But the lightning was powerful enough to obliterate the dummy, and she was forced back into the air before it exploded in a shower of shards and splinters. Hinata took her chance, and thrust a powerful wave of chakra towards her little sister. It lifted her higher into the air, before cruelly dumping her on the ground in a heap.

"Not bad, sis." Hanabi wiped her brow with her sleeve, taking a deep breath. "You really got me sweating. Have you been training harder these past few days?" She had already been told about Hinata's new abilities, but was silently in awe of her progress.

She stumbled to her feet, using one of the dummies as support. The Hyūga compound possessed many special training area, each for different combat applications. This particular one was useful for fighting through many enemies to get to one valuable target, without disturbing too much around them. There were several dozen dummies spread out in random patterns, and could be moved to suit preferences.

Hinata blushed, rubbing her hands together. "Please Hanabi-chan, do not sell yourself short. You were even faster than I remember."

"Having the 'privilege' of working with Father most days has its advantages, I guess," She sat down, leaning her back against one of the dummies. "But why aren't you training with Naruto? He could give you a better spar than I could."

"Naruto-kun is busy today, showing Bee-sama around the village," Hinata explained. "I will see him tonight."

"Ohhh, sounds like someone's going to have a little fun tonight!" Hanabi winked at her horrified older sister.

"Hanabi, what on earth makes you think we're doing that? And why are you even thinking about it in the first place? You're s-so young!"

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be so melodramatic. You might not know this, but your relationship with Naruto has been subject to a few bets now and then. The whole village puts money on what they think will happen next."

It was mortifying to hear that from her sister. Hinata just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Her little sister thought the whole thing was immensely funny, however.

"I'm just kidding!" she wiped her nose. "Besides, I'm getting pretty close to that age, right? I can't help what my hormones are up to!"

"When did my little sister disappear?" Hinata murmured to herself, massaging her temples. "What happened to my sweet little Hanabi-chan?"

"So I'm an early bloomer; it's nothing to be upset about. Most of the guys my age are complete idiots, so don't worry about me hopping into the dating scene anytime soon." Hanabi laughed again. "This is good to know, what pushes your buttons and all."

"You're going to give me a heart attack," said Hinata. "Please, refrain from using such vulgar language around me in the future. I don't think I can take much more of my sister speaking like that."

"You sound like this is something to be embarrassed about. Have you and Naruto _still_ not gotten that far in your relationship?"

Hinata started twiddling her fingers, as she often did when she was nervous or embarrassed. "It j-just hasn't come up. It's not that either of us don't want to…"

"Are you sure?" Hanabi asked. "Everyone knows about Naruto's reputation. You're _sure_ he hasn't thought about it? Maybe he has, but he's afraid what you might think, so he's kept it to himself."

It was something Naruto would do. Hinata was filled with doubts that Naruto had seen her that way for a long time, but hadn't done anything out of fear that she would react negatively. It made her feel ashamed, since she had just as many opportunities to show that she wanted Naruto that way as well. She felt selfish for dropping that kind of burden on him without thinking about how it might make him feel.

"What you two do in your private time is none of my concern," said Hanabi, "but if you're worried, Naruto's not the kind of person you need to tip-toe around. At least, I've gathered that from what you've told me about him."

Hinata rubbed her arms. "This feels so strange. My sister talking to me about this…"

"Just consider me the yin to your yang. If I ever need to learn how to be nicer to people, and maybe a little bit quieter, I'll come to you. There's a reason everyone in this village adores you."

Hanabi looked away, holding her arms behind her back. "…but would it kill you to visit a little more often? Neji's been gone a while, and Father's company is about as pleasant as you'd think."

Hinata smiled. Their relationship had gotten stronger and stronger in recent weeks. Some days it was hard to choose between staying at Naruto's and going home, especially since she knew that her little sister missed her. Of course, she would choose Naruto, but she made a quiet promise to visit more often. "I would love to see you more often, Hanabi-chan. In fact, I can talk with Father and see if it's alright if you and I can train more often."

"Good, because I want to get you back for that last _lucky_ hit you got on me."

"It was not a 'lucky' hit," Hinata said, giggling. "Don't tell me my little Hanabi-chan is a sore loser."

They chatted a few minutes more before Hinata decided to go on her way, but throughout the entire conversation, Hinata's mind wouldn't let go of what Hanabi had said about hers and Naruto's relationship. What if he really felt that way, and she wasn't just overthinking this? She worried what it might do to their intimacy. She wasn't the most forward of young women, but Hinata wasn't about to deny that she didn't love that time she spent with Naruto doing those kinds of things. Feeling his hands explore her body, his tongue exploring all the corners of her mouth…she shuddered just thinking about it.

And she couldn't shake it off, which made the rest of her time with Hanabi more than a little awkward from her perspective. Her sister didn't act any different, but there were subtle signs that she knew what was going on, so Hinata hastened to take her leave.

Tenten was on her mission with the rest of Team Guy, so Hinata had to look elsewhere for advice. Kurenai would be visiting the doctor right now, and she hoped to death she wouldn't run into Anko again. She couldn't take that much embarrassment.

So her feet ended up taking her to Ino's flower shop. The rainbow of petals were beautiful this time of day, glowing with the brazen orange of the setting sun. The bell tinkled as she stepped inside.

"You too, Hinata?" Ino said aloud, looking up from a magazine.

"H-hello, Ino. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

She nodded. "Sure! It's been slow all day. Can you flip that sign for me?"

Hinata turned the sign hanging on the door from 'Open' to 'Closed' and followed Ino to the back. There were a couple of simple wooden chairs, and Ino offered Hinata one, while she went off to get them something to snack on. She came back with some tea and cookies her mother had brought home, and set them on the table nearby.

"What's up?" Ino asked.

_Where to begin…_ Hinata's tongue felt foreign in her own mouth. "I was looking for your opinion on something. Something a little personal."

A knowing smile cracked across Ino's face. "Ohhh, so you're finally looking into getting a piece of the Uzumaki pie, are you? Good for you!"

But she saw how bashful Hinata was being, even more than usual. "No one's pressuring you to do this, are they? If Naruto's demanding you put out, just say the world and I'll get some friends together to beat the—"

"No, it's n-nothing like that," said Hinata. "Naruto-kun would never do something like that."

Ino scratched her cheek. "Okay, maybe I jumped to conclusions. Then what's got you so flustered?"

"It's that _I_ want to do this with Naruto-kun…but I don't know how to start." Hinata cupped her face with her hands. "What if I make an utter fool out of myself! I don't want him to think I don't want this."

Ino scooted her chair closer, rubbing Hinata's back. "It's okay, Hinata. Something like that wouldn't affect your relationship nearly as much as you'd think. You actually don't need to worry about it at all."

"R-really?" Hinata squeaked. "Why?"

Ino laughed softly. "Because when you start overthinking something like making love, you're bound to go against the natural flow of things. You love Naruto, and Naruto loves you. That's all you need to make things perfect."

She winked. "But that doesn't mean you can't do a few things do spice up the mood beforehand. I think you have the potential for some real sexiness, Hinata."

Hinata blushed, tapping her fingers together. "You th-think so?"

* * *

><p>Naruto was excited beyond words. It was hard not to race home, but he kept himself in check as best he could.<p>

He had stopped at Ino's flower shop on the way home, grabbing the biggest, brightest bouquet he could find. Ino didn't outright ask what the occasion was, but the pep in Naruto's movements gave enough away, and she giggled the entire time he was in the store, even wishing him luck when he had everything he needed.

The door was locked when he got upstairs. That was a good sign. It meant Hinata wasn't back yet, so he had some time to prepare.

He swung it open and stepped inside, nearly tripping on Hinata's jacket. He looked down. Hinata's jacket…

A little bit further inside, he saw a pair of Hinata's pants lying on the floor. Even further inside, a bra. His head began to pound, and his palms starting sweating. He saw a pair of panties, and the pair of feet standing just in front of them.

He looked up. Hinata was wearing an apron, and nothing else.

"W-welcome, home…Naruto-kun."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> A lot of relationships blossoming in this chapter. Shikamaru's and Temari's, Naruto's and Hinata's/Killer Bee's, and Hinata's and Hanabi's/Naruto's.

Speaking of Shikamaru: what was it that mysterious girl had seen in her vision so many chapters ago? Something about a man losing his shadow? Hmmm...

I imagine some of you are hoping for a certain something next chapter. It certainly took them long enough to get there, amirite?

Leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter! I try to respond to as many as I have time for, and they all mean a great deal!

Until next time.


	66. Passion of the Flesh! Naruto vs Hinata!

**Author's Note:** And another one!

Hopefully I can keep this pace up. I like getting new chapters to you guys so often.

**WARNING:** I've done a _lot_ of thinking over months of writing, and in the end **I decided to write the lemon**. If you don't want to read it, YOU DON'T HAVE TO. It's not like a TV ad you're forced to sit through. Just skip past it, and the story will make just as much sense. **Skip to the first line break if you want to skip the lemon.** I completely understand if you find this sort of thing offensive, but please do not flood my inbox with angry messages. Justifying offense is a lot harder when you're under no obligation to be exposed to the offense in the first place. I could explain everything I used to decide whether or not to write it, but only for those who are curious, and only in PM's. I doubt any of you will, though. It's not really that important.

**Remember, skip to the first line break if you do NOT want to read the lemon. **Also, bolded lines in the lemon are present time, while italics are flashbacks. I decided to try a different style for a little bit.

I doubt I'll do another, unless the story _really_ calls for it. I'm surprised I was able to write it as quickly as I did, actually. Whatever, it's not a big deal.

I might take the next few days off. Labor Day Weekend means an extra off from school, and I'm going to visit my brother a few hours away. At the very least, however, you'll have the next chapter by Friday/Saturday!

Thank you so much to everyone who reviews! I got some really awesome reviews this last chapter, talked with a bunch of you, and a bunch of new readers started following/favoriting the story. You guys are a huge part of why this is so damn fun! Special thanks to my beta **kylekatarn77** for cleaning the chapters up. Also, I'd like to thank **Solypsist**, who has graciously offered to clean up ALL the older chapters. This story will be squeaky clean pretty soon!

Only one song to worry about, and this really only applies if you have a sense of humor like mine. If you do, play this song while you're reading the lemon below:

(1) - /watch?v=KJerzNUBCXg (Christ, I bet some of you will be blushing by the end of this. Lmao.)

On with the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 14 - Passion of the Flesh! Naruto vs. Hinata (In More Ways Than One.)<strong>

**Naruto felt his heart skip a beat, while another thumped softly against his chest.**

_-Flashback-_

"_H-Hinata?" he stammered, the flowers dropping to the floor. "What are you doing?"_

_Her cheeks were a deep shade of red. She looked so completely out of her comfort zone, and still Hinata had the mind to smile. "A-are those flowers for me? Naruto-kun, you sh-shouldn't have!"_

_His hands covered his eyes. "I wanted to do something nice for you! I'm starting to think you had something similar in mind?" The joke felt awkward coming out of his mouth, but he was willing to say anything to diffuse the tension._

_She giggled. That was a good sign. "It's okay, Naruto-kun," she said softly. "I w-want you to look." _

_Slowly, finger by finger, he lifted his hand away from his eyes. Hinata's cheeks reddened further when she saw he was looking again, but she did not try to cover herself._

"_Does this m-make you happy?" she asked, staring at the floor. "I'm s-sorry I've been so absent-minded lately. I've been neglecting you."_

"_Is that what you think?" he almost laughed. "Hinata, you're the best girl a guy could want. It's my fault. I was thinking about what I wanted without thinking about what you wanted."_

_She shook her head. "B-but it's not like that, Naruto-kun. I…I did want it. I was just afraid of telling you. That you weren't ready."_

_Simultaneously, they realized their mistake. Both had assumed the other was not ready, when in fact they both craved each other's touch. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, and Hinata twiddled her fingers._

"_Maybe we should just talk about it next time…" Naruto murmured, standing perfectly still. Hinata stepped closer. He looked at her again, no longer afraid to stare._

_He sighed. "You're beautiful…" he reached out, but his hand hesitated, hovering inches from her cheek. She leaned in, and let his fingers graze against her skin. Naruto's heart skipped a beat._

**The room was silent, save for his and her breathing. Every time his hand moved, and he felt the warm skin underneath, he could scarcely believe it was real.**

_He pulled her in close, wrapping one arm around her back, and stooping down to hold her legs with the other. She blushed when she realized he was carrying her to the bedroom. Her heart beat quickly, but when she nuzzled into his neck, and breathed his scent, she was calm._

_Naruto stood there in his bedroom like he was unsure of what to do next. He finally 'noticed' the bed, and its occupant._

_Miso lay stretched out on top of the sheets, but he was roused when they walked in. He tilted his head, confused by what he was looking at. Naruto and Hinata both suddenly felt very vulnerable._

_The dog's tail wagged very much in a knowing way. Without so much as a peep, he trotted to the edge of the bed, and leapt to the windowsill. He looked back as if to wish them well, closed the curtains behind him so as to give them privacy, and jumped down into the coming night._

"_At least we have the room to ourselves now…" Naruto joked again. It was the only thing keeping him from overcoming this immense shyness so uncharacteristic of him._

_He laid Hinata down on the bed, but she did not let go. Instead, she pulled him closer, on top of her, and pressed her lips to his._

_God, she tasted amazing. He didn't wait to plunge his tongue into her mouth, and she accepted him almost greedily. His head started to spin._

_Clumsy hands fumbled at their clothing. Hinata was having a much harder time considering Naruto was still fully dressed, but he helped her as best he could, in between gasps for air. His jacket became unzipped, and she nearly ripped it from his shoulders, tossing it across the room._

_Finally, he had a firm grip on the only thing holding Hinata's outfit together. A lump formed in his throat. "A-are you sure you want to do this?" he asked._

"_I don't want anything else in the world right now," she whispered, guiding his hands apart._

_Naruto blinked. Somewhere there was a still a part of him fighting to believe that all of this was real._

**The window remained open, and despite the late autumn chill blowing past the curtains, the room was warm. His fingers ran through strands of soft, silky hair. It felt like smoke.**

_Nervousness overcame Hinata again. Her hands hurried to cover herself as Naruto lifted the garment away. He laid it across her lap, leaving legs, and what lay between them, covered._

"_What happened to letting me look?" Naruto waggled his eyebrows, kissing her forehead. She blushed again, biting her lip._

"_P-pervert," she stammered._

_Naruto laughed, and kissed her again. Each time he did, her hands moved further and further away, and he moved further and further down._

_She stopped him before he could reach. "N-no fair. You're still dressed." In a burst of confidence, she gave him an intentionally shy, almost coy look. "Don't you want things to be fair, Naruto-kun?"_

_He grunted, and his pants tightened even more than they already had. He pushed himself to his knees, and was in such a hurry to throw his shirt off that he got his head stuck. It was Hinata's turn to laugh as he attempted to free himself._

_Her laughter quickly turned to a gasp of surprise when she felt his lips on her neck again, quickly traveling down her collar bone. Hands desperate to touch him buried themselves through his hair as he planted the lightest of kisses on her left breast, and she gasped again when he flicked his tongue across her nipple._

**Naruto looked down, relishing the sight of the young woman lying naked against him. Hinata's breath was softer than rain, and even in sleep she clung tightly to him. A smile of pure serenity danced across her lips, and Naruto realized he was smiling as well.**

_With hands of suspicious skill, Naruto massaged her chest, taking the upmost care to caress each breast equally. Every time she gasped or moaned in pleasure, he would silence her with a kiss. He was turning it into a game, and a cruel one at that._

"_You're too good at this," she managed to say, playfully accusing. "Where did you lear—oh!"_

_Naruto smirked, and kissed her nipple again. "You're the one who called me a pervert. You knew what you were getting into. I never helped Ero-sennin when he wanted to do 'research'…"_

_Ever so slightly, he bit down. The sound she made nearly drove him over the edge. "But who said I didn't learn a thing or two?"_

_He grew bolder, lapping at one nipple while twirling the other in between his fingers. Hinata fidgeted underneath him, her hands grabbing fistfuls of the bed and clutching with all her strength. She suddenly cried out, and her back arched._

"_You…you…" She collapsed against the bed, whimpering. Beads of sweat rolled down her breasts as they rose and fell with each desperate breath._

_Naruto licked his lips. "Me what?" he asked with a grin._

"_I…love you…"_

**Just the memory was enough to shake up the pit of his stomach into knots. Naruto felt his blood rushing elsewhere. He shifted a little to keep from waking her, but she stirred anyway.**

**"Hey there, sleepyhead," he whispered.**

_They stared at one another, drawn into each other's eyes like moths to flame._

"_I…I love you too…" Naruto said breathlessly. "I love you so much…" He moved towards her, ready to prove it, but she stopped him with a delicate hand._

"_No," she said, shaking her head. "It's your turn."_

_She pushed, and Naruto went from his knees, to his elbows, to flat on his back. She kissed his neck, and slowly led him up his baseboard, into a sitting position. One of her hands fell to his leg, dangerously close to falling in between, and it was his turn to gasp. The apron that covered her legs slipped a little, giving Naruto a peek._

"_I w-won't be as good as you…" Hinata lamented, holding a hand to her lips. "Is th-that okay?"_

_Naruto gave her a reassuring smile. "Whatever you do, I'll be the luckiest guy in the world."_

_That seemed to give her some confidence. Mimicking his little game, Hinata planted soft kisses up and down his shoulders, licking the underside of his chin. Whenever he moved, she held him in place with another kiss. 'Maybe she had her own Jiraiya to learn from,' Naruto wondered when she gently tugged at his lower lip._

_She pulled away. As he would later learn, it was because she wanted to see the look on his face when she snuck her hand beneath his waistband, worming her fingers through fine hair before brushing up against something hard. He grunted, and her eyes glinted with victory._

"_I th-think I found it…" she teased. She was far better at this than she realized. Perhaps she was secretly just as big of a pervert as he was._

**Hinata yawned, and Naruto stole a glance as her body rose and fell with the breath. She caught him looking, and laughed as she pushed his face away.**

**"My little pervert," she taunted, tugging at his cheek. "How long have you been staring?"**

**"How long will you let me?" he countered. He reached out to her, and pulled her close as he leaned against the backboard. His eyes drank in the sight of her so close, and his body relished the feeling of her flesh, smooth and flawless.**

**"I think I'm in heaven."**

"_D-does this feel good?" she asked again, rubbing her palm up and down against the length of him. _

_Naruto could have told her simply with the look on his face, but maybe she needed the extra assurance. "Y-yeah. It feels great, Hinata." She rewarded him by wrapping her fingers around him, quickening the pace. Bolts of electricity ran up and down his spine, and he bit his lip._

_But she was unsatisfied. He could tell by watching her. At first, he thought it was something he had done, and opened his mouth to apologize. She interrupted him with another kiss, and when she started to move down, Naruto figured it out._

_One leg at a time, she pulled his pants off, achingly slow. He was sure this was revenge for his own teasing, and fought to kick off the restricting garment, but with a gentle grip, she held his legs in place._

"_Th-that's no fair," she protested. "I want to do this by myself."_

"_Easier said than done," he said through gritted teeth, once his pants were finally off and tossed aside. He fought every muscle in his body to remain still as she reached for the button holding his boxers closed._

_She flicked the button aside, and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He yelped in surprise when she held him again, and blushed when it made her laugh._

_The pace she chose was maddeningly slow. Each time his hand wandered down to speed things up, Hinata would push him away with a wink or a smile. If she didn't know what she was doing, she sure was learning fast._

_His mind went blank when he felt a wet tongue run from the bottom, all the way to the top._

**They sat together in silence, listening to the clock and the wind fluttering from outside.**

**"You so knew what you were doing," Naruto finally said. "There's no way you didn't know."**

**Hinata playfully hit his chest, blushing red. "I d-did not! I was making it up as I w-went along."**

**He didn't hear her. "Maybe you read one of Ero-sennin's books, or you talked to someone…" he looked down at her, shaking his head. "I'm going to have to up my game next time if I want to keep up with you."**

**Her head was buried in his arms. "I'll take that as a compliment," he heard her say.**

"_H-Hinata…wait…"_

_She paid absolutely no attention to him, completely drawn into her fun. She was clumsy, but it felt incredible nonetheless. _

_Her tongue swirled around his tip, again and again. Naruto was grunting loader than she had been moaning, and he was finding ample oxygen hard to come by._

_And then she took him into her mouth. Naruto's back arched forward, the knot in his stomach nearly bursting. She would bob her head up and down, and Naruto would forget something: Where he lived. His favorite food. His own name._

_Hinata tickled his stomach with one hand, and gently stroked up and down his length with the other. She planted butterfly kisses on the tip, smiling at every noise that slipped past her lover's lips._

_Naruto felt his hips buckle, and he slid helplessly down the backboard of his bed. The room was spinning. Those four walls became the only world Naruto was aware of._

_Her pace quickened. She licked and lapped at his member with an enthusiasm Naruto never knew she was capable of, giggling every time he twitched. She was loving every minute of this just as much as he was, as much as Naruto had enjoyed watching her squirm under his own touch._

_He felt something snap, and he knew he was close. "Hinata, wait…" She ignored him, flicking her tongue off the head. "Hinata, you're gonna—"_

_She didn't bother to stop, but the look she gave him dared him to try and do something. Naruto resigned to his fate. His face scrunched up in pleasure as she went faster and faster, and he drew closer to climax. His member was twitching erratically, and they both knew he was close. The knot was close to tearing itself apart in his stomach. Just a little bit more…_

**Naruto felt something wet beneath his nose. A trickle of blood was running down his lip. He wiped it away before Hinata saw.**

**She sighed. "That was the most incredible night of my life," she said dreamily, giving him a little squeeze. She looked down to find him hard again. "I guess you agree with me?" she giggled.**

**Naruto scratched his cheek. "You know…it's still technically 'that' night, so if you wanted to…" he didn't need to finish his sentence for the message to get across.**

**Hinata beamed, throwing her arms around him. "I love you, Naruto-kun," she repeated, over and over again. "I don't ever want this to end."**

**His kissed her ear as that familiar feeling in his stomach started to twist again, like the coiling of a spring. He pulled her on top of him, letting her tongue explore the contours of his mouth as his hands explored every inch of her body.**

_Naruto breathed in and out, trying to calm himself down. He had gotten close, but he had managed to convince Hinata to stop before she went too far._

_She sat on the bed holding her cheeks with her hands, mortified. "I c-can't believe I almost…I mean I…"_

_Naruto kissed her hands. "It's okay, Hinata. I have to admit; that was the sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life."_

"_Why did you stop me?" she asked, her voice quiet and frail._

_He smiled. "Because I want this to be about _us_. If you had let me…well, you know, I don't know what might have happened afterwards. I love you, and I want to show you just how much." He stood up and left the room, and returned moments later with a condom in his hand._

_Hinata's ears burned. "O-oh…that's what you were talking about."_

_They were as nervous as when they had begun as Naruto fumbled with the wrapper in his hands. Finally, he had it opened, and carefully slipped it on._

"_Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked, when he caught Hinata staring._

"_I…I'm sure. I'm scared too, but I want you to be my first and only."_

_He took her into his arms, laying her back. "Me too, Hinata. Me too."_

_She had covered herself with his sheets when he left for the condom, and couldn't look as Naruto slowly pulled them away. He ran a hand up her leg, watching the goose bumps ripple across her skin. He tickled across her knee, her thigh, and then he moved in between, listening to the sounds she made when he reached her._

"_Someone's been looking forward to this," he teased, running a finger all the up and down. She squealed when he found a nub, and gently rolled it around with his finger. With his other hand, he pulled her knee to one side, opening her legs._

"_You're beautiful," he repeated, unsure if he could ever say it enough. He leaned forward to kiss her as he slipped a finger inside, gently prodding and testing her reaction._

"_Wh-what are you doing?" she asked, breathlessly._

"_I want to know where it feels best," he admitted, sliding in a second finger. "How about…here?"_

_She gasped, and buried her face in his neck, muffling her moans. He tried somewhere else, and the shock that ran up her body was almost too much for her to bear. A third place, and she almost screamed._

_He smiled into her hair. "I think I found it." He moved to position himself, but she held onto his arm._

"_I just want you to know…" she began, "It might not be what you expect."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_Hinata blushed the deepest shade of red he had seen that night. "Regular physical activity can…make it little easier on us. It won't bleed, and I d-didn't want you to think I wasn't a—"_

"_It's okay, Hinata," he assured her. "If you say it's your first time, I believe you. Just tell me if you want me to stop."_

_She hugged his neck bracing herself. "O-okay."_

_Slowly, he pushed himself inside her, whispering words of love into her ear and stroking her hair. She winced when he pushed a little deeper._

"_Are you okay?" he asked, stopping._

_Hinata nodded. "Y-yes. Please, keep going. I want this. I want this…"_

_She still cried out when he pushed past her virginity, but he held onto her, and kissed away her tears, patiently waiting until she was ready. The pain eventually subsided somewhat, and she gave him permission to move._

_He struggled to keep a slow pace. It felt amazing, unimaginably good, but he forced himself to remember that this was between the two of them. He couldn't be selfish. Every time his hips moved forward, he nearly lost his mind._

_Their movements were clumsy and out of rhythm. Hinata's eyes were closed, hiding her pain. Naruto moved where his fingers had been, and suddenly her eyes burst open. Her nails raked his back, but not because it hurt. He focused on that spot as much as he could, rubbing back and forth, up and down, drinking in the sight of her. She pulled him close, and wrapped her legs around his waist, plunging him even further inside her._

_Sweat poured down their backs as they found a pulse that worked for the both of them. Hinata arched her back, making sounds that would drive any man over the edge. Naruto moved faster; he had forgotten how to walk, how to talk, how to breathe…it was just the two of them together, wrapped in ecstasy._

"_Hinata…" his voice was one of warning. He was getting closer, and as she was slowly getting tighter around him he guessed she was as well._

_She yanked his head in front of hers, and kissed him fiercely as she screamed into his mouth. She had reached climax, and as her hips bucked, pulling him in as far as he could go, Naruto felt himself let go as well. Waves of pleasure washed over them both as he split his seed inside._

_All his strength left him. He collapsed on top of her, still inside her. They listened to each other's breathing, entwined and bound with one another in the most primal of ways._

"_H-hey…Naruto-kun?" her voice sounded so small._

_Naruto struggled to lift his head. "Yeah?"_

_She tried not to laugh. "Not bad."_

_-End Flashback-_

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe you said that!" Naruto laughed, lightly rapping his knuckle against Hinata's forehead. "I thought it was my job to make the jokes." They had just finished together again, and now that their energy was fully spent, they laid together, waiting for sleep to overtake them.<p>

She smiled. "It doesn't have to be exclusive. You should have seen the look on your face." The blackness of night was beginning to fade. Hinata could see the tint of dawn peeking through the windows.

"I don't want this day to end," she whispered, almost sadly. "I'd be happy living this day over and over again for the rest of my life."

"But there's so much to look forward to now!" said Naruto. "You don't think…this will change anything will, it?"

Hinata shrugged. "N-no, but I'm not worried. We'll move forward together, won't we?"

She received a snore for an answer. Hinata craned her neck to look at him, fast asleep. His face was red, and his hair clump damply to his forehead. Hinata was just as sweaty as he was, but she had never been more comfortable than she was now. She yawned, and laid her head against Naruto's shoulder. Soon she was asleep as well, dreaming of the young man beside her.

* * *

><p>Neither of them woke up until it was well past noon. Naruto felt something staring at him, and he cracked open one eye.<p>

Miso was looking through the window, glaring at him. He didn't appreciate being kicked out of the apartment the entire night, and from the way he smelled, Naruto could understand why.

He searched for his boxers, hiding somewhere under the sheets, and slipped them on. Miso accepted a few pats on the head, before jumping to the floor, and trotting off into the kitchen. Naruto took that as 'you-better-feed-me', so he followed after him.

He was pouring Miso's breakfast into a bowl when Hinata appeared, his sheet wrapped tightly around her. The memories of last night came rushing back, and Naruto greeted his lover with a warm smile.

"Morning, you," he said in a sing-song voice. She tip-toed over to him, and kissed his cheek.

"When did he get b-back?" she asked, point at Miso.

"Just a few minutes ago," Naruto explained. "But he might have wanted to come home earlier than that. Apparently we took longer than he expected."

Hinata blushed. Miso shot her a knowing look before turning back to his meal, as if to tell her he knew perfectly well what she did. 'Don't take so long next time,' he seemed to say.

"What's on the agenda today?" Naruto asked, stretching.

Hinata snuggled up beside him, still wrapped in the sheet. "I want to spend the day together. Is there anything you needed to get done?"

"I wanted to go see Granny sometime later today, and ask her about Raia. But we can skip that if you want to do something else?"

She shook her head. "No, th-that's okay. I'll help you. Do you want to go out and get some breakfast before we leave?"

She heard him laugh. "I think it's closer to lunch time now. But sure, we can go find a place."

They dressed slowly, taking their time with one another. Their urges threatened to overpower them when Naruto joined Hinata for her shower that morning, but managed to overcome their urges. That didn't mean a little make-out session wasn't in order, however.

"We'll wait until all this is over with," Hinata assured Naruto, since it had been him that was feeling extra horny that morning.

They decided to take Miso along with them, looking for a restaurant with outdoor seating so they could enjoy the beautiful weather. The leaves were in full autumn shades, draping the streets in reds, golds, and oranges. The sound of crunching leaves beneath their feet tickled their ears, and the chirps of birds all across the village echoed through the crisp air.

A familiar smell wafted in front of them. Hinata laughed aloud because even though she wasn't looking at him, she knew what Naruto was thinking.

"I would love to go get some ramen," she said. He cheered loudly, jumping into the air.

Ayame noticed them coming from a ways off, and waved them over. "Afternoon, you two! Or should I say good morning?"

Naruto yawned. "How did you know we were sleeping in?"

Ayame laughed and pointed to his pants. Naruto looked down, horrified, to find that he had put his pants on backwards. His nametag was sticking out the front of them, his own name written in terrible handwriting.

"Go to the back and flip them over before the whole village sees," Ayame told him, slapping his back with a spoon as he walked past. She shrugged, looking at Hinata. "What a moron."

When Hinata sat down, she noticed Ayame staring at her. "You know…" she began. "Something seems different about you. Did you get a haircut?"

"N-no. I've been meaning to, though."

"New jacket? It looks new."

Hinata tugged at the sleeve. "This is actually one of my older ones. I left it at Naruto-kun's because it's comfortable."

Ayame leaned in, her nose inches from Hinata's. Her eyes suddenly sparked with recognition, and her lips split into a wide smile. "Ohhhh, so _that's_ what it is. Good for you, Hinata."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Hinata asked, playing dumb. But Ayame simply turned around, humming a little tune. Naruto came back before Hinata could press the issue any further. "What are you thinking of getting?" he asked.

"I'll make you guys a big bowl you can split!" Ayame said cheerfully. She reached across the counter and pinched Naruto's cheek. "On the house, by the way. For our favorite customer."

Naruto thanked her heartily, but the moment she turned around, he looked to Hinata. "What the heck was that all about?"

Again, Hinata acted like she didn't know. She shrugged, her ears burning, and tried to find something to look at before Naruto figured it out. Thankfully, another patron arrived, relieving Hinata of the pressure.

Kakashi's eye crinkled with a smile as he sat down. "Afternoon, you two." He briefly kneeled down and scratched Miso behind the ears, before taking a seat at the bar.

Naruto beamed. "Kakashi-sensei! It's about time you came back! Where have you been all this time?"

The jōnin dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. "Reconnaissance mission in the Land of Water. Very important stuff, very technical. I won't bore you with the details."

Kakashi erred in using the word 'important'. Naruto was curious, and began drilling him with questions. Ayame returned with Naruto's and Hinata's bowl, carrying it in both hands, and she took Kakashi's order as well.

"It had something to do with the jōnin exams, okay?" Kakashi sighed. "I always forget not to mention anything around you. That's all I'm giving you, and don't think I'll forget."

Naruto pouted briefly. "Hinata was talking about the jōnin exams too. They must be really important."

Kakashi tilted his head to the side. "I suppose I shouldn't have called them 'exams'. It's more of a selection process individualized for everyone involved. But yes, it's very important. The chūnin exams are for everyone who wants to see the shinobi world. It keeps civilians interested in paying for our services, and it keeps the daimyo confident in our abilities to protect them. The jōnin selection period is extremely important in maintaining the balance between the five villages. Contrary to what you might think of some of the other villages, we try to avoid war when we can."

"Many different things are taken into account when being chosen for a jōnin," he continued. "Even things like reputation and personal interests. It's a very invasive process, but necessary if you truly care about protecting your village. And that's _all_ I'll say about it. I've probably already told you more than I'm supposed to."

Ayame brought his order a few minutes later in a bag. "You're not going to stay?" Naruto asked, slurping up some of his own meal. He picked a few choice pieces and handed them down to Miso, who readily snapped them up.

"No. I need to get going and give my report to Tsunade-sama." Kakashi started walked away, but he leaned down and whispered "Congratulations" into his ear before he left. Naruto didn't need to think very hard to guess what he was talking about. His cheeks turned as red as the leaves around them. Hopefully Hinata wouldn't notice.

Thankfully, she didn't, but Naruto _did_ notice Ayame staring at Hinata and laughing about something, but before he could ask, Hinata pulled him away from the counter, almost flinging her own money to pay for it.

"You don't want me to pay for it? Or even half?" Naruto asked.

"N-no! I'll take care of it. Let's go see Tsunade-sama." Hinata laughed nervously, switching topics to pull the conversation away from Ayame.

* * *

><p>The administration building was still bustling with activity, so they chose to leave Miso outside. As they quickly learned, Tsunade was swamped with work, and would be impossible speak to right now, so they decided to look for Shizune instead. Even then, they had to wait for almost forty-five minutes before she had enough time to speak with them. When she did, she looked like a wreck. Her hair was messy, and her robe had several coffee and pen stains.<p>

"Things have been so hectic lately because of the jōnin selection period," Shizune sighed, falling back into an armchair in one of the meeting rooms. "Tsunade's been so close to violence so many times I'm afraid she'll have a heart attack. It's the most stressful one we've had in years."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked. "Kakashi talked about it a little too. He said he was on a mission that had something to do with it."

Shizune nodded. "Yes, he mentioned to me that he talked to you, but he wasn't supposed to say anything about it. Depending on the next few days, you might need to know more."

She brushed her hair down, taking a deep breath. "Now, what can I do for the two of you? There was something you wanted from Tsunade-sama? She's still busy, but she has granted me certain responsibilities in the meantime."

Naruto pressed his fingers together, looking as innocent as possible. "Well, I was just wondering…you know, if it's not too much trouble—"

"Out with it!" Shizune snapped. "I'm extremely busy."

"PleaseletRāiaoutofprison!" blurted Naruto, clapping his hands together. "He's promised me help taking control of the Kyūbi's chakra if I help him."

"A-are you insane?" Shizune asked, her eyebrows rising so high they threatened to disappear into her scalp. "That man is incredibly dangerous! We're allowing him more freedom than the daimyo was comfortable with in the first place! Why on earth would you think we would let him roam the village free?"

"He d-doesn't want to leave the village," Hinata piped in, voice squeaking. "He understands the village is where he is safe, and he was not lying."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? Hinata, there's a reason he was able to hide in Suna for so long. He's experienced at deceiving people, so why would he not do the same to you?"

Shizune turned to Naruto. "I know you think you can change that man, but Rāia is guilty of some horrifying crimes, and people like that do not change, no matter how much you try. He would betray you in an instant if it meant his freedom."

Naruto shook his head stubbornly. "I don't believe that. He's been treated unfairly ever since we captured him. He was _helping_ people in Suna, and only wanted to run because he was afraid someone was after him."

"So keeping him confined is what's safest! If whoever is after him knows he is freely walking about the village, they could infiltrate and go after him. Do you remember how easily Pain got into the village, Naruto? We can't take that kind of risk with someone like Rāia."

"Keeping him locked up is only gonna make him hate us!" said Naruto. "If we let him go, maybe he'll become loyal to the village. Everyone deserves a second chance!"

He looked Shizune dead in the eye. "I remember when Ero-sennin and I went to find you and Granny. She abandoned the village because she was scared, but everyone gave her a second chance, and look at what she's done for the village!"

That struck home. Shizune dropped her eyes to the floor, frowning.

"Maybe Rāia's done everything you say he has. I don't know for sure. But I know that he wasn't doing anything wrong when we found him, and we've treated him like a criminal anyway. I feel like I can trust him. I've got that gut instinct again."

Hinata nodded. "Naruto-kun has changed so many people's outlook on life. Is it so hard to imagine that he could not do the same for Rāia?"

Shizune bit her lip. Someone was hurrying down the hall straight for her, with a large stack of paper work. She rose. "I will talk to Tsunade-sama about this, and tell her what you told me, but do _not_ expect any miracles!"

She raced off to take care of whatever problem arose. Naruto turned to Hinata and smiled. "Thanks for the help! You think she can convince Granny?"

"I th-think so. They both trust your judgment. S-so do I."

He hugged her. "Thanks, Hinata."

They sat in the meeting room for several more minutes, chatting idly about little and unimportant things. Neither knew what to do with the rest of their day.

"You wanna go train somewhere?" Naruto asked. He and Hinata never got to spar much, and he was curious about her new lightning chakra that she had told him about.

"I guess we could do that," Hinata said. "Where would you like to go? The compound has more than enough space, but you might not want to be around my father if we can avoid it."

"That'll be fine, actually. I need to get used to being around him, just like he needs to get used to being around me." He held his hands up. "Will it help if I promise to be on my best behavior?"

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, l-let's go."

Miso was waiting for them outside, and he trotted along for a little bit before a couple of stray dogs ran past, barking and nipping at each other's heels. Miso turned to Naruto, his tail wagging, just begging to be allowed to join in. Naruto laughed and waved him off, and Miso shot after the other two dogs, catching up to them despite his missing leg.

"He's getting bigger every day," Naruto marveled. "I don't know how Kiba didn't see Akamaru get so big."

"That's because he was with me pretty much 24/7."

Naruto and Hinata turned. Kiba was panting beside Akamaru, sweat dripping from his forehead. "Did you see where those mutts ran off? They're a few of ours, but they like to dig through trash more than they like training."

Naruto pointed behind him. "Yeah, Miso went after them down that alley. Why can't you just smell them out?"

Kiba groaned. "They learned how to throw off the scent! They'd be great ninken if they weren't lazy."

The conversation grinded to an awkward halt. Even though the dogs were long gone, Kiba stood there, staring at Naruto like he was waiting for something. It took a soft elbowing in his side from Hinata for Naruto to realize that Kiba was waiting for something.

"What?"

Kiba frowned. "So what did you and Sakura talk about? The thing I wasn't allowed to come to?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "She just said she was sorry, and I said I was sorry. We made some mistakes, jumped to conclusions, and realized that we were better off moving on."

He sighed. "…take care of Sakura-chan, okay? It sounds like she's really starting to like you."

Kiba's usually hard eyes softened for a moment or two. "You think? You didn't stick up for me, did you?"

"No, but I didn't trash you either. What's done is done. Just know that if you piss her off, me coming after you will be the least of your worries. She punches like a ton of bricks."

Kiba subconsciously rubbed at his stomach. "Yeah…I know how that goes."

"Soo…I guess I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Hinata started giggling when Kiba finally disappeared around the corner to continue his pursuit of the dogs.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing. I just thought that was cute. Kiba's not usually so apologetic."

"_That_ was apologetic? He seemed just like normal to me."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, but you don't know him like I do. He's making some real progress. I guess Sakura-san is having a positive effect on him."

Naruto agreed. "Yeah, she mentioned something about that when she finally caught up with me. Hopefully it works out for them."

"Are you s-sure you're okay with them now?" Hinata asked, unafraid of what he might say. To her delight, he vehemently denied being upset anymore.

"Hell no! I've got the best girl in the world now!" He pulled her close, breathing into her ear. "Plus, I've seen her _naked_." He laughed when she pushed him away, blushing.

* * *

><p>It was Hanabi who let them inside when they finally arrived at the compound. To Naruto's surprise, another guest was waiting in the kitchen.<p>

Konohamaru beamed when he saw Naruto. "Hey, Naruto-niichan! What are you doing here?"

"I was gonna ask the same thing!" Naruto replied. "Why are _you _here?"

Konohamaru pointed at Hanabi. "Moegi was busy today, and Hanabi-chan wanted someone to train with. Is that why you're here with your girlfriend?"

Naruto threw his arm around Hinata. "You bet! She's gonna show me some super cool technique with her lightning chakra!"

Konohamaru's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Really!? That sounds _sooo_ cool!"

He looked to Hanabi. "Can we watch them, please? Oh that sounds so cool, we gotta watch!"

"No!" said Hanabi. "You and I need to train as much as they do! You don't want to fall behind Naruto, do you?"

It was a clever diversionary tactic, but Konohamaru wasn't about to be denied being witness to the coolness that was Hinata's lightning chakra training. "But we can train anytime! We don't get to watch Naruto-niichan train very often!"

Hanabi groaned. "Ugh, fine! But we're going to make this a little more interesting." She grabbed Konohamaru by the collar. "If Hinata wins their little spar, you have to be my servant for a whole week!"

Konohamaru shook himself free. "Oh yeah? Naruto won't lose! And when he doesn't, you'll be _my_ servant for a week!"

The two shook on it without Naruto or Hinata able to get a word in. "Are we part of a fighting racket now?" Naruto whispered, as they made their way to the training ground outside.

"I th-think so," Hinata said back. "Naruto-kun…is it alright if I win?"

"What? Now how is that fair? Konohamaru has a lot of confidence in me! I can't let him down like that!"

Hinata pointed back at the two of them. Konohamaru was audibly protesting as Hanabi messed with his scarf, throwing it over his eyes or head. She thought it was endlessly hilarious. Konohamaru did not.

"I have a sneaking suspicion my sister has a crush on your friend," said Hinata. "And if I win, she'll get her chance to tell him."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That's how she acts when she likes someone? Jeez, I would have had a few bruises by now if you were the same way." He only laughed when Hinata yanked his headband over his eyes in response.

They picked an open field for their match. Technically it wasn't within the limits of the compound, but the wall was just a few feet away, so most considered it part of their land regardless. It was carefully maintained to keep the grass short and out of the way, and all other plants and trees had been pruned back or cut down.

"Okay, here are the rules!" Hanabi yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. "My sister will try to hit you with her lightning chakra stuff! If she does, she wins. If you manage to avoid her for ten minutes, you win."

"You _sure_ you want to go through with this, Hinata?" Naruto called, from the other side of the field. In reality, he was referring to letting Hinata win, not just them sparring. Hanabi and Konohamaru didn't notice, sitting on the sidelines and arguing about who would get the first hit in.

"Y-yes!" Hinata replied, rolling up the sleeves of her jacket. "I won't let up. Even for you, Naruto-kun!"

Hanabi cheered. "Kick his ass, sis!"

Not to be outdone, Konohamaru leapt to his feet. Two shadow clones and a Sexy Technique later, Naruto had his own cheerleading squad. That earned him a fresh lump when Hanabi knocked him to the ground.

Naruto was laughing, and Hinata seized the chance for an early advantage. She jumped towards him, palm outstretched. Naruto cried out in surprise, summoned a shadow clone, who threw him into the air out of the way. She dug her heels into the grass, jumping up to go after him. Naruto simply repeated the process, summoning another clone to throw him back to the ground, a good distance away.

"No fair!" Hanabi shouted. "You have to give her a chance!"

Naruto stared at her. "Are you _serious_? I'm not just going to _let_ her win!" He looked at Hinata and winked with the eye the others couldn't see.

She jumped back at him, and he felt his hairs stand on end. The feeling got stronger whenever Hinata's hands missed him by a few inches, over his nose or through his arm. She suddenly spun backwards, hitting him with a sweeping kick.

"Yes, you got him!" Hanabi started to parade her victory, jumping up and down and making faces at Konohamaru.

He was having none of it. "No fair! You said she had to hit him with her lightning chakra stuff! Your own words! She hasn't won yet!" He turned to Naruto. "You can do it, boss! Don't let her get you!"

Naruto decided to have a little fun. He summoned a dozen clones, and every time Hinata thought she had the real one, it would disappear in a puff of smoke, and the real Naruto would reappear elsewhere on the field. The pout on her face was adorable, but he could see he was treading a thin line.

A thin line he apparently waited too late to resolve. In a stroke of creativity, Hinata created the sole clone she was currently capable of, and disguised it among the Naruto clones. When it had gotten close enough, it revealed itself, throwing Naruto forward with both hands in a mighty shove.

"Noooooo!" Naruto shouted, as time slowed down. Hinata smiled victoriously as he got closer and closer, unable to react fast enough. She slammed a palm into his chest, knocking the wind out of him.

A powerful shock suddenly ran through Naruto's body. Not enough to cause any lasting damage, but boy, did it hurt. He shook like a ragdoll, and collapsed onto the ground.

"I thought you were going to let me win?" Hinata hissed, stooping down to see if he was alright. Hanabi and Konohamaru were running over. "What was all th-that about?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly, wincing when a residual spark made him twitch. "I was totally going to! I just got carried away, is all."

"Yes! I won!" Hanabi stuck her tongue out at Konohamaru. "I win, I win, I win! You have to be my servant for a whole week!"

Konohamaru glared at Naruto like he had been betrayed. "What the heck was that, Naruto-niichan! You could have easily won that bet!"

Naruto glanced at Hinata, shrugging. "I don't know! I guess Hinata's just getting too fast for me."

Hinata fell into a fit of giggles as her little sister dragged Konohamaru away. Taking her out for a free lunch and letting her eat as much as she wanted was first on Konohamaru's agenda as her unwilling servant.

Naruto rubbed his head. "Wow, he really needs to get the hint. I didn't think she'd be that obvious about it."

"So, do you wanna keep practicing mastering lightning chakra? You should try using a shadow clone! It remembers how to form the chakra, and that knowledge comes back to you over time."

Hinata frowned. "I w-would, but I cannot make nearly as many as you can. It would not help very much, especially since I don't have the chakra reserves you do."

"So? A little extra help is better than none! Besides, you won't increase your reserves if you don't push yourself." Naruto smiled. "I know you can do it!"

His words of encouragement were enough to warrant a few tries. She attempted two clones this time, and while she succeeded, it took more out of here than she expected. She wobbled on her feet for a few seconds, feeling dizzy. It subsided after a few seconds, and she went to work.

Just as Kakashi had told her, she churned the chakra internally, rubbing it against itself and creating as much friction as possible. Her fingers began to feel tingly, quicker than they had before. Her clones were faring just as well, and she had high hopes for good results.

Naruto snapped his fingers. "Oh, wait! You'll need a few target dummies, won't you?" He summoned three of his own clones. "Alright, you guys! Your job is to be Hinata's punching bag so she can practice her Gentle Fist stuff!"

One clone groaned. "But that stuff huuurtts! Why can't you do it?"

"Because I'm the original Naruto, and it doesn't matter if you guys get hurt," Naruto replied.

"That's discrimination!" another clone complained. "You should take the hits just as much as we do!"

"This _isn't_ being put to a vote! Now go help Hinata!" Naruto shooed them off, giving Hinata a thumbs-up. "Keep going, Hinata!"

The Naruto clones could withstand a few strikes of the Gentle Fist before disappearing, but each time she tried to combine a strike with her lightning chakra, it would dissipate.

'_This is harder than when I was by myself,'_ Hinata realized, after all three clones had disappeared. Naruto quickly created three more, and she tried again. Better luck, but the chakra was too weak to noticeably affect them.

But several minutes later, she began to improve. One clone suddenly doubled over when the shock slammed into his body. Hinata activated her Byakugan, and before the clone disappeared, she could see that several of his tenketsu had closed off.

She tried again. The effect was weaker than before, but still noticeable. By the third time, only two tenketsu closed. Regardless of the decreasing number, Hinata was shocked. The lightning chakra leapt from one tenketsu to another, cutting down the amount of strikes necessary to close off the chakra points.

One of her clones disappeared when her reserves ran out, and it created a domino effect. The other popped away a second later, and Hinata felt like throwing up. Her knees shook, and she might have fallen to the ground had Naruto not caught her.

"Great work!" he praised. "I don't know what it was you did, but it sure looked cool!"

She explained to him on their way back to the compound what she had stumbled upon. It took a few tries, but eventually he got the hang of the idea that it was something to be proud of. The Hyūga clan had never seen anything like this before, she told him, and by the time they were inside, Naruto wouldn't stop talking about it.

"That's so cool, Hinata! You should tell your dad! He'll be so impressed!"

"Impressed with what?"

Hiashi stood in the doorway. "I saw you training through the window. Apparently there's something you wish to share?"

Naruto retreated behind Hinata, shutting his mouth. She nodded shyly. "Y-yes, father. I am improving my elemental chakra."

It was subtle, but she could see he was curious. "Oh? What happened?"

She explained it again for her father, who understood the first time what happened, and what this meant. His face did not reveal how he felt, but Hinata felt proud regardless. He glanced at Naruto, and she knew he realized he had helped her improve her skills.

He inclined his head slightly. "That is very impressive, Hinata. I would like to bring that up at our next meeting. Do I have your permission? You would of course be expected to explain this to the others."

Hinata bowed. "Of course, father. I would be happy to."

Hiashi thanked her, and took his leave. Naruto let out the breath he was holding. "Couldn't he have been a little happier for you?"

"Trust me, Naruto-kun, he was happy. It's just because…well…"

"Because I was here?" Naruto asked, visibly saddened. "No, it's okay. I can't know what it's like for him, so I shouldn't be angry. I just need to prove to him that I'm not a bad guy."

"Hinata?" Hiashi had returned. Naruto squeaked with surprise, clamping a hand over his mouth. Had he heard everything? If so, the Hyūga clan head didn't show it.

"Yes father?"

Hiashi struggled for a moment, like he had forgotten the words. The look of discomfort in his eyes was apparent even to Naruto. "Would you like Naruto to join us for dinner? Several of the branch members have returned home from various missions, and this will be the first time in months we will all be home. They wished to do something special."

Hinata stared at her father. Bringing the whole clan together was stress on him enough, but inviting Naruto, with the tension between the two of them….she was amazed. Hiashi had told her he cared for her, and that he would try his best to be kind to Naruto, and perhaps see her side of the story, and Hinata was starting to believe him.

She blinked back a few tears that threatened to reveal themselves. "Of c-course, Father. That sounds wonderful! Th-thank you."

Again, Hiashi excused himself, and again, Naruto relieved himself of the held breath. "What the heck was that about?" he asked. "Did I do something right?"

Hinata hurried over and hugged him. "I don't know, but this is wonderful news! We've never done something like this before. You'll need something nice to wear, a haircut, you'll need to take a shower…"

"Hey, I don't smell that bad!" Naruto protested, taking a whiff of his pit. It was a little…stronger than he thought. Maybe a shower was a good idea.

Hinata was going on and on about what they needed to prepare for tonight, and while he thought it was adorable, there was something else on his mind. A certain itch started up again, and Naruto was beginning to feel the overwhelming need to prank. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, but he didn't want to ruin this for Hinata. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Unless of course, he made sure not to get caught.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I've had this idea in my head for a long time. Naruto's in devious mode. Hopefully that means funny stuff is coming.

I hope you guys liked the chapter, and that you'll leave a review if you did!

Until next time!


	67. An Evening with the All-Seeing Eye!

**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry this is so late.

A lot of shit has come up. Several school assignments popped up all at once, and I've been dealing with a lot of personal stuff right now. Some days I just don't feel like getting out of bed. I don't think it's like full-on depression or anything (fuck, it might be like bi-polar or something), but it's something. If it persists, I'll check it out. Still, I'm so sorry it took me three weeks plus to get this chapter out! I'll try to work out some kind of schedule that allows for heavy school work.

A huge thanks to my beta **kylekatarn77** for powering through these things so damn fast! If anything's snuck past the both of us, I apologize. I'm actually a little drunk right now, so my editing porwess isn't up to usual standards (I hope my spelling is at least).

Also, I'd like to thank my good friend **OGAFazer89AC**. He didn't really have anything to do with this chapter, but he's just a stand up guy! I appreciate him a lot, as I do all of you who take the time to talk to me and just shoot the breeze. Makes me happy.

A huge thanks to everyone who takes the time to review! They were a little light last chapter, but whatever. That's probably because of the lemon, and it's no skin off my bones. We'll call it even for getting this chapter so late, if that sounds fair to you.

Sadly there won't be any music this chapter. The alcohol is kind of inhibiting my tatastes right now, so if I linked something (and somehow got the right link), it would probably be shit. Just use your imagination, people!

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><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 15 - Evening with the All-Seeing Eye! Hyuga Dinner!<strong>

The first few flakes were drifting down just as the sun disappeared beneath the tree line. It was a beautiful sight; the light glittered across the falling snow, scattering into the mist and making the whole world shine. But only minutes later, the sun was gone, and the air hung heavy with darkness and silence.

Lee held back a sneeze. His old suit had insulated him against the cold better than these rags, but he had to look the part. Training to warm his body was out of the question as well. He felt as out of his own skin as he ever had, shivering in the cold. It wasn't hard to keep his spirits up, though. He had his friends around him, and he had always enjoyed the snow, as rare as it was growing up in the Land of Fire. He didn't know why, but why should you question the things that you enjoy?

His companions weren't as enthusiastic. Tenten muttered curses to herself in frosted breath, and Guy took to the cold just about as well as he did the sea, his face burning with a light fever. Only Neji didn't seem to mind their conditions; his face was as icy and frozen as their surroundings.

Winter arrived in the Land of Water far earlier than home, Lee quickly discovered. Mountains towered across the eastern shore of many of the islands, forcing clouds to dump their moisture all at once. The heart of winter was almost a month away, yet they had already suffered through two snowstorms. The locals assured them the worst had yet to come, that this would be a hard winter. None of Lee's group had taken the news well.

"It sh-shouldn't be t-too much f-f-farther," said Guy, through clacking teeth. "N-Neji, it's t-t-time we split w-ways."

"I will be out here every day," Neji explained, stopping underneath a large tree, "regardless of if you contact me beforehand. Make sure you are not followed, and remember that we cannot be ourselves, even when alone. A single slip-up could reveal ourselves."

Tenten stepped up beside him. "You sound like you've done this before."

"I have. A jōnin's responsibilities are different than that of a chūnin. They were hard missions; that much I will not hide from you."

Guy nodded solemnly. "Neji's r-right. I have never b-b-been undercover m-myself, but I can attest t-to his honesty."

"Why have you not been on such a mission, Guy-sensei? And then, why were _we _chosen when jōnin are a more qualified rank?" Lee asked.

"By the time you have reached jōnin, you have attained some manner of reputation," Neji said. "While my circumstances were special, those who are either easily recognizable or famed for their abilities are not sent on such missions most of the time. Someone like Naruto would never be considered, for both the reasons I have listed."

Tenten jerked her head in Guy's direction. "Then why is Guy-sensei coming along now?"

"I sp-specifically requested th-this," Guy said, daring to extend his arm into the cold for his nice-guy pose. "I implored T-Tsunade-sama to see th-that we w-w-were the right choice for the m-mission!"

Neji brushed some snow from the top of his head. "I was not as optimistic as Guy-sensei was. It was not until he explained to me his reasoning that I came to his side. Your abilities do not stand out as much as others' do. You do not have family techniques or abilities passed down onto you. It will be that much easier to blend into the crowd, so long as you accept that you must not make yourselves noticed."

"We are stretched thin as it is," he continued, sighing. "This exchange program has scattered us across the five nations, with promises of peace and the sharing of knowledge and experience. But I do not like it. Iwagakure and Kirigakure were particularly demanding of several of our jōnin, including those who would have been better suited for this task. I would expect that of Iwagakure, given what we know of them, but Kirigakure was a surprise. It is worrying."

Tenten blew some frozen stalks of hair out of her eyes. "Gee, thanks for being so confident in us."

"I already told you I believed in you." Neji looked at her strangely. "I should apologize for not possessing that confidence in the first place." He bowed deeply, and Tenten blushed, muttering a 'thank you' under her breath. Her cheeks were red, but Lee could not tell if that was the cold.

They shared a few other words, some of caution or of luck. Eventually both Guy and Neji decided it was too dangerous to linger any longer, and insisted they split. Neji would remain behind while the rest of the group went on to meet with the rebel group.

Lee clasped his friend's hand firmly. "I will visit as often as I can, Neji. I will not let you down!"

Neji offered a rare smile. "Nor will I let _you_ down. Please be careful, Lee. I would be devastated if I were to lose my favorite sparring partner."

They shared a laugh, and stepped back. Lee went with Guy to give Tenten and Neji some privacy, considering their current relationship, but the icy wind carried sound easier than he thought. He heard most everything they whispered to one another.

"I am sorry about what I said earlier," Neji murmured. "But it was not because I am not confident in your abilities. It is because I am scared."

Tenten tried to laugh away the tension. "What do you mean _scared_? Don't tell me Neji Hyūga's gotten cold feet all of a sudden?"

Lee stole a glance behind him. Neji was staring at the ground. "I cannot help it. It's natural to worry about those you care for. Especially you, Tenten. I know have not been the most attendant of—"

She must have kissed him, because when Lee took another peek, Neji was a deep shade of red, and not because of the cold.

"Don't fumble through the words; I know what you're going to say, and I appreciate it anyways. Just promise me this won't be the last time I see you, and you can start making it up to me once all of this is over, okay?"

They shared a few more words that Lee could not hear, reluctantly parting. Neji stood by the tree and watched them as they started away. Lee turned his head to wave goodbye, but Tenten stopped him.

"He told me not to look back. Like he said, 'don't draw unwanted attention'."

It was hard, but Lee did as he was told. The wind suddenly whipped through his hair, and he couldn't help but look. By then, the mist and snow had thickened, and Neji was nowhere to be seen, the tree he had been standing under completely lost in a blanket of white.

They trudged on towards their destination. Other figures appeared in the distance, silhouettes against the stark backdrop. The remainder of their group huddled a little closer.

"Should we act like we don't know each other?" Tenten whispered, as more and more people began to appear.

"N-no," Guy replied quietly, trying to control his shivering. "They have already s-seen us together. It's not so suspicious that some people would j-join this as a group."

He was right. They spotted several other groups of two or three in the mist and snow, all heading in one direction. By the time the building came into view, they were a few people short of a crowd, keeping their silence among one another.

The building was small. _Too_small. Barely half of them had fit into the small room before it was full. Everyone was looking around, confused. This was where they had been told to meet, but surely they hadn't expected so few people.

Lee took the opportunity to catch a glimpse of some of the people cramped inside. Most of them did not look like they were capable of combat. Beady-eyed, hard-lined men and women, with heavy brows or sunken cheeks. Many looked perpetually angry. Others surprised them. They looked younger than he did, boys and girls with innocent faces, but the hardest eyes he had ever seen. Everyone seemed mistrustful of one another. It was enough to make Lee feel sick to his stomach.

They heard a creaking, and everyone turned. A hidden door had opened, and in the entrance stood a giant of a man, with hands that looked like they were carved from stone.

He grinned, revealing only a few remaining teeth. "We got more than expected. That's good. This way, everyone."

He started down the stairs, and everyone followed. Lee heard a murmur halfway down, which turned into a dull roar at the bottom of the stairs.

There must have been ten times as many people as there were behind him. The room was massive, and filled from wall to wall with people. He saw many more civilians, as well as shinobi from many different villages, most with a slash across their headband.

Lee exhaled sharply. "I did not expect so many people," he said. "This is very dangerous."

Guy silenced him with a look, turning back to the crowd to take everything in. It was rare to see him this way, and it only made Lee's nerves worse. Tenten looked even worse, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek before she caught it with her tongue.

"The prodigal son returns!" someone shouted from across the room.

Several torches had been lit, revealing another hidden door behind a small wooden stage. A lean youth stepped up onto it, his pointed teeth gleaming in the dark.

"Welcome, everybody! I gotta say, I wasn't expecting such a crowd here tonight! This is good news!" Sharp, purple eyes scanned the crowd. Several people grumbled to their companions, shifting where they stood.

"It's just a damn kid!" someone yelled. "This is bullshit!"

"We're not taking orders from some brat!" another mocked, shaking his fist. A second later, in the midst of the screaming, he collapsed. His head rolled across the floor, stopping at Suigetsu's feet. The massive sword he hoisted over his shoulder dripped with the man's blood.

He laughed. "I was hoping someone would be stupid enough to do that! Anyone else think I'm just some brat?" When nobody dared reply he laughed again. "I didn't think so."

"Maybe some of you will know who I am!" he continued. "And all you know why you're here! You're here because you're pissed off!"

A murmur of agreement swept across the room.

"I'm Suigetsu Hōzuki!" He beat his fist across his chest. "My family has ruled as the Mizukage twice, and led the village into peace and prosperity!"

The crowd agreed once more, louder this time.

"And now, just as they have in the past, there are people that are trying to ruin that prosperity! All of you have something in common…"

He pointed his sword out to random members of his audience. "All of you have lost someone close to you, because of our common enemy, because of those with Kekkei Genkai. Right now, you are led by a woman who's in possession of not one, but _two_ Kekkei Genkai!"

Everyone roared in anger, shaking their fists. Lee could feel the genuine hatred emanating from many around him.

"They think they're better than us! They're nothing but lucky, and use this power over us to get what they want, and keep us down! We're close to a world war because of those with Kekkei Genkai! The Mizukage, and all others like her, will eventually enslave us, because they think we're not capable!"

Suigetsu beat at his chest. "My family's techniques led this village to its greatest heights, but I don't try and hide them! All of you will learn the secrets of my family, and together we'll topple the dictatorship of Kekkei Genkai!"

The crowd screamed their approval, their bloodlust thrown into the air. Suigetsu laughed from on stage, muttering something to the man who had led them downstairs. He disappeared through the door Suigetsu had come through, returning with a man being dragged behind him, his arms and legs bound. His headband was that of Kirigakure.

Suigetsu shoved the man to his knees on the stage. "And this guy is one of them! His clan had run from justice for decades, because of the terrible things they did to you and your families. I've found him, and I mean to show you what will happen to those who think they can kill our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, friends and companions, and then expect us to obey their every command!"

Lee watched with horror as Suigetsu lifted his sword high above his head. He started forward, but a hand yanked him backwards. He turned, Guy shaking his head no.

"This is not the time, Lee." He looked ashamed to say the words.

Lee turned back to the stage. Suigetsu plunged the sword into the back of the man's neck, slowly pushing it further down. The man screamed in agony, and the crowd cheered all the louder. It was a disgusting, brutally violent spectacle.

The man finally slumped over. Suigetsu heaved the sword from the corpse, scattering blood in front of him. "That's what's coming to every single Kekkei Genkai user in this village! Stay with us, train with us, and you will become a part of history! Equality will come to us through the violence they have used against us for so long!"

If he hadn't convinced everyone there, those final words were enough. Everyone cheered loudly for the last time, calling for revenge and justice for their families.

"You will receive information at dead drop points scattered throughout the village," Suigetsu explained. "Tell no one you do not trust what goes on here. We will train together every night. Do not make yourselves too suspicious. The ones who prove themselves will become a bigger part of the plan I have to retake the village. Return to your homes; act as if nothing has happened. Don't forget why we're doing this!"

* * *

><p>Tenten was shivering again, but this time it was not the cold. "How can those people think like that?" she wondered aloud. "They were like animals in there. Are they really going to help that creep commit genocide?"<p>

"This is much, much worse than Tsunade-sama originally thought," said Guy. "The Mizukage has the potential for civil war at her doorstep, just in time for the jōnin selection process."

He reached into his pack, pulling out a small book. "That white-haired youth…he's in our Bingo Book. A member of the Akatsuki. He was part of the team that tried to kidnap the jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails."

Lee brandished his fists. "Then we must go after him! Guy-sensei, we cannot allow that criminal to take over the Mist! It will give them too much power!"

"If only it were that simple. In one night, he's managed to convince hundreds of people that violence is they answer they're looking for, and they will defend him if they can. There were many chūnin in that room, and I saw several jōnin as well. Cutting the head off the snake now would likely halt the organization's plans, but it would be too dangerous. We could spark a much larger conflict if we act rashly."

Lee swallowed the lump in his throat. It was scary seeing Guy so serious.

"Speaking of snakes…" said Tenten, as she drew her cloak tightly around her shoulders. "You said this creep was part of the team that went after the Eight-Tails…does that mean Sasuke is involved? He was there too."

Guy shook his head. "I don't know. If that's true, that would give us leverage to demand additional measures from the Mizukage. But if Sasuke is involved, it will be a massive strain on the relationship between our villages."

His eyes scanned their surroundings. They were alone, lost in the falling snow. "Let's head back. Neji will be waiting for us."

Neji stood against the far side of the trunk, arms folded. When Lee and the others drew near, he opened his eyes.

"How did it go?" he asked.

As Guy explained everything that had transpired, Neji's expression hardened. His eyes were flecked with subtle feelings of fear, anger, and confusion.

"This is bad…" he murmured against the wind. "Tsunade-sama worried that there might be a civil war brewing within the village, but she did not guess that it was coming from an outside source. And to hear that it's the Akatsuki…"

He frowned. "And you're sure it was him? Lean build, white hair?"

Tenten nodded. "Yeah. Those creepy-looking purple eyes. Looks just like the one in Guy-sensei's Bingo Book. He doesn't look like the speech-giving type. More like the 'kill-now-ask-questions-later' kind of guy."

"Maybe he has an accomplice," Lee suggested. "Someone who is helping him in the shadows."

"I would not be surprised," said Neji, "considering his affiliations. There is another shinobi of the Hidden Mist in the Akatsuki. I would imagine it's him."

He revealed his own Bingo Book, flipping a few pages until he found the man he was speaking of. He turned the book around to show the others. Small, blood-shot eyes, with a massive build and pale, almost fish-like skin. His sharpened teeth were bared in a malicious grin.

"Kisame Hoshigaki." Neji closed his book. "Guy-sensei has battled him before."

Guy tapped his chin. "Have I? I can't seem to remember?"

"How could you not remember a giant…_fish-guy_?" Tenten balked, mouth hanging open. "The guy looks like a shark with legs!"

Lee punched the air. "It is because he is not worth knowing! The man is a criminal, and Guy-sensei does not associate with filth like that!"

"Right you are, Lee! But he is a dangerous opponent nonetheless. We can't assume he's here with this Suigetsu as Neji has suggested, but better to be safe than sorry. Neji, include the possibility in your report."

Neji bowed. "Of course. Is there anything else?"

"Suigetsu made promises that those strong enough would rise in the ranks," Lee quipped. "Maybe we should try to get these promotions for ourselves?"

"That is incredibly dangerous," Neji warned. "I would advise against it unless Tsunade-sama gives the go-ahead."

Guy stepped forward, patting Neji's shoulder. "I'll be the judge of that, Lee. Tsunade-sama put me in charge of this mission, and I have more experience than you. There may not be time to wait for the Hokage's opinion."

Neji's mouth thinned, but he nodded. "Yes…you are right. I will tell her you will make the best judgment possible. Just be careful."

And somehow Guy found enough of his old self to wrap his former student in his arm, rubbing his knuckle into the top of Neji's head. "I will do just that! Have no fear, Neji!"

"Stop that!" Neji swatted him away, trying to regain his composure. "And keep your voice down! We must be cautious."

Lee stifled a giggle. "We apologize, Neji. We will be careful, and we hope the same for you."

Neji nodded. "I will. If there is nothing else, I will leave for the checkpoint immediately. Tsunade-sama has spaced us out back to the village."

"It's a lot of manpower when we could just use messenger hawks," said Tenten. "Why'd she choose this?"

"If the Mizukage were to find out we're here…while she does not have the resources for open war, the damage to our relations would be irreparable for too long. The other villages might become suspicious as well. If the Rock and Cloud were to think we were not trustworthy…"

Tenten whistled. "Okay yeah, you've made your point." She looked at Guy and Lee. "Yeah, I think that's everything. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

"I will try." Neji smiled. "I will be back as soon as I can." He nodded to Lee and Guy, and raced off into the distance, quickly disappearing among the snow and mist.

"What should we do now?" Lee asked, staring at Neji's footprints.

"Tsunade has a contact in the village, who is providing us somewhere to stay. We'll go there. We'll need as much rest as we can get if Suigetsu wants us here every night."

Tenten sighed as they started off. "Why couldn't we have signed up with revolutionaries who liked naps every now and then?"

* * *

><p>"Tsunade-sama has agreed to your request to release Raiā," said Shizune, tapping her paperwork against the desk.<p>

Naruto beamed. "Really!? Tell her I said thanks!"

Shizune held her hand up to silence him. "It's not that simple, Naruto. I still didn't agree with this, but I still hard to argue your case to her. That means that I lost a lot of ground before we reached a compromise."

"So, what's left?"

She flipped through her paperwork. "He'll be allowed to leave his cell for several hours a day, but only under close guard, and only to work with you. No exceptions."

Naruto frowned. "He won't be happy about that."

"We don't care that he's happy. WE aim to protect the village, and regardless of what he says his intentions are right now, we will do what we think best for the village's safety. Raiā will be allowed to roam the village freely, so long as he is accompanied by two to three ANBU agents at all times. Over time, should he prove his loyalty and his honesty, we may grant him more rights, but for now, that was the best I could do."

Naruto looked to Hinata. "What do you think? Will he go for it?"

"I th-think he will," she replied. "I mean, he doesn't have any other option."

Shizune nodded. "Hinata's right. There are no other options for this, so even though you may have an uphill battle ahead of you, it was the best I could do. I'd recommend you stay away from the office for a few days, though. Tsunade was livid when I first told her what you wanted to do."

"Y-yeah, I'll keep that in mind…" Naruto did not want to think of Tsunade angry. It made him sick to his stomach.

He shut the door behind him to give Shizune some peace and quiet, checking the clock on the wall before he left. "Do you think we have enough time to stop by and tell the old geezer?" he asked.

Hinata tapped her chin. "I th-think so. Father said delays were likely."

She was referring to the dinner Hiashi had invited them to only yesterday. It had originally been planned for yesterday as well, but when it became common knowledge that Naruto, the hero of the village, was attending, chaos has erupted across the entire Hyūga clan. Half of them were honored someone like him was sitting in on the occasion, while others were displeased someone who wasn't a clan member was allowed to attend. Hiashi was forced to postpone until he could get everything sorted out. It hadn't taken him long; he was growing more and more tired with the bureaucracy of the clan as of late, and dealt with any dissent quickly and quietly.

Naruto danced on his tip-toes. "Speaking of delays, I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back." He trotted off towards the nearest bathroom, and unbeknownst to Hinata, giggling to himself.

He shut the stall door behind him, and summoned the clone. "Remember," he told it, "Stay out of sight. We don't want anyone seeing us in two places."

The clone grinned. "Got it! Those stuffy old Hyūga will never know what hit them!"

He and the original Naruto giggled once more, before the clone slipped out the window, sticking to the shadows as he made his way down the side of the building. Naruto waited until it was out of his sight, washed his hands, and returned to Hinata, waiting outside.

* * *

><p>Naruto was right when he assumed Raiā wouldn't be happy with the deal that had been made.<p>

The old man folded his arms, spitting on the ground. "Did you even _try_ to negotiate a better deal than that? It's almost no better than being stuck in here all day. At least in here I'm not watched constantly."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I wasn't allowed to talk to Granny in person! They said she would get too angry because she was so busy these past few days. Shizune said she would do it, and she doesn't exactly like you all that much."

"The black-haired busy-body? The woman lives in your precious Hokage's shadow." Raiā sighed. "Very well, I suppose it's better than _nothing_. When does it take effect? How long do I have each day? I need details, boy."

Naruto produced the paperwork Shizune had given him, letting Raiā look everything over. He pursed his lips every time he saw something he didn't like, and he pursed his lips often.

"Recommended time outdoors anywhere from 3-4 hours?" he repeated aloud. "But it says here be prepare for an all day ordeal so long as you can keep up?" He shut the file. "I'm assuming you can handle an entire day of rough training, then?"

"Yeah, I can do more than that, even!" said Naruto. "But, why would we need more than one day? I thought you were gonna show me how to control the Kyūbi?"

"You're not stupid enough to think that it will be that simple, do you?" Raiā snapped his fingers. "What, just like _that_? Boy, this is the most powerful of the tailed beasts you are talking about reining in like some animal. You will need time and effort if you want to even come close to succeeding."

"What all will he need to do?" Hinata asked, worried.

"I will need to make sure he is mentally prepared, to start. The Kyūbi is capable of unraveling the mind of the strongest shinobi when the seal is weakened, if direct control is not an option. You will be subject to hallucinations and horrific images that your senses will insist are real. It will be fun to watch you squirm, now that I think about it."

Naruto frowned. "I thought you were supposed to be on _my_ side."

Raiā laughed. "Doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself. You will struggle, you idiot, whether you like it or not. Confidence in yourself is not the issue here. I'm the expert, and you are not. This will be hard."

He looked around his cell. "I suppose I should clean up a little before I leave tomorrow. We'll have a lot to do, and I'll be waking you up first thing in the morning!"

Naruto scratched his head. "Cleaning? Really?"

"_No_, you idiot!"

Hinata leaned into Naruto's ear. "He w-wants us to leave."

The blonde shook his head. "Then why didn't he just say so? These old people sure do get weird when they're cooped up all day. I wonder what Granny's like right now…"

"I am not old!" Raiā protested, poking at a liver spot on his arm. "I maintained quite the youthful appearance before that Uchiha brat ambushed me in the desert!"

Naruto giggled. "Suuure. You must have been so handsome!"

Raiā was grumbling to himself as Naruto and Hinata left his cell, shutting out the elder's ramblings. The guard posted outside shook with gentle laughter, waving them on.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked, as Hinata took his hand.

"I know you've been putting off getting some new clothes like I asked," she told him. "You want to go to dinner tonight dressed in what you're wearing."

"Nu-uh! I was going to wear what I had on during the festival! That's not that bad, is it?"

Hinata shook her head. "N-Naruto-kun, there are different kinds of formal wear. What you wear to a formal dinner and what you wear to a festival are two different things."

"There are?" Naruto groaned loudly, dragging his feet. "Come on, you know how I hate clothes shopping!"

"Then do you want to w-wait outside while I pick something out for you?" Hinata asked, passing him a coy look.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "No way! I bet you'd get me something I'd never be seen in! I'm coming with you to make sure you pick something I'd actually wear!"

* * *

><p>Naruto's interest in his outfit for that night didn't last very long. As Hinata wandered in between the racks, digging through them to find some appropriate, Naruto idly found ways to amuse himself. Making up stories for the other customers, finding something completely ridiculous and showing it off for Hinata like he was serious…he enjoyed the fun, but there was a reason he was distracting her. It gave him an excuse to hover near the door, just in case his clone finally came back from his task.<p>

"What about this?" she asked, for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Naruto gave it a quick glance. It looked a little boring, in his opinion. Couldn't they make formal stuff a little more colorful? It would help to liven up the place, at least.

He shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. We can put it in the 'maybe' pile." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata glumly set it back on the rack. "What's the matter?"

"You just d-don't seem very interested in this…" she muttered, twiddling her fingers. "Do you not want to go? I c-can tell Father if that's what you want…"

Guilt overcame him. He hadn't realized how indifferent he had been acting towards this. This was obviously important to Hinata; why hadn't he realized that?

But then he saw someone flash past the entrance of the store. Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, I need to use the restroom real quick. We'll talk when I get back."

"You've been using it a lot today. Is there something wrong?" she was asking as he slunk away. The bathroom was tucked away in the corner of the store, and just like the in the Hokage's building, had a window to let light in. The clone wriggled in, falling to the floor.

He beamed, pointing to the full bag hoisted over his back. "I got everything you wanted! This is gonna be so sweet!"

The clone's smile fell when Naruto didn't react. "What's wrong? I thought you wanted all this? Don't tell me I went to the wrong store!"

"No, it's not that!" Naruto frowned. "Hinata thinks I'm not taking this seriously, and she looked pretty down about it, too. I'm having second thoughts about this."

"You can't be serious!" the clone exclaimed. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! You have the prime opportunity to prank one of the most famous clans in the whole world! Don't tell me you're gonna pass this up?"

Naruto shrugged. "It just doesn't feel right anymore, okay? If she's so nervous about this whole thing, and _anything_ out of the ordinary happened, she'd know it was me in an instant. I don't think I want to do that to her."

The clone shook the bag. "Then what am I supposed to do with all this junk? You can't take it; Hinata will want to know where it came from."

"Just take it back to the apartment and throw it under the bed. I could at least use that stuff later if I want." Naruto lifted the window open enough to give the clone room to wriggle back out.

"You're wasting a valuable opportunity here!" it said before leaving. "I'll remember this!"

"Well, _duh_!" Naruto called back. He shut the window, sulking.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked again, once he was back outside. "You've been st-stopping to use the restroom a lot today. Do you feel sick?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. Maybe it was something I ate."

He patted her head, smiling broadly. "Listen, I'm sorry if you thought I didn't want to go to dinner tonight! To tell the truth, I was just insanely nervous. I still am, kind of."

Hinata blushed. "M-me too, but I'm sure everything will work out just f-fine. This is our chance to make father see how good of a person you are."

"Or completely humiliate myself. Maybe I _should_ be paying a little bit more attention to what you want to buy." He leaned over, and started nosing through the racks with her.

* * *

><p>Eventually they had found something they both agreed on. The Hyuga preferred white, and while Naruto would have preferred something a little more colorful (orange), they agreed that a plain white robe with an orange sash was enough. Very un 'Naruto-like', but they decided that was for the best.<p>

After that, and stopping to get a haircut, and going home for a shower, it was just about time to leave. Miso was sitting in front of the door, whining. He wanted to go along, but Hinata was unsure how her father would take a dog at such a formal event, so they elected to leave him behind. Miso had been pouting the rest of the day, blocking their path when he could.

"I'd take you if I could!" Naruto insisted, adjusting his sash. "But I want everything to go right with Hinata's dad! That means no surprises, and I just can't take any chances. I know how you get with lots of people."

Miso wagged his tail, as if it were something to be proud of. He pawed Naruto's legs, hoping he would change his mind, but Naruto knelt down, scratching him behind the ears.

"You're gonna have to stay behind, but what if I promise to bring home as many leftovers as I can? You can eat yourself silly."

It would have to do. Miso licked Naruto's cheek with appreciation, and moved out of the way. Hinata hopped into the hallway, slipping on her other sandal.

"You ready to go?" she asked, pulling her hair over her shoulders. She blushed as Naruto looked her up and down, with that hungry look in his eye.

"If we didn't have to worry about being a few minutes late…" he murmured, shivering. His cheeks burned, and he took a few deep breaths.

Hinata smiled. "If you behave yourself tonight, I'll make sure you're properly rewarded." The way she stepped past him as she said it, swaying her hips just a little bit…she knew Naruto was pouting behind her. She reached back and took his hand, leading him out the door.

Those they passed on their way there recognized where they were heading. The Hyuga clan was one of the largest in the village, and the event was fairly well-known throughout the village, especially after some of the more lenient members spilled out into the streets a few years ago, maddeningly drunk. Hiashi refused to speak of it, and if he had been involved, but the way his jaw clenched whenever Hinata mentioned it was enough of an answer.

When the Hyuga compound could be seen in the distance, Naruto's pace slowed. He noticed other figures heading for the compound. "There are gonna be other people there? I thought this was just a Hyuga thing?"

"Father felt it fair to allow others to invite special guests if they pleaded their case," Hinata explained. "There won't be but a few more people here,"

Naruto groaned with apprehension. "Yeah, but that means they might be important! Now it's gonna be even worse if I embarrass us!"

Hinata leaned her head against his shoulder to calm him down. "You'll do fine. Just st-stay close to me, and nothing should happen."

She almost tripped when they bumped into Tsunade.

"G-Granny!?" Naruto stammered, after they had been let inside. "What are you doing here?"

The Hokage was wearing a more formal version of her usual robes. It was a lighter shade of green, and didn't reek of alcohol. She smiled when she saw Naruto and Hinata; she might have already had a few drinks.

"Hello, you two! It's good to see you."

She thumbed towards the kitchen. "Your dad invited me, Hinata. He said he would be honored to have the Hokage join them this year, and I would have said yes to anything if it got me out of that office for a few hours."

Naruto was rubbing the back of his head so fast a few hairs were falling to the ground. "But what about that jonin stuff? Isn't that coming up?"

Tsunade pushed him. Forgetting her own strength, he tripped against the wall. "Forget about all that nonsense! I've got it under control, so don't worry your little blonde head."

She leaned in, giggling. "I left a clone to do it. You're not the only one who can pull that around here." She laughed louder the second time, wandering off when she heard someone mentioning her name in hushed conversation.

Hinata blinked. "I th-thought Tsunade-sama could handle her liquor…"

"That must mean she's already had a bunch," said Naruto, shivering at the prospect of a thoroughly drunk Tsunade. "Let's make sure we don't run into her again. At least there won't be anyone else as important, right?"

They stepped outside, and Naruto slapped his forehead in frustration. He recognized several other important figures in the administration, Shikaku, Tsume, Inoichi, and Choza, as well as several other prominent clan members, and at least three or four ambassadors to the daimyo himself.

"You have got to be _shitting_ me," Naruto hissed between clenched teeth. "Every important person in the history of forever is here! What the hell? I'm gonna blow it, aren't I? I'm gonna like, _fart_ on the daimyo or something, and everyone's gonna know it was me, or maybe I'll—" He wheezed as the words caught in his throat. Hinata had to slap him over the back to help the air back in.

"Take a deep breath!" she whispered. "And c-calm down. You're making me nervous. It will be fine, Naruto-kun. Everything will be fine."

"This is him. The one I told you about!"

They spun around, just as the ambassadors to the daimyo were walking up. A thin, reedy man adjusted his glasses, not taking the time to conceal his staring.

"He looks like quite the capable lad," he said, holding out a shaking hand. "It's a pleasure to finally me you, Naruto Uzumaki."

A more boisterous member of their group threw an arm around him, laughing. "Don't be such a prude! If you've heard anything about the kid, you'd know he wasn't all about the formalities and proper manners! Let the kid be himself C'mere, there's a few people I want you to meet!"

Naruto was pushed away, stammering weak protests. Hinata could only stand there as they kidnapped her boyfriend, just as she was consoling him about sticking together.

"Ahh, there you are, Hinata."

She turned around. Hiashi looked especially authoritative this evening, wearing robes emblazoned with the symbol of the Hyuga clan. His hair had been washed and combed, and Hinata detected the slightest hint of makeup hiding a few of his more prominent wrinkles. More than likely against his will, and under different circumstances she might have teased him about it, but Hinata had other things on her mind.

She glanced back in Naruto's direction. "D-did you do this on purpose? I've never s-seen so many important people in one place!"

Hiashi nodded slightly. "I wanted Naruto to feel better about being a guest here. I was afraid he might have been nervous if he was the only one here that was not of our clan."

Hinata sighed. "I think you made it worse, to be honest. I'm s-sorry, but did you really think inviting Tsunade-sama and ambassadors for the _daimyo_ were a good idea? Naruto-kun was nervous already."

Her father's eyes reflected a little guilt, but not enough to convince her he agreed. "I'm sure Naruto will be fine. It will be good practice for presenting yourself to important figures, if anything. If he still wishes to be Hokage, it is the kind of knowledge he should have."

He strode off before Hinata could disagree or protest further. Her cheeks burned with frustration. It was hard to prove to herself he hadn't done this just to make Naruto uncomfortable, and he would never admit to it. She could only hope she was wrong.

Naruto stumbled back to her side, coughing and punching his chest.

"What's wrong?"

He coughed again, and some kind of powder burst from his throat. "They gave me this drink. I think it had a little alcohol in it."

Hinata waved in front of her nose. "A little? You smell like Tsunade-sama already!"

"I didn't say I enjoyed it! They almost shoved the damn glass down my throat. Let's get out of here, before they make me try something else!" he took her hand, and bolted away, just as one of the ambassadors turned around, a flaming glass in his hand.  
>(Separating line here? Also how do you do the trick again? I tried to add one in, it wouldn't work.)<p>

They found a quiet(er) spot underneath a large oak tree, picking a wooden bench with a view of much of the garden. It looked pretty spectacular, as Naruto looked around with wide eyes. Lanterns had been strung from tree to tree, and in between wooden branches where there were no trees, illuminating the ground in a multitude of colors. Because of the sheer size of the Hyuga compound's gardens, there were still many flowers that bloomed in late autumn and even winter, producing a dazzling array of blossoms all around them. Everyone around them was dressed in their finest clothes, speaking in hushed tones with one another. Naruto craned his neck to hear what the closest group was talking about, but Hinata pulled on his ear.

"Don't be nosy," she scolded, kissing the ear. She laughed when Naruto shuddered against her.

He grinned. "What, you mean like this?" he leaned back towards them, and again, Hinata pulled his ear back. She kissed it again, longer this time.

His hands dove in between his legs. "Maybe I shouldn't have done that. Maybe we could go to your room for a little bit?"

She gasped, blushing. "Naruto-kun! We can't…well, okay, I wouldn't mind s-sneaking off. But my father would notice the instant we were gone, and if he caught us…" That was _not_ something she needed or wanted to think about.

He moved a little closer. "That kind of makes it more exciting, doesn't it? We could just be _really_ careful."

Hiashi appeared out of nowhere. Hinata had never seen Naruto's hands move so fast, diving back to his lap. He started whistling, trying to look as innocent as possible. Hiashi watched them for a few seconds, before moving on to greet some of the other guests.

"What the hell?" Naruto muttered. "Is he spying on us or something?"

Hinata shrugged. "Maybe. I guess we sh-should just wait until this is over." She hung her head, taking a few deep breaths. She had been getting a little too excited, it seemed.

They entertained themselves with little things as dinner drew closer. They sampled some of the appetizers laid out nearby, talking with Shikaku, Inoichi and Choza and asking how their sons were doing. They wandered around the garden, introducing themselves to any Hyuga members they came across. At first Naruto was terrified, stammering out every other word, but he gradually became more comfortable as he got to practice. This lasted as long as until he reached one of the elder members of the clan, one of the stuffy traditionals like Hiashi had always warned Hinata about.

But, out of nowhere, they managed to find common ground. As it turned out, the elder disagreed with all the fine dining available, and would have preferred a simpler choice, something like…

"Ramen!" the old man said, shaking his head. "Many of the others think it's below them just because they can afford nicer ingredients, and they've forgotten how filling it can be!"

"I _know_, right?" Naruto was beaming, nodding his head. "And you can put all kinds of flavors in there! It appeals to all tastes!"

The elder laughed, clapping Naruto on the back. "You're right! I should spread the word. With someone as famous as you helping me, this whole village will see the truth sooner or later!" He wandered off, nearly tripping on a root of the tree they were standing under.

"What a nice old guy," said Naruto, waving goodbye.

Hinata realized the elder was likely incredibly drunk, and it was unlikely that he acted like that sober, but she kept that to herself. No need to make Naruto nervous again, just after he was starting to truly feel comfortable.

But they only had to wait until the next conversation for the nervousness to come right back. Unlike the last Hyuga elder Naruto talked with, this one was far less amicable, shooting down anything Naruto attempted to speak with him about. Eventually, he grumbled something under his breath and wandered off. Naruto trotted back to Hinata with his tail in-between his legs.

"That was awful!" he said, shaking his head. "I thought this was supposed to get easier!"

More and more tried to have a few words with him as the food was being carried out. From one end of the spectrum to the other, Naruto would either impress them or offend them, and it was never anywhere in between. Every time Naruto tried using what he learned from one conversation in another, it would backfire and make things worse. Hinata was furious by the time he finally got to sneak away.

"How can they conduct themselves like that?" she spat, cheeks puffed out. "They _must_ know they're expecting too much of you!"

Naruto grabbed her hand. "Let's just find a place to sit and eat. People can't talk when they have their mouths full."

At least they had plenty of things to eat. Naruto had never seen so much food in one place, and not a single dish looked unappetizing. If only he got the chance to actually dig in and eat it. Through suspicious 'coincidence', Naruto ended up sitting close to the grumpiest of the other guests, angrily swapping their opinions with one another and generally putting a damper on the whole evening.

Naruto was trying to get through the huge slab of ribs in front of him, but one of the elders was talking his ear off about his seemingly-important opinion that kunoichi should not be sent on as dangerous missions as male ninja. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto watched Hinata's hand grip her glass with frightening strength. It might shatter any second if she wasn't careful.

The man across the table yanked Naruto's food away from him. He was friendly enough, but the alcohol in his system made him sure that he knew Naruto's tastes better than he did himself, and routinely grabbed a plate to replace it with another, insisting Naruto try whatever was shoved in front of him. Naruto did so out of politeness, but it was getting extremely frustrating.

Suddenly, she stood from the table. "I need to get something from my room, and will need to be excused. Naruto-kun, can you come with me please?"

She didn't bother waiting for a reply. Naruto was thrown to his feet, and practically dragged across the gardens back inside the house. One of the elders was loudly complaining that she never waited for permission, but Hinata ignored him. Tsunade, who was sitting a few seats down, tried to entertain the older man with one of her favorite drinking songs, as she was now thoroughly buzzed. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief for the indirect help.

"They're ruining dinner!" she said, crossing her arms. "Ugh! It's like they're being purposefully rude because you're here."

Her eyes locked with Naruto's, and he saw a very dark world in those eyes. "What do you have on you?"

"Pardon?" said Naruto.

"You're the biggest prankster in the village. I _know_ you have something hidden on you or…or nearby, that we c-can use against those old farts!"

Naruto snorted with laughter. "Old farts? Hinata, they're not _that_ bad."

She pointed a finger at his neck, that menacing look in her eyes magnified tenfold. "Don't push me, Naruto-kun. They're gonna find out what happens when you intentionally mess with Naruto Uzumaki."

_Somehow I get the feeling you're more worried about how they messed with you instead,'_ Naruto thought. He held his hands up in surrender. It didn't really color him either way what Hinata wanted to do; if she was on board, could he really afford to pass up the opportunity?

He shrugged. "Well, I was kind of planning on something already…"

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I had already decided to mess with them earlier today. Remember how I kept wanting to use the bathroom? That was me talking to a clone of mine. But I decided against it, because you were really worried about how this night was gonna go, and I didn't want to mess things up between you and the rest of the clan."

"Things between me and the clan won't be harmed as long as you don't get caught," Hinata told him. "Now go get whatever you had. Use a clone, and he'll bring it back."

Like a trained dog, Naruto jumped into action. Seconds later, the clone was bounding out the front door, scrambling down the street with a cloud of dust trailing behind him. Hinata watched from the window, grimly satisfied.

"He better get back soon," she whispered, as they headed back outside.

As the meal went on, Hinata gave the older men around them less of a chance to bother them, either quickly shooting down outdated conversation topics, or simply ignoring them when addressed. Naruto tried his best to be polite, but Hinata answered for him half the time, so he relegated his time to picking through his food, waiting for the clone to get back. It was only a few minutes later before he saw a flash of orange in the window, and excused himself for the second time. Hinata remained behind so that no one would suspect anything, but she passed him a look as he walked by. A look that gave him permission to do whatever it took.

The clone was out of breath when Naruto found an unoccupied room to converse in. He produced the bag, grinning with pride.

"You think this'll be enough to make Hinata happy?" he asked.

"It better," Naruto replied. "I don't think anything less than complete chaos will sate that kind of bloodlust."

The clone giggled, elbowing his original in the side. "Just think of how she'll reward you when you pull this off!"

"Oh buzz off." Naruto forced the clone away, swatting the smoke from his eyes. He snuck out of the room, towards the kitchen. About 6 or so people stayed inside, hurrying to keep up with second helpings or the next part of the meal.

He needed them out for a few seconds to work his magic. Most of them were women, but was a sole man helping out as well, so the sexy technique was out of the question. But as he tried racking his brain for other options, he realized he had nothing else in his arsenal. He remembered something Konohamaru had told him about a long time ago, and decided to give that a shot.

"Hey!" he shouted, jumping into view. Everyone turned towards him, curious about the outburst. When he knew he had their attention, Naruto transformed into the most beautiful man he could imagine, with rippling muscles and chiseled features. The Sexy Technique: Boy version was getting its first field test in Naruto's hands.

Miraculously, all the women (and for some reason, the man as well) fainted at the sight of the hunk Naruto had transformed into, blood spurting out their nose with surprising intensity. They all collapsed to the floor, and Naruto was alone, in a manner of speaking.

He hurried over to the counter, where many different desserts were being prepared. His timing was excellent; they were ready to be served, and only needed someone to carry them outdoors. He summoned six clones, and they quickly transformed into the unconscious staff. All of them were giggling as they sprinkled a little of Naruto's surprise on top of the desserts, while the original Naruto hurried back outside so as not to look suspicious. He took his seat, and offered Hinata a quick wink. A few seconds later, the train of disguised Naruto clones marched back outside, carrying the now-laced desserts.

Hiashi tapped his glass with a fork. It wasn't a loud noise, but it managed to garner everyone's attention nonetheless. He stood, and scanned the crowd. His eyes hovered over Naruto for just a few moments, before they rose to the sky.

"It is a beautiful evening, and we are blessed to spend it in such wonderful company. In a break of tradition, we have invited friends dear to us, and offered them the food from our table. Each and every one of you has my respect, for showing such grace and friendliness."

A few people clapped, but it was clear he wasn't finished. He reached down and lifted his glass. "I would be honored to have you join us any year you wish. May we drink to health, peace, and prosperity."

Everyone lifted their glasses and took a drink. Tsunade, who by now had consumed more alcohol than the rest of the guests combined, took such a large swill of her drink, she tumbled out of her chair, falling into the grass. A hushed silence fell over all present; were they allowed to laugh, or would they learn the meaning of Tsunade's wrath?

Instead, she simply lurched to her feet, let out a resounding belch, and sat back down. Naruto had been halfway over to trying to help her back in her chair, but she sent him away with a glare. Those closest to her chuckled, but otherwise held their reactions in check.

Everyone immediately began digging in. Hinata reached for her fork, just as Naruto coughed loudly as he was sitting back down. She looked up, and reached for the food again. Naruto gently shook his head no, and Hinata understood. Naruto also noticed Hiashi was not touching the desserts. In fact, he didn't even have any served to him.

"I guess your dad doesn't have much of a sweet tooth?" Naruto asked out loud.

"N-no. He's never been one for sugar."

Surprisingly, the rest of the meal was eaten in silence. By the time the last few diners had finished, everyone had had their fill, and patted their bellies with fluttering eyelids. One by one, they started to rise from the table, wandering around the gardens to find a place to relax and enjoy themselves, and Naruto and Hinata were finally presented with the chance to talk in private. Before they could, however, Hiashi saw fit to speak with them again.

"I hope you two enjoyed yourselves," he said quietly. "Naruto, was everything to your satisfaction?"

Naruto smiled nervously, bowing. "Yeah! It was all really good. I want to thank you for inviting me."

"You'll always have my hospitality as long as you treat my daughter as well as you do." For the shortest moment, a ghost of a smile flickered across his lips. "I'll leave you two alone now. Digestion is best down when relaxing."

Naruto shivered as the Hyūga clan head walked away. "Something about the way he said that gave me the willies!"

"I'm sure he's just being polite," said Hinata. "Now, what did you do to the food?"

Naruto almost burst into laughter. "That stuff my clone got for me today was an industrial strength laxative."

Hinata gasped. "You didn't!"

"Yup! I took care of all the maids and stuff that were inside. Those were my clones that brought out the dessert. I made sure to miss a piece for you and I to eat of everything, but everything else was covered in a powder that'll loosen you up like nothing else in this world."

Hinata wasn't as practiced as Naruto when it came to holding in her laughter. Several of the other guests and clan members shot her strange looks as she desperately tried to calm herself down. But the image of dozens of stuffy Hyūga elders clutching their toilets as if their lives depended on it was too funny to repress. She might have laughed all day long, had a horrifying realization come upon her.

She slapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh, no!"

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked. "You didn't eat anything, did you?"

"No…but _you_ did."

Naruto's eyes bulged. "W-what? What are you talking about? I made sure to leave some untouched!"

Hinata started frantically twiddling her fingers. "Th-that man! The one who kept offering you food before you were finished. He switched plates when you went to help Tsunade-sama up. He was complaining your piece looked better than his, and was sure you w-wouldn't mind!"

Naruto didn't waste a second. He bolted for the closest door back inside, desperate to make it back to his own home before the horrible laxatives began their dark work. He didn't dare stay behind. If he did, people might have the sense to ask questions, and he didn't want to be remembered as someone they could ask. Besides, it didn't matter how many bathrooms they had around here; it would never be enough for what was coming.

He moved so fast he didn't notice one of the daimyo's ambassadors beckoning him over for another conversation. He moved so fast he didn't notice Tsunade nearly puking all over said ambassador.

He moved so fast, that there was no way he could have seen the fit of laughter that had overtaken Hiashi Hyūga. The calmest, stoniest man in the village, giggling like an immature schoolboy.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Yayyyy.

I've had that idea rattling around in my head for a long time, and it ended up causing a huge mental roadblock in the story. I learned to avoid it in the future if I can't naturally find a place in the story to stick it. Still, I hope you liked it!

Lee and his posse will become more prominent for the rest of Book Three. I hope that won't bother you too much. I'll be splitting the time between them and Naru/Hina with our favorite couple getting the majority in a 60/40 split or something.

I hope you guys take the time to review! If you like the chapter, or didn't, any feedback is welcome, and I try to answer as many as I can.

Until next time!


	68. Life in the Mist! Hinata's New Power

**Author's Note: **Hello, all.

I apologize the last few updates have been so spaced out. I've had to spend a lot of time outside of class working on assignments and projects, namely in the University's Studio, which doesn't leave me a lot of time to write. Regardless, I will try to increase the update rate. If I do at least 1,000 words most days, once a week is not impossible.

Though to make matters worse, the flash drive I used to store a lot of my future ideas finally kicked the bucket, and I neglected to back it up to a secondary location. I remember most everything at this point, but please understand that it might take a little bit longer to get my thoughts back together.

Some of you may have encountered a problem receiving e-mails from the site, as it was with me. I found that it was being sent to my spam folder, so if you haven't been receiving alerts, you might want to check that your e-mail isn't filtering fanfiction's messages. This is why I haven't been as diligent in responding to your reviews. I didn't know when any were being sent. I'll try to rectify that this time.

One review, since it was via Guest profile, needs to be answered here. **cody****, **I'm so glad to hear that you've been enjoying the story so much, and to hear that you're a fellow Georgian! Now, while the time has passed that I was willing to offer a monetary reward for someone willing to pen out the characters (as the money that I could have used was needed elsewhere), if you still want to take a crack at drawing any of the characters in the story, you have my encouragement, and I would be proud to link everyone to the finished products to show them off. Let me know what you want to do, and I'll get back to you.

As always, a big thank you to **kylekatarn77** for making sure the chapters get cleaned up. Makes my job a hell of a lot easier. I'd also like to thank you eagle-eyed viewers who spot additional mistakes that slip past us (here's looking at you, **InfiniteDragon**!)

Here is the music you need to worry about this chapter:

(1) - /watch?v=1gOxB4hTvwc (Music featuring the beautiful Armenian instrument, the Duduk, will likely become the various themes for Kirigakure. It conveys mystery and melancholy, much like the situation that Kiri is faced with.)

(2) - /watch?v=2cJ9733hjV8 (Raia's theme)

On with the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 16 - Life in the Mist! Hinata's New Power.<strong>

(1)

Lee punched at the air, relishing the feeling of sweat dripping from his temple.

He had woken up several hours ahead of sunrise, so the dampness and silence of the night still hung heavy in the air. Unable to go back to sleep, some early training seemed like the best option, and he had jumped to the roof of the home they were staying in. While his mind was usually focused on whatever exercise he happened to be doing, last night's events refused to give him even a moment's peace.

It was clear things were worse than they had originally anticipated, but Lee was having trouble truly comprehending it all. He had never seen Guy look so serious before; not even when Pain had invaded the village had he acted so grim. Maintaining a positive attitude had always come easy to Lee, but after last night…it was hard to keep up that kind of half-full mentality.

Part of him wished Naruto was here. He had confidence in his and his friends' abilities, but there was something about Naruto that pushed you past your limits. You could run faster, jump higher, and fight longer than you ever would have thought possible when he was by your side, shouting his defiance. And as Lee threw his fists into the cold misty air, he wished he had a little bit of that feeling.

He switched to kicks, thinking about all that the young man Suigetsu had said only a few hours ago. He was attempting to push the Mist into civil war, pitting civilians and those without genetic abilities against those with them. He thought through every scenario that came to mind, and each ended in horrific bloodshed. There was no way he could let them succeed, and the idea that they needed to wait and gather more information didn't sit well with him. He trusted the judgment of those more experienced, but the pit of his stomach told him it wasn't a good idea.

His belly rumbled again, and Lee realized it was hunger. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and leapt to the ground, taking care to make as little noise as he could. The old floors creaked, but he knew where to step. He made his way into the kitchen to find a light snack to tide him over until everyone else woke up.

Squinting against the bright light of the fridge, his eyes glazed over the choices. Most of what was here needed preparation, and he didn't want to wake anyone up…

"You can have one of the apples if you want."

Lee jumped in his skin, shrieking in surprise.

The little boy laughed. "Did I scare you? I'm sorry!"

"You d-did not!" Lee protested, straightening up and folding his arms. "I just sneezed! That's all."

The boy's name was Enmu, part of the family that agreed to take in Lee and his team during their mission. He was small for his size, and a thick, shaggy head of dark hair hung just above his eyes. Lee was told he didn't sleep well, and as a result, looked sullen and withdrawn, even when he was in the best of moods. He was still a little shy around Lee and the others, but he tried to be polite and a good host like his mother.

"Are you having trouble sleeping again?" Lee asked, pulling out a chair to sit in. Enmu did the same, letting out a great yawn.

"Yeah. I had a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Enmu shook his head. Lee wasn't offended; the boy didn't want to talk about a lot of things, more out of an appreciation for silence than aloofness, unless the subject particularly interested him. He was content to kick his feet against the legs of the table, humming a little tune. Lee tapped his knuckles against the table, unaware he was following along.

"Do you like it here?" Enmu asked suddenly.

"I've only been here a few days. But yes, I think I like it here. I am grateful to your family for taking me and my friends in while we're on our mission."

"Mom says you're trying to stop something bad from happening, but she doesn't know what the bad thing is. Do you know what it is?"

Lee nodded. "Yes, and she's right. It will be very bad if we don't stop it."

"Does worrying about the bad thing make you not like it here?" Enmu turned his head to the window when the first few flecks of sunlight appeared. He brushed the hair out of his eyes, rubbing the sleep away. "Are you scared?"

"Yes. But I think it's a good thing to be scared."

The little boy gasped. "Big kids get scared too? Mom said that big people are supposed to be brave."

"You can be scared and brave at the same time," Lee explained. "Actually, I think that when you're scared is the _only_ time you can be brave. That's what being brave means."

Enmu nodded, like someone wise beyond his years. He liked the sound of that. "Okay. So you like it here?"

Lee laughed. "Yes. I like it here. It's a place where I don't have to be scared. I feel safe here."

"Me too." Enmu turned to the stairs. "Do you want me to wake up Mom? If you're still hungry I can wake up Mom. She can cook breakfast."

"That's okay. I can wait until—" he started to say, before the boy was scurrying up the stairs to wake his mother. Enmu just wanted to be a good host, it seemed.

Minutes later, the whole house started waking up. Enmu's mother was the first downstairs, being led into the kitchen by her son. She yawned and stretched as Lee stood to apologize.

He bowed deeply. "I'm so sorry he woke you up! I did not mean for that to happen."

Niwakō was a kind, but quiet woman. She spoke more with a smile than she did with words, and was endlessly patient.

She nodded. "It's okay. I was already awake." She offered Lee a reassuring smile, and shuffled into the kitchen to begin preparing something to eat. Enmu wordlessly headed outside into the garden, looking for the freshest ingredients. Lee made to join him, but Niwakō waved a cutting knife in the air, insisting he sit down and enjoy himself.

Guy was the next one downstairs, clutching a blanket around his body and shivering. Lee was beginning to wonder if his teacher would ever adjust to the cold.

"G-g-good morning," he chattered. "Is th-there anything I c-can to h-h-help?"

Niwakō laughed softly. "You're cold." She set down her knife, and reached into the fridge, pulling out a thermos filled with some kind of beverage. "Have a sip or two of this, and you'll feel much better."

Guy did as he was asked, and Lee watched in surprise as the color rushed back to his master's face almost instantly. Seconds later, he was hopping from foot to foot, sucking in air as he tried to cool down his tongue. Niwakō filled a glass of milk and offered it to him, soothing the burning sensation.

"What was in that thermos you gave him?" Lee asked her.

"A special soup for warming you up. Some people just need a little help to get used to the cold."

Enmu trotted back inside, carrying a basket filled with foodstuffs from the garden. "You have to be born here! All the outer islands break up warm air currents before they get here, except for the larger ones that bring in all the snow." He handed the basket to his mother, and sat down with the others.

Tenten was the last one to slog her way downstairs. She had never been a morning person, and the wild knots in her hair were proof enough. She was staying with Enmu's sister, Kasumi, who trailed behind, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She differed in appearance from her brother and mother, so Lee assumed she took more after her father. With almond-shaped eyes, unblemished skin, and a brilliant smile, she was very pretty, and Lee was finding it hard not to stare.

"Morning everyone!" she said brightly. Tenten groaned behind her.

Kasumi took a seat next to Lee. Apart from the rest of her family, she was quite talkative when she wanted to be, and entertained him with questions until breakfast was served. It was simple but filling, and Lee ate all that was offered gratefully. Guy insisted they clean up, to which Niwakō softly accepted. Lee got picked to wash the dishes, and Kasumi offered to join him, still with questions to ask.

"Does it really get as hot during the summer as I've heard it does?" she asked.

"Yes! It's not as bad as the deserts in the Land of Wind, but it's not called the Land of Fire for nothing!" He smiled when that made her laugh.

* * *

><p>During the day, because they still needed something to do in between the nighttime meetings, they helped Niwakō and her small delivery business, trafficking small packages through the village and in some cases, to the smaller neighborhoods a few miles outside the village. Enmu spent the day with his mother because he was too young to go alone, while Kasumi delivered alone. Guy had been to the village a few times before, and he took Tenten with him so she could familiarize herself with the village. Lee would have gone along as well, but Kasumi offered to show him herself to keep the groups smaller. He readily accepted, and enjoyed her attempts at leading him through the streets like some sort of tour guide.<p>

She pointed to a large building in the distance. "That's the international trade building. They use to trade stuff, and stuff."

"Trade stuff and…stuff?" Lee repeated.

Her cheeks turned red. "Sh-shut up! I've never shown anyone around before. I don't know how you're supposed to do it!"

"I didn't mean you weren't doing a good job! You have my gratitude for offering to show me around your home. This will be of a lot of help."

Kasumi's face fell somewhat, and she chewed at her lip. "What exactly are you doing here? I don't know if Mom doesn't know or doesn't want to tell me, but she made it sound important."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm allowed to tell you. Guy-sensei insisted we keep other people out of it if we can, and I don't want to put you in danger."

They stepped inside a small store to deliver one of their first packages, some mail from the shopkeeper's family. Kasumi looked like she wanted to say something, and the second they were back outside, she did.

"I can take care of myself! Just because I'm not a ninja like you doesn't mean I don't know what to do to stay safe!"

Lee looked around anxiously. "Shhh! These people _must_ not know I am a ninja. If they were to hear that, especially if I am from another village, the mission will fail."

Kasumi chewed her lip, taking him by the hand and pulling him into the alleyway beside the store. She refused to meet his eyes, staring glumly at her own feet.

"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have gotten mad. That put you in danger."

"Is there something wrong?" Lee asked. "I am surprised to see you so upset. What is it you think we're doing here?"

"I thought you were…" she closed her mouth. "Never mind. It's none of my business anyway. The less I know about it, the better off we are. I'm sorry. Again." She rubbed her hand behind her neck, cracking a nervous smile.

Lee offered her his nice guy pose. "It is alright! I understand that this must be stressful for you, and I will do what I can to make you feel more at ease."

"Let's just go somewhere and talk. You know, to get to know each other better." Kasumi looked up at the sun. "Our next delivery isn't for a while, so we have the time."

They found a bench close to the edge of a park. Dozens of willow trees dotted an open field, their branches visible through the dying leaves. Many of the trees were covered in a thick red moss, which trailed all the way down to the ground, giving the trees a wounded appearance.

"It's called blood moss," Kasumi explained, as they sat down. "I think it's a horrible name, because it actually does a lot of good. Crushing the moss into a paste makes a bitter tea, but it helps aches and pains."

Several men approached the trees with ladders, and Kasumi pointed them out. "Every year, they harvest the moss for the villagers who ache because of the cold. Mainly old people."

"This place is so different compared to the Land of Fire," Lee said, watching the men carefully pluck the moss from the drooping limbs. "It is strange to realize how little I have seen of the outside world. I have seen my fair share, but there's so much left, I wonder if I have long enough to see it."

Kasumi leaned against the back of the bench, craning her neck to look up at the sky. "Is that your dream? To see the world?"

"I suppose, or as much as I can when I am on a mission. The village and those I care about will always come first."

He looked at her. "What about you? What is your dream?"

She laughed. "Civilians don't have dreams like you do, Lee. At least, not as grand as yours."

"What is so big about my dream? I only want to protect my friends and family."

"And we don't go on dangerous missions like you do. Sure, living in a shinobi village carries some kind of danger with it, and we'd leave if we could, but it's safe enough here, or so my mom tells me. We don't worry about our friends and family the way you do. We just want to be happy. To live long, happy lives, with people that make us happy."

"I always pictured that I'd eventually find a guy to fall in love with and marry, have a couple of kids, and inherit the store from my mom. I've never had any dreams of grand adventure or anything like that. I don't want to rock the boat."

Lee smiled. "You sound like my friend Shikamaru. His favorite hobby is watching the clouds go by."

Kasumi looked at him, lingering for a few seconds before she turned back to the sky. "We don't get a lot of clouds to watch around here during the winter. Too much fog and mist. If there are any clouds, there's usually so many it's just one big grey blob. Nothing to watch."

"Then you must use your imagination!" Lee said, pointing upwards. "See that dark shape to your right? I can see a whale, diving into the ocean! Or over there, where a giant bird spreads its wings."

"I see it!" she said excitedly, squinting her eyes. "And over there I see a big herd of cows, trampling over an open field!"

"Shikamaru would be proud!" said Lee, laughing. "You will always see what you want to see in life when you learn to approach things from a different perspective. My teacher taught me that."

Kasumi lowered her head. "He sounds like a smart man."

"He's a genius! I've learned so much from him, and there is still so much to learn. Just last week, when he and I were training…"

Kasumi finally found a topic Lee would always have something to say about. He went on and on, and despite several apologies, discovered Kasumi was willing to listen with rapt attention. She was genuinely interested in his relationship with Guy, and what it meant to him.

Eventually, it poked at Lee's curiosity. "May I ask why you're so interested in Guy-sensei and I?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It just sounded sweet, the two of you. It's the kind of relationship a lot of people hope for someday."

She stood suddenly, offering her hand. "We better get going. The next delivery is due in a few minutes."

Lee offered to hold the rest of the packages, and trailed after her as they went on their way. He looked up at the sky again, daydreaming. But instead of seeing the ocean or a bird in flight, he saw a girl with almond-shaped eyes, unblemished skin, and a brilliant smile.

* * *

><p>(2)<p>

Raiā stood from his bed, rolling his eyes as two ANBU stepped forward, each with a pair of cuffs. One set was shackled to his wrists, and the other to his ankles.

"Must we _really_ go through all of this?" he complained, stubbing his toe against the door to his cell. "I can't even remember how many times I've assured you I have no intention of running."

The two ANBU remained silent, but Naruto groaned loudly. "You're not gonna complain the whole time, are you? If you behave I'm sure they'll let you stay out longer!"

A vein throbbed in the older Uzumaki's forehead. "And if I have to listen to _you_ the entire time, I might be better off staying in here after all!"

The two butted heads the rest of the way through the prison, with Hinata following meekly behind. Several times she tried to say something to calm them down, but Naruto either didn't hear her, or Raiā outright ignored her. She nudged Naruto in the back, shooting him a look that demanded he quit arguing. Naruto pouted for a moment, but complied.

Raiā shielded his eyes when they stepped outside. "Gah! Has the sun always been this bright? I've forgotten since you locked me up like an animal, you know."

Naruto opened his mouth, but he felt another nudge at his back, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Drama queen…" he muttered.

"So where do you want to host this little party?" The old man folded his arms. "You're more familiar with the village, and I'd suggest somewhere comfortable."

Naruto looked to Hinata. "How about the old training ground I used when I was in Team 7? That place brings up a lot of good memories."

Hinata smiled. "That sounds like a good idea. Would you like me to bring you two some lunch for when you choose to take a break?"

"I'll have roasted pork barbecue on a bed of rice, if you don't mind," said Raiā.

Hinata looked at him coolly. "You'll take whatever I choose to bring. I'm not your servant."

Naruto held his sides laughing as Raiā's cheeks burned red. Hinata offered her boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek, whispering '"I'll be back soon," before she left them.

"You ought to see the look on your face," said Naruto, wiping a tear from his eye. "Remind me to tell her I love her when she gets back!"

"Where the hell did you find _that_ one…" Raiā muttered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just show me this training ground you're talking about! We've only got a little time before they throw me back in that pitiful cell."

Naruto started on his way, throwing his arms behind him. "You sure you don't want me to show you around the village? It might help for if they decide to let you stay out longer, maybe even get a place of your own!"

He heard Raiā snort behind him. "First of all, it's _when_they decide to allow me more freedom. In any case, I'll take in as much as I need on our way there, boy. I learn quickly. When you get to be my age, you learn to remember as much about your surroundings as you can. For example, I know that your favorite restaurant is just a few blocks to the West."

Naruto craned his neck back, eyes wide. "How the hell do you know that?"

"When you came to visit me, your jacket often smelled of the same kind of ramen. I smell that ramen to the West, and came to that conclusion. Of course, the only reason I _know_ that I was right, is because you told me so."

Now it was Naruto's cheeks that were burning with embarrassment as Raiā laughed. "That's the second thing you need to know when you get to be my age. As your physique fails you, the only advantage you can have over your opponent is to be smarter than him. There's no need to force information out of someone when you can trick it out of them."

"Where'd you learn all that, anyway?" Naruto asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. "What did you do when you were a shinobi?"

"I served our clan, in the ways I was best suited," Raiā answered. "To go into detail would waste both our time."

Naruto wouldn't give up that easily. "But if you served our clan, why were you so afraid of being caught when you hid in Suna? Why did you even run in the first place if you were doing what you thought was right for the clan?"

Raiā sighed, stopping in the middle of the street. He gave Naruto a very dangerous look. "Because there are those who disagree about what is right for your clan, and what is not."

He started off again, quicker this time. "Let's go. I think I may know where this training ground of yours is."

Raiā was actually fairly close in deducing where the third training ground was; he was only a few acres off. When they arrived, he looked it over. "It seems usable enough. Plenty of space, far from the village…yes, this should do nicely."

Naruto was standing on top of one of the three wooden posts dug into the ground. "Why would we need to be away from the village?" he asked.

"Have you forgotten your circumstances?" Raiā asked, sitting down. He motioned for Naruto to do the same. "You are the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, the most powerful and fearsome of the tailed beasts. You and I are going to be fiddling with that seal like a pair of inept burglars, as you try to gain control over its power. _Something_ is going to happen."

"I'll need as much information as you can give me," he continued. "For starters, has anyone ever tried something like this before? If so, what happened to them?"

Naruto's face fell. "Ero-sennin, my old teacher, tried to learn more about my seal, so he weakened it a little bit. According to him, I almost killed him. Left a pretty awful scar in the middle of his chest too."

"Who was your former teacher? Did he have any business tampering with my seal?"

"Jiraiya-sensei was a great teacher, and an even better ninja!" said Naruto. "He was one of the three legendary Sannin!"

Raiā didn't seem the least bit impressed. "_Was_. He's dead now, so maybe he wasn't as legendary as you thought."

Naruto started to his feet. "Why you—"

"What's the matter, boy? Are you going to let your anger get the better of you? If I recall correctly, that's how the seal weakens in the first place. Do not dare to disgrace your former master by losing your temper over something so trivial."

Raiā watched Naruto slowly sit back down, shaking with anger. "Do I infuriate you? Am I unpleasant to be around?" He smiled when Naruto nodded. "Good. You better get used to that. If you want to succeed in this world, avoiding unpleasant people is idiotic. If you want to control this monster of yours, you must gain control of your emotions. You'll have to rein them in, otherwise they will overpower you and someone you love will end up dead. Imagine that pretty little girlfriend of yours splattered across the ground in five different pieces. The Kyūbi would love nothing more than to do that."

Silence fell between the two of them. Raiā could see Naruto slowly adjusting, struggling to control himself despite how angry Raiā's words had made him. The older Uzumaki watched the younger with a mixture of curiosity and doubt. It was surprising to see the boy handle it so well. Finally, Naruto's face fell into one of indifference and calm. He took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose.

Raiā nodded. "Good. You might actually have a chance. Now, keep breathing. I am going to alter your seal somewhat."

"What're you gonna do?" Naruto asked. His voice was quiet and subdued. Just as Raiā's words had angered him, they had convinced him he was right. As much he wanted and tried to control his emotions, he always failed when the need was greatest. Raiā had a lifetime and then some of experience behind him, and had worked with jinchūriki extensively. It would be unpleasant, as Raiā himself had admitted, but if he wanted to finally gain control over the demon inside him, it was a sacrifice he was more than willing to take.

Raiā rolled up his sleeve. "I'm going to add an additional symbol. It won't release any of the beast's chakra, but it will allow its emotions to leak through. If you want to control your own hatred, you will need to understand just how great the Kyūbi's own is."

He pressed his hand to Naruto's stomach. The seal began to glow between Raiā's fingertips. The ANBU assigned to guard over the two of them leapt from the trees, swords drawn. "It's alright, you idiots! This is just training," said Raiā. "Back up or this will get messy!"

Naruto cracked open an eye. "It's alright. I trust him."

The ANBU nodded, and backed away. Raiā's hand returned to Naruto's seal. His middle finger began to glow just the same as the seal, and with expert precision, he traced a symbol above it, muttering to himself.

"You will feel an overwhelming need to kill me in a moment," Raiā said, as if it amused him. "Try to control those feelings, for both our sake! If you don't, the outcome could be—"

He ducked under Naruto's fist. It came towards him with such intensity, he could feel the air rush overhead. It felt heavy with rage, and hung above him for several seconds before finally dissipating.

Naruto's eyes glowed red, and just as Raiā had said, he felt an incredibly powerful urge to rip his limbs from his body. Everything else seemed insignificant, even pathetic. This rage felt _good._ It gave him power like he never thought imaginable.

The wrinkled old fool was running. Naruto chased after him; he was screaming something at him, but his own voice sounded far away and muffled. Raiā dove away from another attack, and Naruto punched the ground in anger, forming a small crater around him.

"Hold still, old man!" he shouted. Now he could hear his own voice, and delighted in the power behind it. "This is what you deserve for trying to control me!"

"You're failing miserably right now, I'll have you know!" Raiā yelled back. "You're supposed to control the Kyūbi's emotions, not let them rule over you! Fight harder!"

"Shut up!" Naruto lunged at him. He didn't want to hear the man say another word. He wanted to rip his throat out. His fingertips missed Raiā by inches.

Trying to catch the old man was proving fruitless. Despite his age, he was fast, and knew how to evade all of Naruto's attacks, giving him a chance to put some distance between them before Naruto could launch another assault. He needed some help, so Naruto placed his hands together, and seconds later, almost a dozen clones surrounded him. In perfect synchronization they leapt after Raiā, and this time, despite losing several clones in the process, they cornered him.

"Don't move, and I'll make your death quick!" Naruto licked his lips. Killing this man was going to feel amazing. He drove his hand into the tree behind Raiā to watch him scream, but the older Uzumaki only pointed over Naruto's shoulder.

"What are you going to do about her?" he asked.

Naruto turned around. Hinata had come back, but she was doubling over in pain, her hair fallen over her eyes. When Naruto growled, she threw her head up, and a pair of red eyes stared back at Naruto.

"Fascinating…" Raiā whispered, taking his chance to escape. He grabbed Hinata by the throat, and used her body as a shield between him and Naruto. The ANBU reappeared, ready to attack.

"Get out of the way!" Raiā said, waving his arm. "This is the only way!"

"Wh-what's…happening…?" Hinata managed to gasp, her voice contorted. "It…it h-hurts."

Raiā patted her cheek. "You're saving my skin, that's what's happening. It appears that Naruto is not the only one in the village with a little demon in him."

Naruto, who had stopped advancing, paced back and forth, baring his teeth. "Let her go!" He sounded more like himself, but his eyes still glowed red.

"I don't think so," said Raiā, tightening his grip around Hinata's throat. "If you lose control, someone you love will die. That's what I told you, and look now! It's already come to fruition. If you step closer, I'll kill your lover!"

"No!" Naruto's hands curled into fists, his knuckles turning white. "I'll rip you apart if you hurt her!"

Raiā openly laughed. "I'll pass, thank you. Hold still, will you?"

Naruto felt someone behind him, and he spun around to face the attacker. Raiā's clone moved fast, his hand driving into Naruto's stomach with great force. In seconds he had erased the symbol above Naruto's seal, and Naruto felt his rage begin to subside. It was replaced by a searing pain, and he collapsed to the ground, fainting.

He woke when Raiā splashed some cold water in his face. He was sitting against a tree, with his jacket ripped open and his seal laid bare. He craned his neck, spying Hinata sprawled out nearby. She held a damp cloth to her head, taking deep breaths.

"You're awake," she said. She crawled over to check on him, kissing his forehead when she decided he was alright. "I was so worried about you."

"What about me?" Raiā demanded, staring at the two of them. "I'm the one who nearly got torn apart! Naruto, you couldn't have done any worse your first try. The Kyūbi overwhelmed you in seconds."

Naruto frowned. "It was scary. Unlike every other time I've lost control, I was in complete control. I _wanted_to say those things, and to kill you. It felt so…good."

"Well, that's what happens when you're the jinchūriki of a primordial demon of hate and suffering." Raiā spoke as if it were obvious. "But that's not what interests me right now. I'm interested in the fact that your girlfriend seems to be a pseudo-jinchūriki. When did that happen?"

Naruto shot up, his eyes wide. "What did you just say? What's wrong with Hinata?"

Raiā pointed at her. "When you were going berserk, I spied her on the ground and in pain. Her eyes were red, just the same as yours. She was having a reaction to the Kyūbi's foul nature making itself known, probably because she now houses some of its chakra herself. You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?"

He didn't wait for Naruto to answer. "Of course you did. At some point in the past, a large amount of the Kyūbi's chakra found its way into her body. Thank back, boy. When might this have happened?"

"I-in Suna…" said Naruto. "Hinata was dying. Sakura-chan had taught me a little about healing, but every time I tried, the Kyūbi would force its chakra through, and hurt whatever I was trying to heal. I…I got desperate."

"Well obviously it worked, one way or another." Raiā turned to Hinata. "You've been given a great gift, you know. All that power, just waiting to be utilized. If you have any kind of self-control, you'll be able to use it better than your thick-skulled boyfriend here."

Naruto reached out and touched her shoulder. "Hinata, I-I'm sorry. I had no idea something like this would happen." It pained him when she recoiled.

"I'm s-scared, Naruto-kun." Her voice was weak, as if they were back in the academy, and she was being ridiculed by her father once again. "I don't know what to do."

Raiā yawned. "Well then thank goodness you have me here. There's nothing to be afraid of, girl. You seem vastly more capable of controlling your emotions than Naruto, so keeping that power from gaining control won't be much of a problem for you. If you want to learn how to use it, we'll figure out a way to teach you, but for now, we'll go back to concentrating on teaching Naruto how to control his emotions. Would you like to try again?"

"No, not if it hurts Hinata." He tried to hold her again, and thankfully, she didn't move away. "We can try this another time."

"We've barely gotten into our session, you idiot. It would be a waste of our time if we stopped now."

But Naruto was stubborn. He waved his arm, calling the ANBU over. "I want to talk to Hinata about all this. I'll pick it up tomorrow."

He handed some money to the ANBU. "Take him for a hot meal somewhere. I don't want him to go back empty-handed."

Raiā protested as the ANBU pushed him away, and continued to vocally show his disapproval until he was well away from them. When Naruto and Hinata finally had silence, Naruto heaved a great sigh.

"Hinata…I don't know what to say. Please, believe me when I say I didn't intend for this to happen. I didn't even know about it until now."

"M-maybe that's why the Kyubi hates me so much," said Hinata. "He's angry that I have some of his chakra, even though I don't want it."

Naruto was taken aback by her concentration on what this meant rather than on herself. "You mean, you're not mad?"

She shook her head. "I _am_ mad. I'm angry and confused and scared and I don't know what to do. But you tried to save me, and I do believe you when you s-say that you didn't mean for this to happen. I can't blame you for something like this."

Hinata pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, hugging her knees to her chest. "But p-please…don't leave me alone. What if something was to happen, and you weren't around to stop it or let other people know?"

"Don't worry about that. I'd _never_ leave you. I'll stay right by you for as long as it takes. But Hinata…you sound like you don't want to tell anyone else about it."

Again she shook her head. "I d-don't. The less people that know about it, the better. What if my father were to know about it? I can't even imagine what he'd think. And if he found out it's because you—"

Her hand rushed to her mouth. Naruto looked miserable; she must have reminded him of his own childhood, when he had been ostracized for something he had no control over. "Naruto-kun…I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything by that!"

"No, it's okay Hinata." He shrugged his shoulders. "You're right. Seeing the way other people look at you, over something you never wanted for yourself in the first place is a terrible thing, and if I can make sure you never have to go through something like that, I'll do it. But we need to tell your dad. Hiding it from him will only make it worse when he finds out for real."

He took her hands. "I'll explain everything I can about it, and he _has_ to understand you'll be safer than he thinks. It's only chakra, and you have the best self-control I've ever seen in someone. I've almost never seen you angry. If he knows you, he'll understand that the chances are very slim."

"You're right," Hinata said, frowning. "It's for the best if we tell him. But when we do, let me speak with him. He'll listen to me more than he will to you."

Naruto groaned with frustration. "Why does this kind of stuff always happen to us? Why why _why_ couldn't it have happened to anyone else in this stupid village? You don't deserve this; you deserve better."

She managed a small smile. "M-maybe…maybe it was _meant_ to happen. All things happen for a reason, so maybe I was meant to get this chakra. Maybe it'll come in handy someday."

"I d-don't know what's going to happen, and while I wish this hadn't happened to either of us, there's nothing we can do about it now. We have to make the best of it."

He smiled back at her. "Okay then. Do you want to go tell your dad now?"

"I suppose it's best if we do it now," she said. "It'd be nice to get it over with."

* * *

><p>They both sat in on the bench opposite of the one Hiashi was sitting in. They had arrived just as he had finished with a meeting, and ever since they sat down and began to explain, he had remained quiet. He stared past them to the wall, fingers laced.<p>

He sighed. "Naruto…do you swear on your life that this was entirely by accident, that you took every precaution you could have taken, and that you will protect my daughter from this evil, even if it means your life?"

Hinata moved to speak, as she had done the entire time, but Naruto sat up first. "Yes. But I'm not going to just because I owe it to her. I'm doing it because I love her, and I'd give my life for her even if this had never happened."

"You understand that I am angry at you," Hiashi continued. "That this makes it very hard to see eye-to-eye with my daughter, and accept that you are together."

"I do."

Hinata's father stood. "Then we have nothing else to say to each other. Hinata, I will help in any way I can, and I will protect you just as Naruto will. But this is a lot of unsettling information to take in, and I would prefer to do it alone."

"I understand," Hinata said. "If you need anything, I won't be far away."

"He seemed to take that pretty well," Naruto whispered, as Hiashi left the room.

Hinata's shoulders slumped. "It is because he has so much to deal with as it is. He's simply too tired to react strongly."

"Should we go talk to him?"

"No, that will only make things worse. He knows where to find us if he needs to talk with us again. For now, it's best to leave him alone, and let him think this through."

"Do you just wanna go home, then?" Naruto asked. "It's been a long day."

"Y-yes, let's go home. Do you want to stop somewhere and pick-up something to eat?"

"That sounds good, yeah." He stood up, stretched, and started on his way out. Hinata began to follow him, but turned back for a moment, staring at the doorway her father had left through. She stood there for a few seconds, and then hurried outside to catch up with Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I've been writing weaker chapters the past few weeks. I think it's because I was afraid the story would move too fast, so I was deliberately trying to find ways to slow it down. Now that I have my confidence back, it should move along quicker. Thank you everyone for sticking with it!

A special thank you to each and every one of you who take the time to review. It serves as a continuous source of inspiration when I know so many people enjoy reading.

Until next time!


	69. Stubborn As a Rock! Grumpy Old Shinobi!

**Author's Note:** Durr hurr, Chapter 69.

Anyway, I feel really good about this chapter. I've been watching a few narrative-focused shows in the past few weeks (especially a re-watching of the excellent Avatar: The Last Airbender), and coupled with my writing classes, I really feel like the chapters will be improving because of what I've learned. For example, I recently learned that it's horribly cliched to start a chapter with either the weather, or a character waking up. Considering how many times I've done that in the past, I thought it was quite funny.

A big thanks to my friends **kylekatarn77** and **OGAFazer89AC** for their help with the story. I get great feedback from the both of them, and the chapters are fine-tuned to everyone's liking.

Sometime in the near future I might take a break to re-write the first few chapters. I feel like I might be losing a few readers here and there with my earlier writing. It's not set in stone, so who knows.

There won't be any music this chapter, as I now try to reserve the songs for particularly poignant moments in the story. Feel free to make your own soundtrack, however.

I hope you like it!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 17 - Stubborn As a Rock! Grumpy Old Shinobi!<strong>

Shino pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

He and his father stood in front of Iwagakure's main gate, a monstrous wall of solid rock jutting out from the cliff sides and mountains that formed the village's natural defense. If it weren't for the gate's smooth, polished surface, they might have missed it altogether. Waterfalls were dotted against the rocky landscape, crashing down the mountainsides, with any greenery crowding around their shores. One waterfall splashed into a small pool to Shino's left, fogging his glasses.

One of the others in their group squinted against the sun, looking up. "How do they expect us to get inside?"

"You there! Are you from Konoha?" Someone from the top of the wall was yelling down to them. When Shino and his father nodded, the man jumped down to greet them. He cracked the ground beneath his feet when he landed.

He was a large man, with a bulbous nose and full cheeks. Despite their identities as strangers to his village, the man looked at them with a smile, his tiny eyes crinkling.

"Welcome to Iwagakure, greatest village in the Land of Earth!" he said, spreading his arms. "The Tsuchikage has asked me to escort you into the village. I am Akatsuchi."

He shook both their hands. "Your group is actually the first to arrive. It takes travelers a lot longer to make their way through the country unless they know the quickest routes, like us!" His laugh was loud and full-bodied, shaking his large belly.

Shino nodded. It was wise to keep the fastest way in and out of the village a secret, giving them an advantage over invaders. Konoha did the same thing. The increased security was worth the minor loss in trade.

Akatsuchi pointed at the gate behind him. "The gate is opened through Earth Release techniques, by the guards posted inside. Only a special technique will open the gate, so don't think you can learn it yourself!"

He slammed his fist into the rock, and the whole wall began to shake. Different shapes moved in and out of the stone like a locking mechanism, before the entire wall began to sink into the ground. The path was open, and Akatsuchi waved for them to follow.

"All our buildings are formed from the same rock as the mountains," he explained, gesturing about like a tour guide. "Different stones are carved into the rock for decoration and structural support. Some of the nicer parts of town even have precious gems embedded into the walls, but they're carefully guarded, and really wedged in there!"

Shino's eyes traced alongside some of the carvings. They detailed a store's hours or wares, or gave passerby something pleasant to look at. It was impressive.

They turned a corner, and Akatsuchi stopped in front of a particularly large building, with several towers raised high into the air. The carvings in this building were from Ruby or Garnet, flashing brilliantly in the sun.

"These will be your apartments. Some of the nicest places to live in Iwa, if you ask me! Each of you can room by yourself if you like, but we can accommodate you if you'd prefer a roommate. They're even nicer than my own apartment!" This didn't seem to bother him at all; it just made him laugh.

When they finally arrived at the Tsuchikage's building, Akatsuchi's smiled faded for the first time. "Our meeting with the Tsuchikage will be very brief. He's dealing with a few village issues right now, and doesn't have the time to speak to you as much as he'd like. Any questions will be answered by other officials, and they'll be the ones who show you to your apartments."

They took an elevator to the top floor, powered by Akatsuchi's own Earth Release. When they stepped outside, they were surprised by how quiet it was; this wasn't frantic environment that Tsunade thrived in.

Akatsuchi stifled a giggle. "I can see you're impressed. We run a tight ship here, thanks to Ōnoki-sama's wisdom!" He rapped his knuckles sharply on the door.

A woman opened it. She had short-cropped black hair and an athletic build that reminded Shino of Tenten. The woman caught him looking, and folded her arms.

"We were beginning to think you all chickened out!" she said, her voice gruff. "Get inside; Gramps doesn't have all day."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

The Tsuchikage was seated in a chair high off the floor, and he looked down upon the new arrivals, before glaring at the woman. "Kurotsuchi, just because you're family doesn't excuse you!"

She muttered a few curses under her breath, shoving past Shino on her way to the door. Shino dusted himself off, sliding his glasses back up.

Ōnoki smiled. "She's right, though. I was wondering just the same if you all had decided to turn back, but here you are! Welcome to Iwagakure, the greatest village in the world."

He used a stepladder to get down from his chair, but only managed halfway before everyone heard a vicious cracking sound. He froze in place, whimpering.

Akatsuchi lurched off the wall he was leaning on. "Oh, is it your back again, Ōnoki-sama?"

"Just get over here and help me!" Ōnoki's mouth was a thin line, and although it looked like he might pass out when Akatsuchi slapped him on the back, he kept silent. With a sigh of relief, he descended the final few steps, and moved in front of his desk.

"As one of my jōnin has informed you, I am extremely busy dealing with village affairs, and do not have the time to properly introduce you to the village. However, there will be a festival in a few weeks once the others arrive to celebrate the exchange program."

"Was that not a wonderful idea on your Hokage's part?" he continued, placing his hands behind his back. "Moving resources and power back and forth, learning from our allies…to survive, you need to be prepared, and I cannot think of a better option than sharing our own shinobi!"

His eyes shown greedily. "The alliance has finally put to rest fears of another war between our villages, and this is the perfect time to strengthen that agreement. As we share our weaknesses and strengths with you, so shall you do the same. I hope to learn just as much from you as you do from us."

He flicked his hand toward the door, and Akatsuchi motioned for the group that it was time to leave. Shino and his father turned to follow them.

"No, not you two," the Tsuchikage said. "I want you two to stay back for a moment." He watched the two of them until they were alone, and the door was shut.

To Shino's surprise, Ōnoki's feet left the floor, and he floated up until he was at eye level. He stared at Shino and Shibi both, furrowing his brow.

"The Aburame clan, one of the four _noble_ clans of Konohagakure…You know, the first Tsuchikage was a member of an insect clan as well. The Kamizuru clan."

"We are aware," said Shibi, "and assumed that had something to do with our presence in the village."

"I have my reasons," Ōnoki snapped. "But they are not for you to know. I will be watching the two of you closely. Tsunade agreed to my proposal to bring you here far too easily. Something is going on, and I _will_ eventually find about it. Keep your bugs out of my business, or Konoha will regret this."

He floated back to his chair. "Leave. The both of you. Kurotsuchi will show you to your apartments."

She was waiting outside, tapping her foot impatiently. The second they stepped outside, Kurotsuchi grabbed the collar of Shino's jacket. "Listen here, you creepy-crawly freaks, you're giving gramps something else to worry about while you're here, so don't make his job any harder than it needs to be. That makes my life harder, and you can be damn sure I'll repay the favor."

But true to Ōnoki's word, she showed them to their temporary home, telling them where they could find help if they needed it. "There are a few people below me who you go to first," she explained, "but if they're not available, come find me. You'll be given a few days to adjust before we begin exercises."

"Thank you," murmured Shino, as she was turning to leave. "My father and I are not here to make your grandfather's job any more difficult. You have my word that we will help in any way we can."

Her hand was on the doorknob, but she stood there for a moment, letting it sink in. "Let's hope for both ours sake that you're telling the truth." After that, she left.

"You're normally not that talkative around strangers," Shibi observed.

"That young woman is under a lot of stress," Shino replied, turning to explore the apartment. "Why? It seems as if she's both angry _and_ dependent on her grandfather the Tsuchikage. I have not figured out why as of now. Perhaps it has something to do with what the Tsuchikage is currently investigating."

"Then we should investigate as well," said Shibi. He moved to the middle of the room. "They will not be expecting any trouble from us this soon, so it is vital we use this time to gather what information we can."

"Do we want to risk this?" Shino asked.

"There is no harm in a little information, so long as our intentions are good." Shibi placed his hands together, and a single insect emerged when he separated them. "I will form a link with this kikaichū and myself. If the Tsuchikage is still looking at what is troubling him, we can learn what it is, and perhaps offer our services as a sign of trust."

The beetle in his hand glowed faintly for a few moments with Shibi's chakra before flying out the window. All that was left now was to wait for the beetle to arrive at the Tsuchikage's office.

"There is a ventilation shaft," Shibi said. "It should lead straight inside…yes, I am inside his office again. That young woman is there as well. They are arguing."

"About what?"

"She is dissatisfied with the exchange program. She believes it makes the village look weak. Her grandfather disagrees, stating that they cannot afford to squander a chance to learn about their rivals."

"He is recounting his encounter with Gaara, the Kazekage," Shibi continued, "from the summit in the Land of Iron. 'That youth has managed to rise up to the most powerful position in his village', he says. 'Perhaps it is time I pay more attention'."

"What else do you see?" Shino asked.

"Several reports spread across his desk. He is thumbing over one repeatedly. It might be what we're looking for."

Shibi frowned. The technique was taxing on his chakra levels. "Something about religious fanatics attacking genin and chūnin outside the village. There is not much more there."

He dispelled the technique, and a few minutes later, the kikaichū returned, flying into his sleeve. Shino had finished unpacking their things, and offered his father a glass of water.

"What now?" he asked.

"We should explore the village," Shibi suggested. "Learn about what we can before we are preoccupied. I packed extra equipment for you in case you find a few insects that you wish to study."

Shino nodded in gratitude, gathering some of the supplies in case they stumbled across any insects. The apartment was nice enough, but the less he was here, the better. If his mind was not occupied, it would inevitably drift to home, and his friends and family.

His father caught the look, however subtle it must have been. "Do not worry, Shino. We will be home in time, and if you are thinking of your friends, I am sure they are thinking of you."

* * *

><p>"Man, sometimes I wish I was more like Shino!"<p>

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Why on earth would you say that?"

Naruto scratched at his nose. "Well, he never says much, so he just kind of blends in when he wants to. We've been stopped like three times by old ladies wanting to say hello! When will it end?" he exaggerated their situation with a dramatic flourish.

"M-maybe it would help if you didn't wear _bright orange_," Hinata reminded him, giggling when he stared at his shirt. "I could spot you from a mile away _without_ my Byakugan. And you have several other qualities that make me think you were born to stand out."

"What do you mean I have 'other qualities'?" he moaned. Several other people in the street glanced over, startled by his volume. That didn't seem to click with him, so they moved on.

They were headed back to Raiā's cell for another session of training. Naruto was not going to waste any time learning to control himself, no matter how long it took, and Hinata refused to leave his side despite the risks. She could take whatever he did, she insisted, and Naruto was loath to send her away. It was hard to admit it, but he needed her there beside him; her presence made it so easy to relax, that he was expecting to succeed this time around.

Raiā's enthusiasm was a little more subdued. He was glaring at Naruto and Hinata both as the ANBU helped him out of his cell and attached his cuffs.

"If you two are going to waste my time, I'll refuse to help you. It'll be worth rotting in that cell if I get to spite the both of you." He spat on the ground to make his point. "Every second you do not train with me in the time given is a second wasted. You wanted to learn to control this power, and I offered that to you. Do not assume I will always be willing to help."

Naruto frowned. "We didn't understand what was happening. Excuse us for wanting to talk about it!"

"You're not excused. Are we doing this or not? The clock is ticking."

Hinata held Naruto back. "Don't. It's not worth it. I think he's provoking you on purpose."

Raiā smiled. "There's a smart girl. If you cannot even recognize that kind of obvious goading, how can you possibly succeed in controlling the Kyūbi's vast hatred. I have told you; you will have to work for this."

The rest of their trip was in silence. Raiā was looking around when they arrived, kneeling down and checking the ground. When he found a spot that was agreeable, he rolled his sleeves up, and his palm began to glow.

"What're you doing?" Naruto asked.

"In case we have a repeat of yesterday, I am preparing a barrier that will take effect if it detects killing intent. You'll sit here in the middle, and try to hold back those kinds of emotions. If you lose control, the barrier will prevent you from coming after me."

Naruto poked at the seal he was making with a stick. "How can you reach in if I can't get out?"

"It's one way. I'll reach in and remove the addition to your seal, and we'll try again, as many times as necessary. Are you ready?"

Naruto looked to Hinata for reassurance. She kissed his cheek and smiled, taking a few steps back. Naruto knelt down in the grass and closed his eyes.

"Try to resist the urge to kill me this time, would you?" said Raiā, as his hand started to glow. He traced the symbol over Naruto's stomach, and sat down to wait.

Beads of sweat started rolling down Naruto's forehead, and just as before, he felt an incredibly strong sense of hatred bubble up from inside. But this time he fought back, gritting his teeth, and trying to remember all the best memories in his life. His time spent with Hinata, his friendship with Sakura, and all the times Iruka helped him feel better.

And yet for every good memory, it was too easy to replace them with bad ones. Lying together with Hinata turned into her bloodied body in Suna, Sakura was lying to him to try and kill Sasuke, and Iruka had nearly died because of something Naruto still blamed himself for, all those years ago.

"This isn't about burying your hate with good memories, boy!" Raiā shouted. "This is about _control_! Rein in those feelings!"

"I'm trying!" Naruto snapped back. "Let's see you do any better!" He started grinding his teeth, anything to occupy his mind.

"Naruto-kun…it's okay…I'm here…"

Naruto opened his eyes. Hinata was watching him with a mixture of worry and confidence in her eyes. Almost immediately they had a calming effect on him, and he felt the horrible feelings in his gut become easier to control. The urge to hate and kill was being suppressed. He was winning.

A few minutes later, Raiā removed the additional symbol. Naruto looked very pleased with himself, but the elder Uzumaki was less than impressed.

He jabbed a finger at Hinata. "She will not always be there for you to calm you down. You will need to learn to control yourself in the direst situations, where normal men would feel their minds collapse."

"How are we supposed to simulate that?" Naruto asked, scratching under his chin. "Granny won't like it if I ask her if we can go look for a fight."

He didn't like the way Raiā was looking at him. "I think I have an idea. Hold still and I'll reapply the symbol."

But Naruto backed away. "I don't think I'm comfortable with this. What're you planning on—"

For the second time, a clone surprised Naruto from behind, reattaching the additional seal to his belly before he could leave the barrier. He was forced to try and control his feelings again, and Raiā turned to Hinata.

"There is no substitute for real danger," he said. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, and his fist collided with her stomach, sending her sprawling in the opposite direction.

Naruto growled, and his eyes began to glow. "You bastard! I'll kill you for—"

"No! You _won't _kill me, Naruto! This is your chance to show me what you can do! Restrain those feelings, and take control of the Kyubi's hatred!"

He clutched the side of his head, falling to his knees. It was excruciating, trying to force all these urges and feelings back. It felt like the inside of his body was on fire, melting his bones. And Raiā was not holding back, ruthlessly going after Hinata. She was barely managing to defend herself, unsure if she should go on the attack as well.

"Do whatever you want!" Raiā shouted at her. "But do not expect mercy from me! If you want your boyfriend to learn what self-control truly is, this is the best chance he's got!" he brandished a kunai, flinging it at her. She rolled out of the way, with just enough time to block his next attack with an open palm. When she activated her Byakugan, Raiā smiled.

"Yes! Use your Byakugan!" he whispered. "If you're anything like what I've heard about the Hyūga, you will have no trouble evading and countering my attacks. Do not let up, until Naruto can get his feelings under control. Do _not_ tell him what we are up to!"

Hinata bit at her lip as she jumped a safe distance away. Was that right, to hide this from Naruto? She looked over at him, and saw how much pain he was in. She thought of him losing control on a crucial mission, and hurting her or someone else. As much as she disliked thinking about it, she knew it was Naruto that would suffer even more because of it. She had to go through with this, for both their sake.

Raiā lunged forward, and Hinata allowed him to strike her across the face, forcing her to the ground. It pained her to hear Naruto's furious reaction, so she blocked him out as best she could, and focused on their charade.

'_Why can't I control myself?'_ Naruto thought to himself, struggling to lift himself on one knee. _'I can't fail!'_

He tried remembering his Sage training. In order to absorb natural energy, he needed to sit completely still, and whenever he had done that, he had felt at peace. Even when the situation around him was dire, bringing in that natural chakra had a calming effect on him.

Slowly but surely, he moved into a sitting position, resting his hands on his knees. He closed his eyes, and concentrated.

"What is he doing?" Raiā asked, watching him from afar.

"He's trying to enter Sage Mode!" Hinata said excitedly. "Maybe he thinks it'll help calm him down."

And to their surprise, it looked like it was working. Naruto's muscles relaxed and his expression softened. The longer he sat there, the calmer he seemed.

Raiā folded his arms. "It's a start, but it's no substitution for the real thing. Something will prevent him from going into this Sage Mode, and he will need to learn legitimate control to fight against the Kyubi's power. Still…we've made some progress."

He approached Naruto, hand glowing. He removed both the symbol from Naruto's seal, and the barrier keeping him restrained. "You can relax now," he said. "This lesson is over."

Naruto opened his eyes with a smile. "I did it, Hinata!" he said. "I was able to control it!"

"Don't get too comfortable with that method," Raiā insisted. "Just as I told her, it is no alternative to full control."

"And how long is that supposed to take?" Naruto asked. "I don't exactly have all the time in the world."

"I understand that, but if you rush something like this, and we miss a vital step, you could end up splattering someone across the village like a shoddy paint job."

Naruto made a face. "Do you always have to say stuff like that? It's disgusting! I don't want to think about that."

Raiā shook his head. "No one ever wants to think about hurting the ones they love, Naruto." His shoulders slumped, and his mean eyes softened. "You always think of the positive side, of what will happen when you succeed. You never even consider if you'll succeed in the first place. Not until it's too late."

"…Hey, are you alright?" Naruto asked. "Did something like that happen to you?"

The old man's face hardened again. "It's none of your business. Now, we'll try again, and we'll keep trying for the rest of the time you and I have available today. They told me your energy is boundless. I intend to make sure that's true."

* * *

><p>After some prodding, Naruto managed to convince the ANBU watching over them to give them a few more hours of training, as long as he promised to take all the blame should Tsunade find out about it. True to his word, Raiā worked Naruto relentlessly, determined to make sure that Naruto's control would never slip so long as he was under the influence of Sage Mode. He tried multiple sealing techniques to mix things up, many of which Naruto had never even heard of. By the time he finally allowed a break, Naruto was on the brink of mental exhaustion. Controlling that kind of hate repeatedly was an enormous drain, even with Hinata's company.<p>

She felt his forehead. "You're burning up. Do we really need to continue?" she asked Raiā. "Naruto-kun's made so much p-progress today."

Raiā wasn't convinced. "He has, but that doesn't mean he's in the clear. Consider the nature of the Kyūbi's chakra. It's almost acidic in its properties, boiling water and withering plants. His Sage Mode may be able to hold back the Kyūbi's hatred and other negative feelings, but it couldn't overpower its actual chakra."

"Actually, that may not be true," Naruto answered. "A long time ago, when I was fighting Pain from the Akatsuki, I was in Sage Mode and I had the Kyūbi's chakra at the same time. It was a really weird feeling."

"Could you replicate the effects?" Raiā asked. He was intrigued.

Naruto shook his head. "I dunno. Maybe, if I could practice some."

"That will have to wait. We must first make sure there is absolutely no possibility of you losing control when faced with the Kyūbi's negative emotions. There are still many variables unaccounted for, and you and I will be going through each and every one of them."

"But that will take too long!" Naruto said. "What if I tried with clones? That might speed things up."

Raiā held his hand up. "You've explained your little clone shortcut before, but I do not think it is a good idea. When you fail in other areas of training, the clones might simply disappear. But now you are trying to take control of the Kyūbi's vast power. If the clones were not to disappear, and we have multiple Naruto clones with that kind of power running around, I would not be able to stop all of them. Someone would die."

He motioned towards Hinata. "She would probably be the first to go. Would you really want to risk something like that without taking necessary precautions?"

It wasn't a hard decision. "No, I wouldn't. I'd rather it take years than risk hurting someone I care about."

"Good!" Raiā said, clapping Naruto on the back. "You're starting to think like an adult."

"Maybe we will finish for the day," he continued, stretching. "My body isn't as durable as it used to be."

Naruto started smirking. "Maybe you should go play some shōgi or whatever it is old people do these days."

"That game is an excellent teacher of strategy and tactics!" Raiā spat. "Anyone who takes the time to learn the game will have the mind of the greatest of generals."

He turned around, waving to the ANBU to come collect him. "I am going back to my cell. We're done for the day. Remember all that we've learned today, and remind yourself that it will only get harder from here."

Naruto watched him go. "That guy seems to get weirder every day we see him." When Hinata didn't answer, he turned. She was staring at her stomach, with a curious expression.

"What is it?" he asked, smiling.

Hinata started twiddling her fingers. "Well...I was just thinking about something. What do you th-think…what do you think the Kyūbi thinks about all this?"

Naruto sat on the ground, scratching his head. "What makes you ask that?"

"Well, you want to learn to control his chakra. It s-seems like something he would have an opinion about."

"You sound like you want me to ask for his permission." Naruto frowned. "Hinata, if I never have to talk to that guy again, it'll be too soon. He's the reason you almost died, and he's the reason you're stuck with some of his chakra, something you never wanted in the first place."

"I think you should give it a try," said Hinata. "My father taught me that you cannot hope to control something you cannot understand. He spent hours and hours teaching us everything behind our techniques. Maybe, if you hope to control the Kyūbi's chakra, you need to understand the Kyūbi itself."

Naruto pulled on his hair. "Ugh! I don't wanna…but that sounds right to me! Maybe I should see what he thinks."

He folded his legs, closing his eyes. "I guess there's no time like the present. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

Hinata leaned up against him, nodding. "O-okay. I'll wait here for you."

Naruto felt blackness swallow him whole, and he waited until the training ground faded away, replaced by the mysterious pool of water beneath his feet, and the enormous cage in front of him.

Surprisingly, the Kyūbi was already seated at the front of the cage, watching Naruto. His tails swished back and forth, blowing hot air into Naruto's face.

**"What are you doing here?"** he asked, his voice booming with contempt.

Naruto rubbed his chin, squinting. "Well, uh…Hinata thought it would be a good idea if I came to like…you know, talk to you about all this."

The demon grunted. **"What is there to say? You will inevitably fail. There has never been a human who has managed to bring my great power under their control."**

Naruto giggled. "What about Madara? I heard he got you following his orders like a good little doggy."

The Kyūbi slammed one massive hand against the cage, growling. **"You insolent little pest! Come through these bars and say that!"**

"Hold on now; we're saying the same old stuff we always do!" Naruto stared pacing back and forth, arms behind his back. "I mean, you'll insult me, I'll make fun of you right back, you growl, and then we're right back at square one!"

That seemed to amuse the demon. His lips curled back into a vicious smile. **"And what do you want to do about that?"**

"How about we just talk about all this. You know, like I mentioned earlier. What do you think about me trying to learn to control your chakra?"

**"I think it's an idiotic goal, chased after by a colossal idiot."**

Naruto sighed. "That's not what I meant. I was asking if it made you angry or sad. Stuff like that. I mean, you know why I'm doing this, don't you? I don't want to hurt my friends."

The Kyūbi leaned down, eye to eye with Naruto. **"You don't need them. You have the greatest power ever known at your fingertips. Friends will only hold you back. Humans will only hold you back!"**

His tone was harsh, even more so than Naruto was used to from him. Naruto pursed his lips in thought.

"What happened to you?"

**"What do you mean?"** The Kyūbi asked, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Something must have happened to you to make you hate humans so much. What was it?"

**"Why would you care? You're only after my power, like every other pathetic human I have ever met! Just like that old Uzumaki bastard!"**

His jaws snapped shut, realizing he had said too much. Naruto, still sitting, leaned back in surprise, letting his hands rest in the shallow water.

"Raiā tried to control you too?" he repeated, almost whispering. "He never told me that…"

**"He likely never would have. He failed miserably. The seal was his by design, but back in its early stages, it wasn't nearly as powerful. He learned that for himself when he attempted to make himself my first jinchūriki."**

Naruto's eyes widened further. "He tried to be a jinchūriki!? What the hell happened?"

For the second time, the Kyūbi smiled. A chill ran up Naruto's back. **"He hurt someone that he was stupid enough to care for. And now he's trying to prevent you from doing the same."**

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, silent. A pipe leaked from above down his neck, but he scarcely felt it. This must have been what Raiā was trying to hide from him, and now his constant badgering for perfection was starting to make sense.

**"You would be wise to be careful around that man,"** The Kyūbi warned. **"He has kept so much from you, and will do so as long as he can. Do not trust him."**

Naruto shot the Kyūbi a dirty look. "Why? Because he's a liar, or because he's a human?"

The beast growled in anger, his tails moving angrily behind him. **"How dare you! I offer you advice, more than you would ever deserve, and you throw it back in my face."**

"Actually…you're right. I'm sorry."

The Kyūbi was taken back, his body stiffening. He said nothing, watching Naruto with a mixture of frustration and curiosity.

Naruto offered a tired smile. "Hinata had the guts to forgive you for what's happened, and I think she's already forgiven you about this chakra thing, too. She's an amazing person, and there's a lot I could stand to learn from her. So maybe I should take a note out of her book, and start treating you a little nicer."

He stood. "I'm still gonna learn how to control your chakra, but not because I want to abuse it or anything. I want to because I want to protect my friends. That sounds a little different from everyone else who's tried with you, so maybe things between us could be a little different. Haha, I'll be coming back; I want to know what made you hate humans so much. Maybe someday you'll want to tell me, and I can try to fix that."

Naruto left before the Kyūbi could answer, his mind rushing back to the real world. Hinata felt him move, and kissed his cheek when he looked at her.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

"I think I just did something crazy," Naruto answered, holding her hand. "Like, really crazy. And now there's something else we need to talk to Raiā about. Something big."

Hinata stretched her legs as Naruto stood up, and accepted his hand to help her as well. "Do you want to go see him now? The ANBU will p-probably let us."

Naruto shook his head. "Nah. I think it'll be best if we wait until tomorrow. This is gonna eat up a huge chunk of time, and I don't want him weaseling out of it."

* * *

><p>Lee slipped on his shoes, careful to keep quiet. He fumbled with a jacket he had purchased a few days ago, and hurried out the window without a sound.<p>

Tenten and Guy were waiting for him in the garden, huddled close to keep the cold off of them. When Lee approached, they motioned for him to follow. Only when they were a safe distance from the house did they decide it was safe to speak.

"How have you two been holding up?" Guy asked, worried for his students.

Tenten shrugged. "It's nice enough Kasumi treats me well, and it's nice having such a simple job during the day. I don't have to worry about getting stabbed or practicing my aim on any scumbags."

She jabbed her thumb in Lee's direction. "Plus, I love watching him trip over his own two feet whenever he's with his girlfriend."

Lee turned red. "Wh-what're you talking about, Tenten? I do not have a girlfriend!"

"Oh, don't try to deny it. Every day when we go on deliveries, Kasumi insists you go with her. You know this village fairly well by now, so don't say you don't. She just wants to hang out with you."

Guy smiled broadly. "Wonderful! I am glad to hear my dear pupil is finding that special someone!"

"But we are from different villages!" said Lee. "And we are only here for a short time. I cannot become attached to someone when I cannot even tell them why I am here."

"Those kinds of feelings are bigger than any village, Lee." Guy led them off the main street, taking them through a maze of alleyways and side roads. "And she is a civilian; there is nothing wrong with getting to know her better. She _does_ seem to appreciate your youth."

Lee stared at his feet as they walked. "Do you…really think so?" He muttered this to himself, his voice getting lost in the sudden gust of wind that blasted through them.

They stopped in the middle of a public garden. Because the cold killed all but the hardiest vegetation, the garden was a collection of stones, arranged into patterns and symbols, with wooden lanterns hanging overhead. They cast a warm orange glow onto the snow below. On a bench, they found three headsets. Guy picked them up, and handed two to Lee and Tenten, before putting his own in.

Neji's voice came in loud and clear a few seconds later. "Can you all hear me alright?"

"We hear you just fine, Neji," said Guy. "You know, I'm not that big of a fan of these kinds of meetings. It'd be nice to see you."

"You know it's safer this way. We will use face-to-face meetings every now and then when the time may call for it, but if there are any measures we can take to protect each other, I want to take them."

He sighed. "So…how have you adapted to living here?"

It was Lee who answered. "Things are working out very well, Neji. We help them with their family business, a delivery service."

"That's an excellent way to learn about the village without seeming suspicious," said Neji. "Tsunade-sama made an excellent choice when she chose this family to assist us. Is there anyone in the family that's worth noting?"

"Not really," said Tenten, "but Lee seems to have found himself a girlfriend."

Neji's silence was testament to his surprise. "Wait…excuse me? Lee, you're pursuing a romantic relationship while on such a dangerous missions? Is that_really_ wise?"

Tenten snorted. "Oh, lay off him! He's just talking to this girl. We were just teasing."

"Lee, do you have feelings for this girl?"

Lee rubbed his arm. "I mean, she is fun and very pretty, but I haven't really considered any of that…"

"Neji, you have my upmost confidence that whatever Lee chooses to do, it will not affect the outcome of our mission. I give you my word!"

Neji sighed again. "Very well. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. Just be careful, Lee. This is a troubling time for us, and we cannot say with any certainty what will happen."

"Yes, I will be careful."

There were a few more moments of silence. "I will wait for when you return from tonight's meeting. Whatever information you might learn, remember it in as much detail as possible, and I will pass it along to Tsunade-sama."

The radio switched off, and Guy collected theirs before stuffing them into his pack. With nothing else to say, the trudged through the snow, on their way to the meeting.

Most everyone else had already shown up when they arrived, so they could comfortably take a spot in the back without attracting too much attention. There was an air of hushed excitement spreading throughout the crowd; it made Lee's group a little uncomfortable.

Finally, Suigetsu appeared. He didn't seem nearly as charismatic this time around, glumly dragging his eyes over the crowd.

"We will be pairing you into groups," he announced. "Based on your skills and experience, just like in your Academy days. Step forward and tell us what you can do, and we'll plan accordingly."

When it was Lee's turn, who was leading their group, they all stepped up at once. The older man who was looking each recruit over furrowed his brow.

"Maybe you didn't understand the first time, kid. You're supposed to come up one at a time. Tell your buddies to get back in line."

"You don't understand, sir! My friends and I are already perfect in a group together. We've fought together before, and you won't find anyone as knowledgeable of each other's abilities as we are."

The man spat on the ground, sitting there and mulling it over. Without a word, he stood and walked out of the room. The people behind Lee's group started to complain, pushing their way forward and asking questions.

The man came back a few minutes later. "You're gonna go see the boss. He wants to make sure you're telling the truth."

Another man took his place as he led them through the back room, which turned out to be a maze of hallways and empty rooms. Some of them might have something in them, but the doors would shut, and the light that was shining under the doors made Lee feel uneasy.

They found Suigetsu in something akin to an underground cave. This wasn't carved and built like the rest of the complex; instead, this must have been here for a long time, and they simply added the hallway leading to it. He was sitting against a boulder, polishing his sword. When he heard them walk in, he threw the sword into the ground, and used it to leap down.

"So you're the three who insist on staying together," he said with a toothy grin. "Can't say I was expecting anyone with balls to tell me that my plan wouldn't work out for the best."

"Is it because you think I'm an idiot?" he asked, approaching them. "Or maybe you just think you're smarter than me. They're two different things, you know. And you can tell me what you think here! This is a safe place."

Lee stepped forward. "We did not mean anything by it. Our names are—"

"I don't give a rat's ass what your names are," Suigetsu grunted, glaring at him. "Until you prove to me that you're worth something to this group, I don't care who or what you are, or where you came from. There's only one way I find out what kind of person you are."

He grabbed his sword and lunged forward, swinging at all three of them. Tenten already had a kunai in hand, deflecting the sword, and Lee ducked underneath it. Guy grabbed the blade in mid-air before Suigetsu could pull back for another attack, and tossed it across the cave.

Suigetsu didn't say anything, and watched them. Then, out of nowhere, he started to laugh, clapping his hands. It wasn't the kind of congratulatory applause you'd expect, so Lee held his tongue.

"Yeah, okay…I think I believe you now," he said, retrieving his sword. "That was pretty good how you handled that. It's almost as if we've fought before or some crazy idea like that."

Thankfully for Lee's group, they hadn't, but there was still something in the way Suigetsu said that that seemed suspicious. They dare not try to find out for sure, though.

"I could use a team like you," Suigetsu continued, rubbing his hands together. "All those other idiots seem fine enough, but I need a _real_ team for the plans I have in store for this village. I need a group who can get in, get out, and start as much hell as they can."

Lee couldn't hold his tongue. "What kind of hell are you talking about?"

Suigetsu mulled it over for a moment, deciding if these people were trustworthy. He nodded. "Okay, I think I can fill you in. The jōnin selection process is coming up, and some of the most powerful shinobi in the world are all gonna be here. But it doesn't matter how strong someone is; if you have the element of surprise on your hands, you can wipe them out without a second thought."

He grinned, picking at sharpened teeth. "Which is exactly what I'm going to do. What _we're _going to do. This year's jōnin selection exam is gonna be one for the history books."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>We hadn't heard from Shino in a while, so I thought it was time to visit him. I hope you enjoyed his part.

Next chapter we'll explore more of Hinata's Lightning training, as well as Lee's new life in Kiri. And we might even catch up with everyone's least favorite Uchiha. Sasuke hasn't been present in the past few chapters either.

If you enjoyed the chapter, I hope you'll take the time to leave a review. Each bit of feedback is invaluable to improving my writing, and a review to read always cheers me up!

Until next time!


	70. The Mist Thickens

**Author's Note:** Not dead.

A lot of shit has happened, personal and school-related. Finally died down. Thank God next week is the last for the semester. I promise to better the update schedule.

Don't even have time to proofread. Have to study for my finals. I'll handle it this weekend. No music, either.

I'm really sorry it took this long, guys.

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three: Chapter 18 - Advancement in the Ranks. The Mist Thickens<strong>

Hinata felt her lower back start to ache. She widened her stance, planted her feet, blew the stray hair from her eyes, and tried again.

The burst of chakra leapt from her fingertips with immense speed, but it lost all sense of control, and shot into the trees, disturbing a bird's nest and evicting its squawking inhabitants. Hinata chewed her lip in frustration.

"Hey, you made scrambled eggs!" Naruto joked. He had come with her to watch her train back at the compound. It was still early in the morning, but they hadn't gotten much sleep anyway, having spent most of the night fooling around. There was more than one reason to be sore.

Across the yard, Kakashi relaxed. He had been wandering aimlessly when he ran into Naruto and Hinata, and had asked her how her nature transformation training was going. When she mentioned she was trying to combine it with the Gentle Fist style of the Hyūga, Kakashi was intrigued, and offered to help her train for a few hours before he was on-duty.

"Just because the chakra has left your body doesn't mean it's no longer under your control," he explained. "Think of it as an extension of your body. It possesses some of your chakra; a little bit of you is imbued in the technique."

Hinata huffed. "B-but what about techniques like Naruto-kun's Rasenshuriken? He told me it becomes self-sustaining once it's formed."

"Techniques like that are an exception. You have to remember that the Rasenshuriken, and even its base form the Rasengan, are the pinnacle of shape transformation. There isn't any more control to exert over it. Besides, wind is only the second-hardest element to control. Lightning is the most difficult, because of its unique properties."

He held out his hand, forcing some chakra through it. The chakra spiked and clumped together, shifting rapidly in between shapes. "It's not a solid, fluid, or gas. It's something different entirely. Earth is the easiest to control. Then Water, Fire, Wind, and Lightning, in that order."

"I've managed the Chidori, which is nothing more than a lump of lightning-imbued chakra in my hand, and I've learned the Rasengan, which has nothing to do with nature transformation. It will take some time before you master this. But don't be discouraged; you're learning very quickly."

"Why can't she just use clones like I do?" Naruto asked.

"Different people learn in different ways, Naruto. Your 'hit it until it works' method is fine because of your large chakra levels, but the Hyūga clan is all about precision. Hinata should be able to train in whatever way she feels will work best."

Kakashi looked back at her. "Try again, Hinata, and think on what I've said. It should feel like an extension of your body."

She breathed in deep through her nose, pushing out the scent of scorched earth and the smell of Naruto's favorite ramen from her clothes. She pushed out the sweat dotting her forehead, and the chill creeping up her legs.

The chakra crept up her arm once again, and she could feel it begun to clump in her palm. Out of instinct, she closed three of her fingers, pushing back, and when the bolt of lightning finally withdrew from her hand, she felt a great deal more control over it. It struck a tree on the opposite side of the yard, and shards of bark scattered all over.

Kakashi picked one out of his hair. "That looked like it was much easier for you. How did it feel?"

"It felt…good," Hinata answered, straightening her back. "Easier to control, and easier on my body."

"That's great news!" Naruto said with excitement. He hurried over, throwing his arms around her. He leaned in close, smirking. "At least we have _something_ that's easy on your body."

Hinata buried her face in his jacket as he laughed, embarrassed, but that didn't stop her from stomping a foot on his own in retaliation.

"That's enough, you two," Kakashi teased from the other side of the yard. "How about we try one more time, on a moving target."

"Kakashi-sensei, you c-can't possibly mean _you_, can you?"

"Of course I do. I'll be fine; if there's too much chakra coming my way, I'll just absorb it. I've done something like that once or twice in my time. You have nothing to worry about, okay?"

Naruto flashed her a reassuring smile. "He's right, you know! You don't have to worry about him at all!"

He took a few steps back, encouraging Hinata to go ahead. They both seemed confident enough, so she decided to give it a go. She flicked her sleeves out of the way, and dug her heels into the dirt.

The first jolt shot from her fingers fairly easily, closing the gap between her and Kakashi in less than a second. Regardless, he moved out of the way, rolling underneath it. The _second_ bolt was one she didn't anticipate. She could feel it building up in her hand too quickly to squash back down, and out of fear, blindly threw her aim away from Kakashi.

It struck the ground close enough to Naruto to make her heart skip a few beats. The ground split open and threw him several feet backwards, his head bouncing off a rock.

"Naruto-kun!" she almost screamed, racing over. She cradled his head in her arm as he winced in pain.

"I-I'm so sorry!" she said, dabbing at his head with her sleeve. She bit her lip when it came back red. "You're bleeding…"

He leaned up, shaking his head. "I'm okay, I'm okay. More surprised than I am hurt. It's just a little scratch!" He touched his fingers to the wound, feeling for blood, but it was already starting to heal, the slightest amount of steam rising from the closing gash.

Seconds later he was fine, grinning like nothing was wrong. Hinata was still mortified, sitting on the ground holding his head, but she calmed down after a few minutes of reassurance from Naruto. At her insistence, he ran inside to find a bandage.

"You seemed pretty worried that Naruto was earnestly hurt," said Kakashi. "Had you forgotten about how quickly he bounces back?"

She blushed. "Seeing him hurt just stirs up all these protective feelings in me…I c-can't help it."

The jōnin chuckled softly. "And that's something to be admired. Have you ever considered learning basic healing techniques? It's a useful skill for any shinobi if you've got the chakra control for it, and as a member of the Hyūga clan, you more than qualify."

He sat down next to her. "Now, obviously you don't want to stretch yourself too thin when it comes to training. If you want to continue your nature transformation training, I suggest you stick with that for the time being. But if you want to take a break, you have more than a few excellent teachers in the village who would help you learn the basics of healing. And I'm sure Naruto will be behind you every step of the way."

Kakashi offered her his hand, helping the both of them up. "I have some things to attend to. You two enjoy the rest of your day, okay?"

Hinata bowed, smiling. "Th-thank you, Kakashi-sensei, for your time and advice."

Naruto waved goodbye on his way back, patting the bandages wrapped around his head. "Your sister's a little rough with the gauze."

"She's only teasing," Hinata giggled.

They started walking through the garden, hand in hand. Hinata told Naruto what she and Kakashi had talked about, about her learning medicinal techniques just like Sakura and Ino.

Naruto beamed. "If you wanna learn how, I think that's great! But Kakashi-sensei's right; you'll need to pick which one to master first. You try too many all at once, it would wayyy to hard! Well, maybe it would be hard for _me._"

"Which do you th-think I should pick?" Hinata asked.

"I think the decision should be all yours, really," Naruto said, shrugging. "Both have their uses, and you'd be good at both of them because of your chakra control. It all comes down to personal preference, I think."

Hinata chewed at her lip. "I think…I think I'll stick with my elemental transformation training. If I want to ever be considered for a jōnin, I need the additional offensive skills."

"But what about you?" she asked. "Has Tsunade-sama given you the go ahead to continue your own training?"

Naruto rubbed his neck. "I think that got put on the back burner. Granny's got a lot on her mind right now, with the jōnin selection stuff, so figuring out what's wrong with me and medical ninjutsu isn't her main priority."

They arrived at a small pond. Naruto kneeled down, scooping a pebble into his palm, and tossing it across the water's surface, watching it disappear into the reeds on the other side.

"I get it, but it still bums me out a little, you know? The Kyūbi obviously doesn't want me using it, and it could take months, even with Granny's smarts, to figure out a way around him. It might be best to just leave it behind me until me and the Kyūbi are cool with one another."

The very notion sounded strange to Hinata. Becoming 'cool' with the Kyūbi, a primordial demon of hate incarnate, didn't seem the slightest bit possible. But Naruto seemed confident enough, so why shouldn't she?

"If that's what you and she agree on being for the best, you're probably right. M-maybe we can learn together, when the time comes?" She squeezed his hand.

"I think I'd like that."

* * *

><p>The guards posted outside the prison could feel something was wrong when Naruto and Hinata approached them.<p>

"Are you okay, Naruto?" One of them asked. "You seem upset."

"Raiā and I have a lot to talk about," Naruto said, gruffly. "I know this is last minute, but I really need to speak to him. Is it okay if we head inside?"

The guards exchanged looks. "Sure, but be careful, will you? The guy's a manipulative bastard, and we don't want him fooling you as much as he fools us."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

One of the guards scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "Nothing illegal, mind you. He just tricks us into more bathrooms breaks or meals. Things like that. I don't know how he keeps getting away with it."

When they found him, Raiā was idly tracing his finger on the wall, a dull look in his eye. When he saw the stiffness in Naruto's posture, he leaned up.

"Someone seems a little frustrated. Come to blame me, have you?"

Naruto folded his arms. "I talked to the Kyūbi yesterday. He told me some _very_ interesting things.

Raiā sat up, frowning. "You idiot! I have told you not to trust that monster! He is every negative emotion condensed into physical form! Do you really think it's smart to—"

"He told me _you_ tried to be a jinchūriki."

Raiā's mouth shut, his brow furrowed and angry. Hinata could hear him breathing through his nose, trying to remain calm.

"You have no right to that kind of knowledge," said the older Uzumaki.

"I think I do!" Naruto growled back. "You're always spouting off with your 'vast' wisdom about the tailed beasts and seals and everything else, but neglect to mention that you couldn't even manage the seal on your own! How am I supposed to feel comfortable with you telling me what's the right thing to do when you failed all those years ago!"

Raiā stood, his hand flashing towards Naruto's collar. "Because I have decades of experience, you insolent little brat. Because I have more exposure to tailed beasts under my belt than all the current jinchūriki combined. Because I have seen firsthand what a tailed beast can do when you fail to bring it under your control."

He spat on the ground. "Is it so wrong to make sure the future generations do not repeat my mistakes. How dare you assume I was training you blindly, without precautions towards others' safety."

Naruto made to speak, but Raiā cut him off. "I have been living on borrowed time the moment you came after me. You can protect me for a time in this village, but your walls and your security will fail you eventually, and you will pay dearly for the price of hiding me. I know who's hunting who here."

Hinata stepped forward. "You need to calm down. We are not antagonizing you. Naruto-kun only w-wanted to know why you chose to keep this from him for so long."

She pulled Naruto away for a moment, while Raiā muttered to himself. "You need to calm down as well. You know how confrontational Raiā can be. If you anger him, he may choose to stop training you, or refuse to answer your questions."

Naruto groaned. "But he's _such_ an asshole!"

Hinata elbowed him into silence, just as Raiā cleared his throat.

"If you expect me to believe that you were just concerned about why I didn't tell you this, I'm going to have to expect an apology as well. And I want sincerity, mind you!"

Naruto ground his teeth, but he managed a terse apology. Raiā seemed to get some manner of satisfaction out of it, if not just because he knew it made Naruto angry.

"Good. Now, the girl has to leave. I won't be spilling the secrets of our clan while she's in the room."

Hinata stopped Naruto from protesting. "I'll be fine, okay? If you need me, I'll be right outside." She planted a kiss on his cheek and left the two Uzumaki alone.

Raiā rolled his eyes when Naruto glared at him. "Oh, don't be so melodramatic. I know you have every intention of telling her the moment you leave the prison."

"Then why still tell me?"

Because you're one of us. In the time I've spent here, I've learned that you are inane, irrational, incompetent, and possibly the slowest learner I have every encountered."

He sighed. "But you are still an Uzumaki, and unless the entire village is willing to lie about your abilities, you are obviously skilled. That counts for something."

"Thanks…I guess," Naruto said.

He sat down, crossing his legs. "So where do you want to start?"

Raiā rubbed the back of his neck. "Many, many years ago. The First Hokage had divided up the tailed beasts he had under his control, but instead of leaving the Kyūbi at Konoha, he sent it to Uzushiogakure as a sign of good faith. That was our home, you see."

"I was very young back then, perhaps only a few years older than you, but the village recognized my talent and expertise in dealing with the tailed beasts, as well as the precursor's to jinchūriki. They placed me in charge of devising a seal powerful enough to control the Kyūbi."

His face darkened. "Obviously, had I succeeded, things would have been a lot different for our clan, and perhaps for the entire world."

"What happened?" Naruto asked.

"I spent ages pouring over every bit of material I could get my hands on," Raiā explained. "I refused to believe that I could fail. After months of experimentation and research, I devised a prototype seal to use; it was the origin of your own seal."

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Wait, I thought you told me you created this seal?" He looked at his stomach. "That the Eight Trigrams Seal was your legacy."

"I might as well have. I admit, your father was very skilled in the sealing arts, and while it was him that devised the seal you have carved onto your body, it was my work he based it upon."

Naruto nodded matter-of-factly. "Okay, so what happened next?"

"In my pride, I insisted I be my own test subject. My chakra was powerful, and there was no one else in the village with my level of knowledge. It was decided quickly, and necessary preparations were made. We moved far outside the village as a safety precaution, and only a select few individuals were allowed to join me, to assist in the sealing process."

A shadow fell across Raiā's race, as a scowl crept up from his lips. "I failed. Miserably, in fact. It was humiliating, and the village never trusted me with that much power again."

They both sat in silence for several moments. Naruto wished to ask him something, but the older Uzumaki looked like he was miles away, his eyes glazed over. The lines in his face seemed less gaunt, before he turned those hard eyes back onto Naruto. "What? You look like you want more."

"I was just wondering why someone else in our clan was able to seal the Kyūbi, when you couldn't."

The question annoyed Raiā, but he answered nonetheless. "If I was going to figure that out, I would have by now. Chakra is a mysterious thing. Perhaps mine just didn't meld as well with the Kyūbi's as I had hoped."

He grunted. "You look like you _still_ have questions. What is it now, boy?"

"The Kyūbi said some other things, too."

Raiā groaned, his shoulder slumping. "I am not going to give you a history lesson about our past. Whatever he might have told you, you'll have better luck getting it out of _him_ than you will out of me."

"He told me you hurt someone close to you."

Raiā seized up, his muscles tensing. "Did he…did _it_ say anything else?" he asked, his voice hardly above a whisper.

Naruto shook his head. "No, but I was hoping you'd be willing to—"

"No. Absolutely not. That is none of your business, and if I find out the beast has told you anything more, I will kill you with my bare hands." He grinned. Baring his rotten teeth. It was a disgusting sight.

He leaned against the backboard of his bed. "I am not in the mood for training you today. This much reminiscing has left me exhausted. You understand, of course."

Naruto got to his feet, dusting himself off. "Fine, fine, I get it. If you wanna be tight-lipped on it, I won't press you. But I've been through a lot of what you have. I can see it in the way you look at me."

Raiā stared at him, but Naruto stared right back, refusing to budge. "And you can be grumpy and mean all you want, but I'm willing to talk to you about it whenever you change your mind."

He started to leave. "What makes you think someone like me will change their mind?" Raiā called out, in a mocking tone.

Naruto turned back. "Because you're one of us." He left without another word, letting Raiā simmer in his cell on that.

He shut the door quietly behind him. Naruto stretched, feeling sore all over. Visiting that man just seemed to drain his body of all its energy.

Hinata was waiting a little ways down the hall, humming a tune to herself. "Did everything go okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, he told me some stuff. He knew right from the get-go that I was going to tell you the first chance I got."

She turned her head. "I sure you want to? I can respect your n-need for privacy if that's what you want."

"That's okay. I don't want there to be any secrets between us. I'll tell you everything on the way back home, okay?"

"Naruto?"

They turned around. One of the chūnin from Tsunade's office was standing behind them, saluting. "I have been asked to tell you that Tsunade would like you in her office. Hinata-sama is free to join us."

Naruto whined. "Always at the worst times, too! Any idea what she wants?"

The chūnin shrugged. "I am not entirely sure, but I overheard her mention the jōnin selection exams."

Naruto and Hinata looked at each other. Their curiosity was piqued, and the followed after the chūnin out of the building.

* * *

><p>Tsunade wasn't in her office. Instead, she was in one of the makeshift war rooms that had yet to be torn down, looking over a vast amount of paperwork.<p>

"Hey Granny, how come you're in here?" Naruto asked. "I thought you kept all your booze in the office?"

Tsunade shot him a piercing stare. "I keep my liquor all over the place, if you must know, but make another joke like that again, and you'll regret it. Sit down, the both of you."

He and Hinata both pulled up chairs, sitting opposite to the Hokage. She pushed aside the papers, massaging her temples. "As you both know, the jōnin selection exams are in just a few days. However, something is happening in Kirigakure that will very likely prevent them from coming to fruition."

"Does this have to do with Bushy Brow's mission?" Naruto asked, remembering his friend mention Kiri as their destination.

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. Details will be explained to you soon, but the bottom line is I want the both of you there."

Hinata was shocked. "Tsu-Tsunade-sama? You're recommending us for jōnin?"

Naruto squealed with delight. "Yes! This is dream come true, Granny! You won't regret this! You won't-"

"Did you not listen to a word I said?" Tsunade barked. "I said that it is extremely likely that the exams will not happen because of what's happening within the village. You and Hinata will be going there as a mission, not to be submitted as jōnin."

She sighed, seeing how deflated they became. "I have great confidence in both of yours abilities. That's why I'm sending you in the first place. Hinata, Neji is already there, and you two will work together well."

"Then why am I going?" Naruto asked.

"You have a way with people," Tsunade explained. "Not only would your skills be useful, but I've seen you change the coldest enemy into an ally. Kiri could use that kind of power."

She sat down, lacing her fingers. "But there's a catch. Kiri will suspect your arrival at the village because of your rank. Hinata will not because she is already a chūnin."

It indirectly stung, being reminded that he was still a lowly genin. Naruto breathed heavy through his nose, looking dejected.

"That's why I brought you here. I want to ask you if you are ready to become a chūnin."

Naruto stared at her, mouth agape. "Granny…what are you saying?"

She smiled. "Naruto, the only reason we even have the exams in the first place is to showcase our shinobi's abilities against the other villages, to keep the balance of power in check. That only works when the shinobi are not known across the world by now, like you are."

She slid a single paper across the desk. "You've proven yourself time and time again, with feats that even the best of our jōnin would struggle with. You've earned a place as a jōnin one hundred times over, but the best I can do is offer you this."

Naruto picked the paper up, glossing over the words. His eyelids felt heavy, and a lump formed in his throat. "What exactly…is this?"

"All you have to do is sign that. A few days later, the village can officially recognize you as a chūnin."

Hinata beamed, hugging Naruto tightly in her arms. "Naruto-kun, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"

"How come no one's heard of this before?" Naruto asked, still in shock.

"It's been done a few times before in the past, but only a few in the entirety of the village's history. We keep it under wraps to keep everyone else from asking for early promotions."

She produced a pen. "Are you sure you want to do this, Naruto? You sign this paper, it gets processed, and you're a chūnin. That's all there is to it."

Naruto took the pen, slowly. He stared at it, like holding it was what made him a chūnin. He turned to Hinata, and slowly, a smile split across his face. He hastily scrawled his name where Tsunade had pointed out, and hugged Hinata the second his hands were free.

Tsunade went around the side of the table, scooping up the paper, and patting Naruto on the back. "You deserve this, Naruto. But remember that this is for a reason. Lee and his team, as well as all of us at home will be counting on you."

"Of c-course!" Naruto stammered, nodding a few dozen times. "I'll d-do my best! I promise. Thanks Granny!

The Godaime Hokage smiled again. "I have a few meetings to get to. Enjoy the rest of your day, you two." She strode out, leaving the door open behind her.

Naruto sat there, reading the paper over and over again. He touched his arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming, that he wouldn't wake up in bed disappointed and groggy. He looked at Hinata. "This is really happening, isn't it?"

Hinata laughed softly. "You don't seem as happy as I thought you'd be. Is something wrong?"

"It's just, I never thought this would happen, now of all times. I was expecting the exams, with other people and all that. This just feels so…sudden." He laughed alongside her. "I guess I'm one step closer to becoming Hokage, you know?"

Hinata kissed his cheek. "We should do something to celebrate. How about dinner tonight? My treat?"

Naruto grinned. "That'd be great, Hinata! But you don't have to pay my way! I'd be glad to—"

He was interrupted when he felt a hand on his thigh. Hinata leaned in close, her lips inches from his ear. "There's also a few _other_ things I think we can do tonight for the occasion. How does that sound?"

Naruto felt the lump in his throat again, his cheeks burning.

"It s-sounds…good. That sounds good."

* * *

><p>Lee felt a warm splat against his neck. The bird cackling overhead confirmed his suspicions, and with a sigh of disgust, he wiped it off with a sleeve.<p>

Kasumi reappeared from around the corner, glaring at him. "Will you hurry up? I don't want to miss our next delivery!"

They were closer to being fifteen minutes _early_, as they had been all day. Whatever put Kasumi in such a sour mood, it must have had something to do with him. Dirty looks and terse conversation was all she was willing to offer him, and his day felt a little grimier because of it. The drying remnants of bird poop on his neck did nothing to improve his mood.

"I'm sorry if I am slowing us down," he said, trotting to catch up with her. "I am still confused by your village's layout now and again. And the mist can get so thick sometimes—"

"I thought you shinobi were supposed to be good at knowing where you're going!" she said, forgetting her tongue once again. Several people turned towards them.

Lee covered his eyes. "Please! You _cannot_ let it slip that I am a shinobi. If the wrong person were to find out, it could put a great many people in danger."

Kasumi's cheeks puffed in anger. If Lee didn't act now, she would be spilling his secrets whether she wanted to or not.

He grabbed her arm, and led her into the nearest alley, out of sight from passerby.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kasumi wrenched her arm free, and looked ready to hit him.

Lee reached for her again, gentler this time. He held her hands, looking as genuine as he could. "I have done something to upset you; that much I can see. But you must understand that there is nothing I can do about it if you bottle up those feelings. Please, tell me what is wrong!"

Her frustration deflated quickly when she saw how beaten Lee was. She didn't move, dropping her eyes to the ground. "You're right. I shouldn't have taken this out on you." She groaned to herself. "I hate that I always get mad when I'm around you! You don't deserve that at all."

"But there is something about my accompanying you that upsets you," Lee said firmly. "You can be honest with me about what it is."

Kasumi fussed with her sleeve. Lee noticed she did that when she felt sad or frustrated. "It's all this secrecy. We're friends, right?"

Lee smiled brightly. "Of course!"

"Then why can't you tell me what's going on? Why you're here in the first place? Something important enough for shinobi, but not even our own. I'll be honest; that scares me a little."

"I am sorry that this scares you. My friends and I will do our best to make sure that our mission is a success, and you never have to find out."

That wasn't enough. "But I _want_ to know. I'm worried about you, Lee. And about what you're doing here."

It went against all his training, every mission he had ever been on. But as she stood there, looking genuinely uncomfortable with the idea that they both might be in danger, he felt his resolve weaken.

"It's okay if you want to keep it a secret…" she said, sullen. "I understand that you're only doing it to protect me. And I want to thank you for that. I'm glad you're here, Lee."

"I'm glad I am here, too," he said. "And if you really want to know, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you a little. But you _must_ promise to keep this to yourself, for your own and everyone else's safety." As he spoke his felt his better judgment try to resist. He quashed those feelings.

"The Hokage has reason to believe that there is some kind of revolution brewing within the village. We were sent here to look into the situation, and possibly stop it before it expands into outright war."

For a few tense seconds, Kasumi didn't say anything, looking at Lee like she had seen a ghost. "I…I had heard rumors about all that. People in the village disappearing every night."

She suddenly threw her arms around him. "I knew you were sneaking out too, but I was terrified that you were here for the wrong reasons. That'd you be on the wrong side of all this."

Lee was surprised. "You thought we were helping the coup?"

Kasumi turned red from embarrassment. "How was I supposed to know? You were being secretive, you're from another village…I didn't know what to think. You don't know how relieved I am to hear that you're here to help."

She leaned against the stone wall behind her, sighing.

"What have you heard among the villagers?" Lee asked. "Anything that you think might be important can help us on our mission."

"Well, I've heard a thing or two, but they really didn't seem like important stuff. You sure you'll need this?"

Lee smiled once again. "Of course! Guy-sensei has always taught me that the right information can be one hundred times more powerful than your greatest punch!"

Thankfully, Kasumi's mood improved as she shared details of what she had overheard before Lee's arrival in the village, as well as any other snippets of conversation she caught. As she had mentioned, a great deal of it was mentioned, with many of them ending up as nothing more than grumpy old men complaining about the state of affairs. But there were a few interesting pieces of information. Several names of prominent Kiri shinobi who were involved were brought up in conversation, as well as other political figures within the Daimyo's office possibly being involved. Lee scribbled down the information in a notepad Guy had given him, thanking Kasumi for her sharp memory.

"How do you remember all of this?" he asked.

"It's a passive thing you pick up when you deliver over the years," she explained with a shrug. "People don't pay attention to the delivery girl after they've got their package. If I sit down to rest or mess with my shoes, no one pays me any mind, and I just overhear what they're talking about. I never thought it'd be useful before!"

Lee shook his head. "Trust me, this could be incredibly useful! You might have single-handedly given us enough information to help stop this coup!"

Kasumi grinned with pride. "Really? Ha, I feel like a real hero! You might want to add me to that team of yours!"

* * *

><p>"Lee, are you even listening to me?"<p>

Lee blinked. He had drifted off, lost in his own thoughts. Tenten and Neji were looking at him oddly, while Guy nodded his head and smiled.

"Are you thinking of that girl again? Neji asked. "I have told you that it is not a good idea. Now while all this is going on."

Guy laughed. "Don't be such a spoil sport, Neji! Lee is allowed to do with his free time what he pleases, so long as it doesn't impede the mission. We've all drifted off at one time or another!" He laughed again.

Tenten cringed. "Some of us more than others…"

Neji looked at Lee. "At least she has provided us some useful information. You said you had it written down somewhere."

Lee produced the book and handed it to Neji. The Hyūga didn't get more than a few pages in before he made a face, flipping the book around. "Really?"

Kasumi had doodled a few things among the pages, silly pictures that made Lee's cheeks burn from embarrassment. Neji sighed, clenching his jaw.

"I will take this to our contacts along the border, who will deliver it to Tsunade. Our intel back home has told us that the coup is attracting missing nin from villages all over, hoping for some share of the profits the chaos will bring down. Also, they are sending reinforcements."

Tenten huffed. "We can handle this! Who would they send down?"

The look Neji had scared them. "Tsunade-sama is sending Naruto down, along with a few others. They will be escorted under the assumption that they are taking part in the exams."

Guy's smile fell. "If Tsunade-sama feels that sending Naruto in is the best move, than she fears the worst."

"But why?" Tenten asked. "Naruto's not a chūnin yet. If he shows up, people will get suspicious!"

"Special arrangements are being made for his travel," Neji explained. "But we need to learn as much as we can before they show up. I trust Naruto's abilities, but he does not possess an analytical mind. You never know what might happen when he shows up."

He stood. "There is nothing else to report, so we should keep this meeting brief…It is good to see you again." Neji left before they could say a word, disappearing into the dark.

Tenten sighed. "Welp, let's head back, I guess. Maybe we can get a few hours of sleep before tonight's thug convention."

Lee saw something in the way Tenten moved. It looked sluggish, and tired. Guy had raced ahead of them, leaving the two alone. "Are you alright, Tenten? Something seems wrong."

She sighed again. "Neji's been getting more and more distant, it feels like. I haven't had a decent conversation with that jerk in days, and not because we can only meet at night. He doesn't look us in the eye hardly, and he leaves before we can even say goodbye…I thought…well, I thought he _liked_ me."

Lee stopped in front of her, touching her shoulders. "Please, don't think that way. Neji cares for you a great deal, in a way no one else will every experience. He is scared, the same as all of us, and he doesn't know how to express it. I am sure that is it."

"But if he keeps this up, what if something happens to him, and that's the last memory I get to have?" Tenten stomped her foot in the snow, squeezing her eyes shut. "Ugh! I don't even want to think about it! When this mission is over, I'm going to kill him. Hold me to that promise, Lee. When this mission is done, and we're all safe and sound, I'm going to kill that idiotic boyfriend of mine."

Lee pulled her into a hug. "You know me better than that, Tenten. I will stop you as quickly as I can."

She laughed into his jacket. "Idiot."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Don't even worry about reviews this time. This chapter feels a little dull, but at least the exciting shit will happen in the next chapter. I'm willing to redo the entire chapter as well, if that's what you guys want. Just let me know.

Again, I'm so sorry.


	71. How Far are You Willing to Go?

**Author's** Note: Hey, it only took me one month instead of two this time!

I mean, obviously Christmas/New Years was going to be a busy time. But the update rate WILL increase. I promise. Also, before I start on the next chapter of Entwined, I think a quick one or two chapters for Just One of Those Days would be nice, so I might do that.

Thank you everyone for tolerating all the bullshit over the past few months! It means a lot that so many people are still interested in where this story's going.

I've finally got some music for you guys, though FF seems to have made getting to them more of a pain in the ass. It doesn't look like you can copy/paste the url anymore. I'll try to figure something out, but until then, we'll just keep on keeping on.

(1) - /watch?v=lhzotCfAo7s

(2) - /watch?v=CZ91QMhS_6M

A big thank-you to kylekatarn77 for beta-ing the story, and to OGAFazer89AC for helping me iron out a few ideas!

* * *

><p><strong>Book Three - Chapter 19: Over the Line! How Far are You Willing to Go?<strong>

Tenten was scowling when she snuck out of bed, before anyone else was awake. She was scowling as she laced up her sandals and slid on her jacket. And she was scowling when she finally ran into Neji, as she had planned.

"What on earth are you doing, wandering around by yourself?" he asked, his breath misting in front of his face. "I was worried something was wrong."

"I knew that if I walked around long enough, you'd eventually notice me," Tenten explained. "And now that you're here…"

She swung at him. He ducked underneath, catching her wrist. "What is the matter with you?" he hissed.

But Tenten was long past being able to speak. The stress and frustration had been building ever since they had arrived in Kiri, compounded by Neji's refusal to meet them for more than minutes at a time. All her anger and fury was flung at Neji full force, without resorting to her weapons. Even in her current state, she was mindful of the mission.

Eventually Neji's confusion at why she was attacking him cost him. She caught his stomach with a curled fist, and he doubled over, grunting in pain. In an instant she had grabbed the front of his collar, forcing their faces inches from one another.

"I'm going to give you one chance to get your ass out of this," she said, grinding her teeth. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She watched the gears turn in Neji's head. If he so much as hinted that he didn't understand what she meant, she would put her arm down his throat.

His mouth thinned. "You think I have been neglecting you." It wasn't a question.

She shoved him away. Despite the jacket's quality, she still felt the bitter cold, and hugged her chest for warmth. "What was your first clue? This goes further than the mission; I know it. You need to tell me what's going on. That's what people in relationships do, you idiot. They talk."

"I don't want to put you in danger," Neji said, stubbornly. "If we were consistently seen together, the risk of being exposed would be far too high."

She stared holes through him. "That is bullshit! You and I both know I can take of myself. Tell me what this is really about!"

"I have already told you. If you don't want to listen to reason—"

It was the worst thing he could have said. The urge to hit him just faded away, and Neji watched with a mixture of surprise and shame as the fire in Tenten's started to fade.

She didn't cry. That just wasn't something she could do. Tenten only felt her legs give out beneath her, and she slumped into the snow, immune to the cold.

"Is that all I am to you?" she asked, her voice small. It reminded Neji of Hinata's, back in their genin days. "Has all of this just been another one of your 'missions'?"

Tenten hugged her knees to her chest. She felt like a child, small and frightened. Even as Neji stooped down, trying to console her, she felt lost. All her hard work, all she had done to try and pierce that cold exterior…were they together only because Neji found it 'reasonable'? Because she was his best option?

So she asked him just that. The frailty in her voice scared her even more, but she felt like there was nothing more she could lose between them.

The question rocked Neji to his core, and he joined her on the ground, staring at her. "H-how long have you thought this?" he asked. His usually stoic demeanor was shattered, and he felt as if he had been removed from his own body, like he was forced to watch someone say and do things for him, while he was helpless from inside. He didn't want Tenten feel this way; it hurt him to see her this way almost as much as he seemed to have hurt her.

He reached out for her hand; thankfully, she let him take it. "Tenten…I never knew you were feeling like this. I never even could have imagined it." He squeezed her hand until she looked at him. "Please, let me say first that I am sorry. I am sorrier than you can even imagine."

"I understand that I am gruff sometimes, or even cold and distant. That is not how I wish to act when I am with you, but I am still learning. And I learn more every day I spend with you." She moved a little as he spoke. That was a good sign.

"I never meant to make you think that you mean less to me than you do. In fact, I cannot even begin to imagine what my life would be like without you in it."

He held her cheek, forcing her to look him in the eye. "I am not good with expressing myself, and yet despite my flaws, you are patient with me. There is no one else I can imagine myself with, and I would be happy to spend the rest of my life with you. It's the only way I can see my own future now."

And then, in a rare display, he grinned from ear to ear. "Now, is that enough, or do I have to sing you a song, too?"

For a long while, Tenten didn't say anything. She just sat with him in the snow, listening to the silence, and huddling for warmth. Neji did not know if he should speak, or kiss her, or hold her there until she was ready to say something. He chose to do nothing, and simply wait.

She punched him on the arm. "You sound so weird when you talk like that." She laughed, that bright sound filled with life that Neji had grown so fond of. "But I appreciate it."

Tenten kissed him, long and hard. "And I needed that. I really, really needed that. You've been acting weird ever since we got here."

Neji nodded slowly. "I apologize. I have been preoccupied. I have never been on a mission of this magnitude before. If we do not act when the opportune moment presents itself, we will be the catalyst for an entire war, spanning across nations, like the days of our fathers and grandfathers. I wish to break that cycle before it even begins. I apologize that it has resulted in my distance from you."

He stood. "Reinforcements will be coming soon; perhaps then I can have some peace of mind. Perhaps then we can all have some piece of mind."

He smirked, looking up at the endlessly grey sky. A crane flew overheard; a sign that nature was beginning to stir. "Speaking of, how has Lee been faring with that young woman?"

Tenten giggled. "He seems happy enough. She can go from furious to ecstatic in seconds flat, but she makes him happy, and that's good enough for me. Do you think something could come out of it?"

"When I first found out, no I did not. I thought it inappropriate that he would try to attempt a relationship with someone outside the village. And then I realized how backwards and foolish that sounded, and although he does not know it, Lee has my acceptance. I wish him the best. I also wish they could have met under better circumstances. It would be less stressful on him."

They both fell silent, listening to the village wake up. They heard boisterous children leap into their parents' beds, shopkeepers unlocking their windows and doors, dogs barking and chasing after mice and cats in the nooks and alleyways. They heard animals crow and call and yap through the crisp morning air, the chilly wind whip through the tall buildings, and the silence that winter brings.

"It is time I left," Neji finally said, standing. He offered his hand out, and lifted Tenten to his side. He kissed her cheek, to her own surprise, smiling sadly. "I wish we never had that conversation, but I will try to be a better person for you from now on. Tenten, I want you to know that I love you."

Her eyes widened, but Neji was off before she could say anything, as a villager suddenly appeared around the corner. She laughed softly to herself, whispering his name to herself, again. They were lost against the wind, but she heard them loud and clear.

There was a hop in her step as she walked back to the house. She wondered what would be for breakfast, and felt completely at ease for the first time since they got there.

That evaporated quickly when she walked inside. Suigetsu, who was sitting at the table with his feet propped up, smiled a toothy grin.

"There she is! Out for an early-morning stroll, were we? I've been waiting on you." He rested his arms behind his head, watching as she crossed the room to where Lee and Guy were standing.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying hard to remember herself. It was hard; she just wanted to deck him across the jaw, with how smug he looked sitting there.

Suigetsu acted surprised. "You mean, you don't remember? I mentioned that you three might be useful for our plans, and I decided it's time we act on those plans. I mean, you weren't planning anything today, right? You're free?"

Tenten heard something from the other room. The big man who usually accompanied Suigetsu appeared, pushing Kasumi and her mother forward. Tenten sucked in air through her teeth.

"Yeah, I mean these two have this delivery business that I hear you've been helping out with, but I think they wanna take the day off, don't you ladies?"

The man struck the both of them across the face with the back of his hand.

"K-Kasumi!" Lee blurted, stepping forward.

Suigetsu laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Well, I didn't know you had a thing for civilians. But I thought we were on the same side! I'm not wrong, am I?"

Tenten ground her teeth as she watched Lee. He looked ready to leap forward and tear Suigetsu in half, but he stepped back, looking down.

"That's what I thought. The big guy will stay here with your hosts. Don't worry, he'll keep them safe."

He led them through the busy streets of the village, without the slightest bit of concern over who might be paying attention. But little to no one looked their way, instead keeping their eyes on their work, or anywhere else. A few minutes later, they arrived at a very tall building, its upper portion concealed by the mist.

"This is the administration building," Guy said, frowning. "It's dangerous to be here."

Suigetsu laughed. "Ordinarily, you'd be right. But there are special circumstances. We have the place all to ourselves." He kicked the door open, and sure enough, no one was inside.

"You see, they take the jōnin selection exams very seriously," he explained, leading them through the halls and stairwells. "Unlike the chūnin exams, which is essentially measuring each other's military, the jōnin selection exams are a place where individuals are judged by their ability. Because they are sending in shinobi with more impressive skills, the stealing of information is more common than you'd think. So for the duration of the exams, they move everything off site to an undisclosed location, and leave the old building. All files and secrets are removed, regardless of whether or not they deal with the exams."

"So we have the place all to ourselves, and I thought this'd be the perfect place to show me how committed you are to our cause."

He took them downstairs, deep beneath the building's foundation. Fractured stone work and metal girders hung like rotting wounds from towering ceilings, as the rooms grew bigger and bigger. The mist from outside seeped even here, and it hung heavy in the air, trapped by the concrete walls. The sounds from the village were gone now; they were beneath a dense silence, the only sounds the echo of their footsteps.

"They used these underground floors to train their secret operatives," said Suigetsu. "We'll be using them for other reasons."

He pushed open a large metal door, leading into a massive room. The ceiling must have been two-hundred feet high, and all along the walls were tiny lights that lit up like little stars. Electrical cables hung down, unused for many years.

Four shinobi were tied up in the middle of the room, with seals over their mouths and blindfolded by their own headbands. All four were from Kirigakure.

Suigetsu embedded his sword into the ground next to one of them, delighting in the terrified grunt the young man made. "Kill them," he said, taking a seat on the ground.

"Excuse me?" Lee said, eyes wide.

"I said kill them. These four were going to be proctors during the exams, helping test the potential jōnin. If my plan's going to work, I need people on the inside, and that's where you come in. Kill them, take their place, and everything will be ready."

He picked at his teeth with a dirtied fingernail. "They use chūnin instead of other jōnin to judge, to prevent bias or jealous jōnin from underselling their equals. I managed to gather all the others in my pocket, one way or another, but these four were a little more stubborn. Now, kill them."

Lee, Guy, and Tenten didn't move, unsure of what to do. Suigetsu's smile faded, as he bared his sharpened teeth. "You won't do it? Oh, I know why! You want a challenge, don't you?"

He stood, dusting himself off. "I mean, I never intended to just let you kill them. That would be way too easy, right? You have to prove your worth, and what better way to do that than a fight? You won't have to worry about them running away; I've got that covered."

There was a control panel on the far side of the room, to the right of the door they entered in. Suigetsu grinned from ear to ear as he smashed his fist on one of the larger buttons. A siren began to wail, and the walls around them rumbled with a great weight. Panels alongside the walls rose up, and water started pouring in, with the force of a tidal wave. Suigetsu, who was immediately swallowed by the water, reappeared seconds later, rising up with the water swirling around him in some monstrous shape.

"If anyone tries to leave before I say they can," he called, "I kill you all! Make it quick you three; we have a job to do."

(1)

The water rushed up to meet Lee and his team, and they leapt high into the air to avoid the crushing force. The three Kiri chūnin were not so lucky, still being bound and gagged, and Lee watched as the water smashed them into the walls, breaking their bonds.

"We don't have much longer before they'll be attacking us," said Guy.

"What makes you think they'll be so eager to try and kill us?" Tenten asked. "And what about us? Are we really going through with this?"

Guy stared at her, long and hard. "We have to. They tell you of these kinds of decisions when you were in the academy, Tenten. These young men are by no means innocent, but they do not deserve to die. But if we want to keep our cover, and succeed in our mission, they have to die."

One of the chūnin was rising to the top of the water, wiping his eyes and brandishing a kunai. Guy jumped several feet back, falling into a defensive stance.

"We have no choice," he whispered. "It's us, or them."

The other three burst from the water as well, the seals still covering their mouths. Two of them chased after Tenten, while the last, and biggest, charged towards Lee. He was a strong, burly man with an enormous gut and large hands. He formed several hand signs, and then clapped his hands together. A shockwave shot out, creating another large wave, which the man rode on to Lee. He swung his arm to try and cut across Lee's chest, but Lee ducked underneath, kicking the man into the air with both feet.

Tenten, who was already in the air, saw him coming. Out of one of her scrolls she produced an enormous ball and chain, which she slammed down onto the man's back before he could react. He went thundering back down into the water, crashing beneath the waves.

Suigetsu laughed, his thin voice rattling off the walls. "That's what I like to see! Keep it up, you three!"

Lee realized seconds ahead of time that Suigetsu was trying to distract him. Just as he jumped away, the large man erupted from the water with rage in his eyes. He formed another few hand signs, and placed his hand on the water's surface. The water clouded almost immediately, and through the darkness Lee saw a giant shape form from the bubbles. He ran away just in time as a large tentacle tried to grab at him.

Guy was currently holding off his own opponent as well as one of the men who had gone after Tenten, fighting them on the ceiling. He looked down. "Lee, watch out!"

Two more tentacles emerged from the water, sliding along the surface to try and hide their approach. Lee jumped backwards as they lunged forward, only for a third to surprise him from behind. Lee used what little momentum he had, and kicked the tentacle away, jumping to the wall. He watched as a giant squid rose to the surface of the makeshift pool, its many arms swirling around its body. All at once, all of them were thrown in Lee's direction, faster than before, and it was only because Tenten intervened that he was not grabbed. She threw two massive shuriken at the beast's arms, and it roared in pain when they sunk deep into its flesh, retreating a short distance to the other side of the flooded room.

Guy jumped away from the other chūnin, collecting Tenten on the way to Lee. "We need a strategy if we want to come out of this without serious injury. It's five on three right now, and unless we even the odds, this could get bad."

The Kiri chūnin were closing in, as was the one man's squid summon, racing underwater to attack from below.

Tenten threw a few more shuriken to give them an extra second or two. "What do you have in mind?"

Guy pointed at the summon. "Lee, you take care of the squid and its summoner. Tenten will keep the others off of you, and I will make sure that they do not come after her. Go!"

Lee was off like a bolt of lightning. As he rushed up to meet the squid summon, he unlaced the weights bound to his legs. They dropped under the waves, hitting the bottom in seconds, and denting the floor. This time, as the squid tried to latch onto him, Lee dodged with ease, shooting in and out of its many tentacles. The squid groaned in confusion, tying its arms into knots. It tried crashing its head down onto Lee, but missed again, falling into the water.

He took his chance. Lee rocketed to the ceiling of the room, activating the first three chakra gates in quick succession. As the sudden burst in energy overtook him, he pushed off with his legs back towards the water, straight for the squid. His leg came crashing down with tremendous force, and with such large amounts of chakra being exerted, it carved clean through the summon's tentacle, and it dropped into the water.

The squid disappeared in a huge cloud of smoke, but Lee wasn't finished. He lifted what remained behind of the squid's arm, and swung it in a wide arc, straight towards the summoner. It collided with his body before he could get out of the way, and he was flung across the room like a ragdoll, landing on a piece of debris, bobbing up and down in the water, unconscious.

"One down!" Suigetsu shouted with glee. "Three more to go!"

The other three chūnin became significantly less confident in themselves, backing together on the far side of the water. Lee did not bother to wait and regroup with Tenten and Guy. He shot after the other three, pulverizing them with a rapid-fire series of punches and kicks. They had no idea what to expect, surprised by his sudden burst of speed, and collapsed in a heap in seconds, unconscious.

Lee panted hard as he slowly shut the opened chakra gates one by one, overcome with exhaustion. Tenten and Guy raced over to him, concerned.

"Are you feeling alright?" Tenten asked, patting him on the back. "You don't need to push yourself so hard."

Guy was about to say something as well, but they were stopped by Suigetsu, who had begun to clap. Slowly, the water in the room began to drain out, but not through any holes in the wall or floor. It was all being absorbed by Suigetsu himself, and as more and more water entered his body, his arms and legs began to billow out plumes of mist. Soon all the water was absorbed, and he strode across the floor, grinning with his sharpened teeth.

"Not bad, you three," he said, shaking his head. "You took them out pretty damn fast. I think I made the right decision to pick you three for this job. There's only one problem."

He reached his arm back towards the door, where the first man lay. A stream of water shot out of Suigetsu's arm, racing over and grabbing the man, before dragging him back. Suigetsu did the same with the other three chūnin, dumping all four in a heap at Lee's feet.

"I told you to kill them, not knock them out. You want me to trust you, you're gonna cut their throats." He pointed at Lee. "And since you're the one who did all the work, you get to do the honors."

He tossed him a kunai. "Use that, and get it over with. I need to know I have the right kind of killer on my side."

One of the chūnin began to stir, groaning through the seal that covered his mouth. Suigetsu smiled, an evil look in his eye, and after a quick hand seal, removed the man's seal.

"You d-don't have to do this…" the man begged, coughing up water. "P-please…my family… just let me go, and I'll never speak a word of this. We'll leave the village, o-or—"

The man tried to stand, but Suigetsu kicked at the back of his knee, breaking his leg with a disgusting snap. The man cried in pain and fell back to the ground, sweating.

"You're starting to piss me off," said Suigetsu, glaring at Lee. "Kill them now, or I find people who can, and a couple empty graves for you three."

Lee could feel everyone's eyes upon him as he held the kunai in his hand. Tenten, Guy, Suigetsu, and the man whimpering at his feet. All watching, waiting to see what he would do. He ground his teeth, chewed at his lip until it bled. He felt like he was in someone else's skin. How far was he willing to take this? To kill these men would keep their cover intact, and allow them to wait and see what Suigetsu's plan was, giving them the chance to strike when it would serve them best. But at the same time, this was a chance to cut the head off the snake now, to stop him before his plan got any further along.

'You know that won't work, Lee,' he could hear Guy's voice tell him. 'If we took him down now, his partners would simply take over and enact the plan themselves. You have to do this, or risk open war.'

Lee felt like throwing up. His body shook, and he squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to look. He reached forward, grabbed the man's neck, and ran the blade across it. He felt something warm splash his hand, but kept his eyes closed.

Suigetsu started laughing again. Not a cruel, quiet snicker as before, but a loud and long laugh of happiness, like he was truly enjoying this. He wiped his mouth. "It feels amazing, doesn't it!?"

"I just love taking something from someone and…and cutting it." He licked his lips, grinning from ear to ear. "Tearing things apart makes me feel more alive than anything else in the world. It's what people like you and I were made for. We're killers, all of us, and if we're not killing, we're not doing what we were put here to do."

"Kill these others, like I said, and we'll get started on the next step." He picked up the first man's corpse, throwing it away, while the other three still lay together unconscious.

Lee quickly looked to Guy for guidance. His teacher stared long and hard at him, conveying as much emotion as he could without speaking. He displayed a great sadness in his eyes and offered as much comfort as he could. He nodded slowly, telling Lee that he must go ahead.

He thought of Kasumi. It was the only thing he could do to take his mind off his bloody task. He thought of her smile, her warm laughter, and the feeling of her hand over his, as he cut the throats of the other three chūnin.

* * *

><p>Suigetsu had given them another date where they would meet, and had sent them home. "Your lady friends will be safe and sound," he assured, digging the dirt out from under his fingernails. "But don't miss our next meeting, or they won't stay that way."<p>

The entire walk home, Lee did not say a word. He kept his eyes on the ground, watching one foot in front of the other. Nothing Guy or Tenten said could stir him from his own thoughts, until a sudden outburst.

"How far are we willing to take this?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "What if he has us killing innocents next? Civilians? We are not murderers!"

He turned to Guy. "You always told me that there is always a way. But I could not find a way out of that, Guy-sensei! I failed to find a way, and now four shinobi are dead because of me!"

"You are on a mission from the village, Lee," said Guy, without a trace of his usual boisterous attitude. "Tsunade-sama has given us the task of preventing an open rebellion, and I intend to make sure that mission succeeds. I have told you that there is always a way out, yes, but I never said that it will always be available to you, or be an option you even want to take. There was only one thing you could do, and you did it. You don't need to feel guilty."

"It was only a matter of time before you realized that there is not always a peaceful resolution, that violence now is better than violence later."

"And what good does that do if we sacrifice our humanity to get there!?" Lee said, angry. "I do not want to become someone who kills when he wants, someone who believes the ends justify the means."

He broke ahead of them, leaving them behind. Tenten made to go after him, but Guy stopped her, grabbing her arm. "No…he needs some time by himself to think on this, and Neji will be waiting for us soon. He will be fine, Tenten."

Lee found Kasumi and her mother sitting on the couch in their home, a little shaken but fine, as Suigetsu had said. When Lee walked in, Kasumi leapt up. "What was all that about?" she demanded. "Who was that man? He hurt my mom."

Lee nodded sadly. "Y-yes…and I am so sorry for that. We did not intend to drag you into this. It seems they know more about us than we think."

"Are we in any kind of permanent danger?" Niwakō asked. "I have family we can stay with."

"No, that would not be a good idea. If you left, they would suspect something. It will be safer for you if you stay, and I will personally watch out for you from now on." Lee sat down opposite to them. "Where is Enmu?"

"His is visiting some friends," said Niwakō. "He won't be home until later tonight."

Lee nodded. "If they did not go after him as well, they were likely only trying to scare us, and will not seriously hurt you."

Kasumi was staring at him. Lee tried to keep his eyes off her, but the moment he glanced at her, even for only a second, she was upon him. "Something's wrong. I can tell. Lee, what happened while you were gone? Lee?"

Lee looked at Niwakō. "May I speak to your daughter in private?"

Niwakō smiled a little, and left them alone. For several minutes, Lee said nothing, wringing his hands and wondering where to begin.

"You killed someone, didn't you?" Kasumi said, in a quiet voice. "That's it, isn't it? I've seen that look before."

She scooted a little closer to him, resting a hand on his back. "It's not something you get used to, is it? When I've visited other ninja's homes, and look at them, I see the same look. They didn't want to do it, but for one reason or another, they had to. I haven't known you for very long, but I know you're not the kind of person who would enjoy hurting someone else. You won't become like that, ever."

"It is so strange to think about," said Lee, staring at his hands. "For my entire life, I have gone on so many missions, many times with enemies. But I have never directly been the cause of someone's death until now. There was always something else that finished them off. I have never had to end someone's life until now, and now that I have been forced to, I am not sure I can do it again. It was a horrible feeling, and the people involved did not deserve that kind of end."

He sighed. "I have a friend back home, a very strong person who wants to change the world. I believe that if there is someone who can do something like that, it is him, but I think I am finally starting to understand why he wishes that change upon the world. This endless cycle of violence and death is so pointless and destructive. It makes shells of people, and I am afraid of becoming one of those people if I have to continue killing those who other people tell me are my enemy."

Kasumi hugged him. "You're not a bad person, Lee. In fact, you're one of the kindest, gentlest people I know. You won't ever become someone like that. Not if I have anything to say about it."

Lee looked at her. "We are from different villages. There is not much you could do if I went home…"

Kasumi blushed, dropping her gaze. "Well, I a-actually wanted to talk to you about that…I like you, Lee. I like you a lot."

Lee found the heart to smile, if only a little. "And I like you very much as well! You have introduced me to so much here. I can never thank you enough."

Kasumi laughed, a high-pitched and nervous sound. "Th-that's not what I meant, stupid…I really like you, and I don't know how to tell you this, but I w-want to try and find a way that maybe…maybe we could keep seeing each other?"

Lee's eyes opened as wide as saucers. "You m-mean you…?"

She answered his unfinished question by leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. "I think I do, yeah. I've met plenty of other guys here, Lee, but you're different. You never seemed to care what other people thought about you, and you were always willing to help someone else, no matter how much it might cost you. I've never seen that quality in someone before, and it's made me realize how great of a person you are."

"She's right, you know." Niwakō was standing in the doorway, holding something in her arms. "You are a wonderful young man with equally wonderful friends, and I am so happy you and my daughter have met. I hate to interrupt the two of you, but there is something you need to know. There might be a reason why that man came to scare us, and it does not involve you."

Kasumi covered her mouth when she saw what her mother was holding. "Mom, are you really…you're not going to tell him, are you?"

Lee was confused. "What is going on? Is something wrong?"

(2)

"My mother never wants to talk about this," Kasumi explained, frowning. "I was only a baby at the time, so I do not remember it, but my mother will. You see, I used to have a sister."

Niwakō sat down opposite to them, handing Lee what she had been holding. It was a picture frame, the wood rough and worn-down over the years. The picture itself was crumbled and faded, clinging clumsily to its frame. A little girl was seated there, with brilliant violet eyes and a far-off look within them.

"You are probably well-aware that in the past, clans with special abilities, Kekkei Genkai, were persecuted in Kirigakure. There was an inherent distrust, and the village was constantly on the verge of civil war because of that distrust. We managed to avoid that kind of persecution by fleeing the village, returning only after the chaos has died away, and even then, we came as refugees."

Lee was stunned into silence. This family possessed a Kekkei Genkai, like the Hyūga or the Uchiha?

"I can see you are surprised," Niwakō said quietly. "At its earliest incarnations, we could glimpse visions of the future, of things to come. Through training, we could control when the visions came to us and how strong they were. But our clan's abilities were rare amongst us; only a few here and there were able to tap into it, but that did not stop the village from lashing out against us. I was only a little girl when it happened, but most of our family was killed off. My father and I were of only a handful that escaped. After he died, and I had grown up, I came back to the village, certain that the persecution had ended. But now, it seems like we may not be allowed that peace of mind any longer. I am certain those men knew who we are, regardless of the fact that we are your hosts."

Lee rubbed at his wrists, nervously glancing between Niwakō and Kasumi, back and forth. Both looked guilty to have hid this from him, and they had yet to explain the girl in the picture.

He pointed at it. "So who is that? Does she have something to do with all of this?"

Kasumi nodded. "Yes. That was my little sister."

Lee felt the ice in her voice. "W-was?"

"Kasumi is telling the truth. She did have a sister. While we were still far from Kiri, in a small village along the coast, something happened. Some men came, looking for the remnants of our clan. They intended to kill us all if they found us, but the village took pity upon us, and assured the men that no one from our clan was hiding there."

Niwakō took back the picture, staring at it with sad, longing eyes. "Neither of us possessed the ability of our clans. It wouldn't have mattered if we were alive or dead, but they wished to kill us all the same. I could not understand that kind of blind hatred, the kind that took my daughter away from me."

She blinked back several tears. "When we returned home, my youngest was gone. There wasn't a single trace of her left, and we never saw her again. I asked for rumors now and again, but I never heard any good news. She was just a child, barely able to speak. I was getting my hopes up for nothing."

"What was her name?" Lee asked, though he did not know why.

"I did not name her. It was a tradition amongst our clan that we choose our own names when we reach a certain age. But she did not get there; my little girl never got a name of her own."

She sobbed a few times into the sleeve of her jacket. Kasumi hurried over to comfort her, cooing soft words in her ear and hugging her close. Lee felt compelled to console the woman as well, but his own shame at reminding her of this kept him rooted to the spot.

Eventually, however, she calmed down. "That is what this is about, isn't it? Someone within the village is trying to stir up that hatred again, to throw the village into chaos, and use that to gain power."

Lee leaned forward, taking Niwakō's hand. "That is what we will stop from happening. You have my word on that. My friends and I will make sure that this does not come to pass."

His confidence was genuine, and his resolve was strong, but Lee felt the eyes of the girl upon him. Judging him, assuring him that because others had failed in the past, so would he in the present. He looked away from the portrait, but still felt those unsettling violet eyes staring at him.

* * *

><p>Naruto felt something tapping against his cheek, waking him. He sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes, as Hinata pulled the sheets away from him. The sun shone brightly through his window.<p>

"You need to get going, Naruto-kun," she whispered. "You can't be late for your promotion ceremony."

"Crap! I almost forgot about that!" He shimmied towards the edge of the bed, not wanting to stir Miso, as Hinata tossed him the cleanest pair of pants she could find. They smelled a little like dog, but they would have to do, as Naruto pulled them on. He rummaged through his closest looking for his zip-up while Hinata fussed with his hair, patting down what little bed-head she could.

She took a few steps backward, admiring her handiwork. "It's not great, b-but it'll have to do. Promise to behave yourself, okay?"

He scooped her into his arms, kissing her nose with a devilish grin. "I promise. I wish you could come with me."

"You remember what Tsunade-sama s-said. The less people that are there, the better. I'll be waiting at home with breakfast, okay?"

Naruto waggled his eyebrows. "Maybe when I get back, we can do a little celebrating." He giggled to himself as she turned red, and hurried out the door.

Tsunade had chosen to conduct the ceremony in her office. Aside from her, only three other people were present: Kakashi, Iruka, and to Naruto's surprise, the Daimyo himself, via video screen. Iruka caught him staring, shaking his head with a smile.

"This is a very unique circumstance, Naruto. The daimyo's presence is required to assure that both parties agree to it."

The daimyo waved his fan in greeting. "I have heard many stories about you, young man. If you are interested, I am always looking for shinobi of great talent to act as my personal guard."

"Maybe later," said Tsunade gruffly. "For now, he's got a job to do. Naruto Uzumaki, step forward."

He did so with cautious enthusiasm. His head was pounding, and it was hard to contain the smile that threatened to spill across his face. He wished more people could be here to see this: Hinata, Sakura, Jiraiya…but Kakashi and Iruka were here, and that was a good feeling. Iruka was filled with pride, and even Kakashi was finding it hard to hide his satisfaction.

Tsunade pushed a few papers across her desk. "Sign those, and we'll be good to go."

Naruto blinked. "Wait…that's it?"

"Were you expecting more pomp and circumstance? We've got work to do. You, Hinata, and Sakura will leave at sunset for Kirigakure, meeting up with liaisons along the way, including Neji once you reach the village itself. He will fill you in on the details."

"We're leaving today?" Naruto said. "Is it really that bad?"

"It will be if you're late. You have the rest of the day to make any preparations you want, but I need you at the gate at sunset tonight. No exceptions."

The daimyo nodded sagely. "The Godaime is right. A great many people will be counting on you, young man. Do your village proud." The screen switched off.

Tsunade was already burying her nose in other paperwork, as Naruto just stood there, dumbfounded. Iruka walked up beside him, clasping him on the shoulder.

"I know it might not be what you expected, but there are still very many people who are proud of you, Naruto. If it was open invitation, I'm sure half the village would have been here to congratulate you!"

Naruto smiled. "Thanks Iruka-sensei, I guess you're right."

"And there will be plenty of time for bragging once you're back from your mission," Kakashi added. "I'll even treat you to ramen a few times if you'd like."

Another ninja knocked on the door. When Iruka let him inside, Naruto recognized the man as one of the guards assigned to watch over Raiā. He felt a bad feeling beginning to stir.

"Naruto, Raiā has asked for you immediately. He said it is imperative if you wish to succeed in your mission."

Tsunade glared at the guard. "And how would that shriveled old man know about this? Only those with the highest security clearance have been given even slight details."

"I do not know, but he demands that Naruto meet with him in his cell. If not, he will kill the other guard. Tsunade-sama…he is holding him hostage."

The Godaime's eyes widened. "What? Why didn't you say that in the first place!? Naruto, you and I are going over there now. He'll be lucky to keep his miserable life after this."

* * *

><p>They found the elder Uzumaki seated against his bed, calming holding the other guard by his throat, with a kunai pressed into his neck. He was whistling a happy little tune when Tsunade and Naruto arrived. There was a gaping hole in the bars of his cell, bent as if they had been made of paper.<p>

"There you are!" he exclaimed, grinning with his uneven teeth. "I was wondering if you'd accept my invitation or not."

He released the other guard, holding his hands into the air. "I'm sorry for the theatrics, but I had to make sure Naruto would have no other option than to come and meet with me here."

Tsunade growled. "How the hell did you do that? Those chakra-repressing shackles were supposed to—"

"Those idiotic devices wouldn't have stopped me in the slightest if I were half as smart as you think I am," said Raiā lazily. "I could have escaped anytime I wished. I chose to stay because we have a mutually beneficial relationship. I need you for protection, and you need me for my skill, and because I can teach Naruto to control the Kyūbi's power."

"How did you know about my mission?" Naruto demanded. "I never said a word to anyone!"

"The sealing arts are more versatile than you think, boy. I have my methods, but they are not important right now. What is, is making sure you have learned to control that beast's chakra before you leave. I promise you, if you do not, the mission will fail."

He folded his arms, frowning. "We have less than one day for you to learn those skills, so I suggest we start now. The Kyūbi possesses an enormous wealth of chakra reserves. You and I are going to steal it and make it something you can freely access."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

There were footsteps coming from down the stairs towards Raiā's cell. He pointed towards them, smiling. "I have enlisted some help in that regard."

Bee flicked the dirt from his shoulder, offering those present his finest rap pose. "Yo."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Like I said, I want to better the update rate, especially so you guys aren't waiting so long for the next chapter. Hopefully this is enough to get you excited! Also, I hope I didn't forget anything; please let me know if something is amiss.

Until next time.


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